Opinion ID: 2971766
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Telegdy & Saxer

Text: Radvansky’s most substantial claim is that Officers Telegdy and Saxer violated his constitutional rights when they arrested him for burglary of the Redwood Drive residence. The No. 03-3798 Radvansky v. City of Olmsted Falls, et al. Page 7 Fourth Amendment, which is made applicable to the states by its incorporation into the Fourteenth Amendment, mandates that “a law enforcement officer may not seize an individual except after establishing probable cause that the individual has committed, or is about to commit, a crime.” Id. Probable cause necessary to justify an arrest is defined as “whether at that moment the facts and circumstances within [the officers’] knowledge and of which they had reasonably trustworthy information were sufficient to warrant a prudent man in believing that the [arrestee] had committed or was committing an offense.” Beck v. Ohio, 379 U.S. 89, 91 (1964). A reviewing court must assess the existence of probable cause “from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight.” Klein v. Long, 275 F.3d 544, 550 (6th Cir. 2001), cert. denied, 537 U.S. 819 (2002) (internal citations omitted). Determining whether probable cause existed, “presents a jury question, unless there is only one reasonable determination possible.” Gardenhire, 205 F.3d at 315. In this case, there is a genuine dispute of material facts which would permit a reasonable jury to find that Telegdy and Saxer lacked probable cause when they arrested Radvansky for burglary. Under Ohio law, the crime of burglary is defined as follows: “No person, by force, stealth or deception, shall . . . trespass in a permanent or temporary habitation of any person when any person other than an accomplice of the offender is present or likely to be present.” Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2911.12(A)(4) (emphasis added). One of the necessary elements of burglary is proof of a trespass, which “can only occur on the property of another.” State v. Harding, No. C-820345, 1983 WL 8752, at  (Ohio Ct. App. Mar. 23, 1983); State v. Johnson, 201 N.E.2d 791, 792 (Ohio Ct. App. 1963). By the terms of a rental agreement, a tenant is “entitled . . . to the use and occupancy of residential premises to the exclusion of others.” Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5321.01(A). Therefore, a tenant, who is granted a possessory interest, cannot then be held criminally liable for invading the landlord’s title interest during the term of the tenancy. See, e.g., State v. Harper, No. CA93-08-066, 1994 WL 81983, at  (Ohio Ct. App. Mar. 14, 1994) (holding that a current tenant cannot be liable for criminal trespass); State v. Threats, No. CA 2289, 1987 WL 11811, at  (Ohio Ct. App. May 26, 1987) (holding that a tenant could not be liable for trespass because he did not have the criminal intent required); State v. Herder, 415 N.E.2d 1000, 1003 (Ohio Ct. App. 1979) (“Trespass is an invasion of the possessory interest of property, not an invasion of title.”). Because a current tenant cannot be criminally liable for a trespass onto 9the property in his possession, it follows that a burglary charge against him cannot be sustained. See Harding, 1983 WL 8752, at  (concluding that absent evidence that defendant was a tenant, he did not have a possessory interest and therefore, “committed a trespass sufficient to sustain a burglary conviction”). The moment the property interest has ended, however, the former tenant must seek permission to re-enter the residence. See State v. Johnson, No. 59096, 1991 WL 204976, at  (Ohio Ct. App. Oct. 10, 1991) (finding that a tenant who re-entered the premises without permission after the tenancy had ended committed a 9 Appellees in their brief cite to Herder, 415 N.E.2d at 1003, for the proposition that “it is possible for a person to commit a trespass with respect to property of which he is the owner or part owner.” Though that case actually reached the opposite result, the proposition was later adopted by the Ohio Supreme Court when it overruled Herder. State v. Lilly, 717 N.E.2d 322, 325 n.1 (Ohio 1999). These cases are inapposite to the one here because they involve criminal charges brought against a former spouse trespassing on property, of which he was the sole or part title owner. Id. at 325. In finding that an ex-spouse could be held criminally liable for trespassing on his own property, the state supreme court held that “[b]ecause the purpose of burglary law is to protect the dweller, we hold that custody and control, rather than legal title, is dispositive.” Id. at 327. “Thus, in Ohio, one can commit a trespass and burglary against property of which one is the legal owner if another has control or custody of that property.” Id. That proposition, which was novel in the marital setting, is unremarkable in the landlord-tenant context. See State v. Brisbin, No. 54921, 1989 WL 12918, at  (Ohio Ct. App. Feb. 16, 1989) (holding that despite the fact that she owned the building, a landlord may be convicted of criminal trespass if she enters a tenant’s residence during the term of the periodic tenancy without permission). A tenant’s only property interest is a possessory interest, which by definition is “custody and control” of the property. Egner v. Egner, 493 N.E.2d 999, 1002 (Ohio Ct. App. 1985). Because “trespass is an invasion of the possessory interest” and “a tenant [is] entitled to the possessory interest,” a tenant cannot be liable for trespass. Harper, 1994 WL 81983, at . No. 03-3798 Radvansky v. City of Olmsted Falls, et al. Page 8 trespass and could be found guilty of burglary). Failure to seek permission to re-enter the former residence “constitute[s] an unconsented and unprivileged entry and [is] punishable as a trespass.” Id. In this case, Radvansky was a tenant at the Redwood Drive residence pursuant to an oral agreement with Rosemark whereby Radvansky paid $450 per month. Under Ohio law, this agreement would be recognized as a periodic monthly tenancy which could be terminated by either side with notice of termination. Manifold, 586 N.E.2d at 1145; Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5321.17. If the landlord gives proper notice, but the tenant refuses to vacate, the landlord may bring a forcible detainer action in court to remove the tenant. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5321.03(4). Ohio law expressly prohibits self-help evictions by landlords. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5321.15(A). As the Ohio courts have stated, “[c]riminal trespass statutes do not afford a substitute for other adequate civil remedies.” Harper, 1994 WL 81983, at ; Threats, 1987 WL 11811, at ; State v. Hohman, 470 N.E.2d 162, 164 (Ohio Ct. App. 1983); Williams v. City of Cleveland, 16 Ohio Law Abs. 289, 289 (Ohio Ct. App. 1934). Absent a court order, the only way to end a disputed tenancy is if the tenant vacates the apartment of his own accord. Thus, the question of Radvansky’s criminal liability under Ohio’s burglary statute turns on whether he was a current or former tenant of the Redwood Drive residence on the night of May 15. Viewing the evidence presented in the light most favorable to Radvansky, we conclude that Radvansky had paid most of the rent for the month of May and was using the Redwood Drive residence at the time to house his personal possessions, clothing, and furniture. Therefore, because Radvansky was a current tenant and had a right to enter and occupy the premises, he could not be found liable for either criminal trespass or burglary. The existence of probable cause to arrest Radvansky for burglary of the Redwood Drive residence, however, does not depend on actual criminal liability, but rather rests on whether, under the facts and circumstances known to the officers at the time, they knew or should have known that Radvansky was a current tenant. Appellees’ chief argument is that they had information that Radvansky had abandoned the property and therefore no longer had privilege to enter the premises. Appellees’ Br. at 17. The record reveals, however, that the only evidence the police had to support that fact were the statements from Rosemark. J.A. at 1171-72 (Telegdy Dep.) (“What evidence did you have that [Radvansky] didn’t live there, other than what you might have heard from Rosemark? That was it.”). Radvansky expressly rejected the claim that he abandoned the property, however, and repeatedly informed the police that he was a current resident. Moreover, documentary evidence supported Radvansky’s claim. Given the factual dispute over the police’s knowledge of the status of Radvansky’s tenancy, a grant of summary judgment in the officers’ favor was inappropriate at this stage. Construing the evidence in the light most favorable to Radvansky, Rosemark’s word alone was insufficient to establish probable cause of criminal wrongdoing. Several courts, including this one, have noted the unreasonableness of police action predicated solely on a landlord’s allegations against a tenant. In the civil context, the United States Supreme Court has stated that police action to assist a tenant’s eviction pursuant to a court order would be objectively reasonable but action solely at the behest of a landlord could violate the Fourth Amendment. Soldal v. Cook County, 506 U.S. 56, 71-72 (1992). Similarly, we have held that police officers may not facilitate a landlord’s efforts to dispossess tenants absent a judicial eviction order. Thomas v. Cohen, 304 F.3d 563, 577 (6th Cir. 2002), cert. denied, 538 U.S. 1032 (2003). In concluding that the officers were not entitled to qualified immunity, we stated: [the officers] had an opportunity to resolve this question prior to evicting Plaintiffs, but they failed to do so. The officers concede that [the tenants] told them that they paid rent, were protected by landlord-tenant law, and claimed an entitlement to remain at the residence absent an eviction notice. It is clear that the officers never undertook to determine whether Plaintiffs were in fact tenants. They merely claim that it was objectively reasonable for them to rely upon [the landlord’s] No. 03-3798 Radvansky v. City of Olmsted Falls, et al. Page 9 representations to the contrary and that they were not required to believe Plaintiffs’ story. Id. at 581. In the criminal context, the Seventh and Ninth Circuits have held that statements made by landlords and tenants about domestic disputes are by themselves insufficient to establish probable cause. Seminara v. City of Long Beach, Nos. 93-56395, 93-56512, 1995 WL 598097 (9th Cir. Oct. 6, 1995); Hebron v. Touhy, 18 F.3d 421 (7th Cir. 1994). In Hebron, the police arrested a landlord based on a complaint made by the tenants that she was depriving them of utility services. Hebron, 18 F.3d at 422. The Seventh Circuit stated that the police “knew that the tenants were being evicted, and the significant chance that they bore a grudge against their landlords would have made it unreasonable — and therefore unconstitutional — to arrest the landlords on the tenants’ mere sayso. Having received a report of questionable reliability, the police needed to investigate.” Id. at 423. Similarly, in Seminara, a tenant had changed the locks and told the police that his co-tenant had abandoned the apartment. 1995 WL 598097, at . The police, relying solely on the tenant’s complaint, arrested the co-tenant for burglarizing her house when she broke in to recover her possessions. Id. at . The Ninth Circuit stated that “[i]n light of her denials, viewed in the context of an ongoing domestic dispute, the officers bore a duty to conduct some investigation into the credibility of [the tenant]’s accusations before effecting a warrantless arrest [of the co-tenant].” Id. at 3. While we have not addressed probable cause in the specific landlord-tenant context, these cases from our sister circuits are consistent with our own holdings on probable cause determinations. “A police officer has probable cause only when he discovers reasonably reliable information that the suspect has committed a crime.” Gardenhire, 205 F.3d at 318 (emphasis added). Furthermore, “in obtaining such reliable information, an officer cannot look only at the evidence of guilt while ignoring all exculpatory evidence. Rather, the officer must consider the totality of the circumstances, recognizing both the inculpatory and exculpatory evidence, before determining if he has probable cause to make an arrest.” Id. In Gardenhire, we stated that a mere allegation, while possibly justifying a brief investigatory detention, is insufficient by itself to establish probable cause that a crime had been committed. Id. at 317. Police officers may not “make hasty, unsubstantiated arrests with impunity,” nor “simply turn a blind eye toward potentially exculpatory evidence known to them in an effort to pin a crime on someone.” Ahlers, 188 F.3d at 371-72. Applying these principles to this case and viewing the facts in the light most favorable to Radvansky, we conclude that a genuine dispute of material facts exists such that a reasonable jury could find in Radvansky’s favor. A reasonable jury could conclude that Telegdy and Saxer relied solely on Rosemark’s representations and ignored substantial exculpatory evidence. First, the officers had prior knowledge of the existence of the dispute between Radvansky and Rosemark, and that the dispute concerns the privilege to live in the house. On May 14, the night Radvansky first attempted to gain entrance to the Redwood Drive residence, the police received an unusual call, which was sufficient to put both officers on notice that this was an atypical burglary situation.10 That night, Telegdy learned that Radvansky lived at the Redwood Drive residence, but according to Rosemark, had moved out. Telegdy also admitted that he knew that Rosemark and Radvansky were involved in a dispute over money. Saxer conceded that he knew that there was a dispute about entitlement to be in the premises. He stated “that Rosemark was the homeowner asking Mr. Radvansky to leave.” J.A. at 1100 (Saxer Dep.). Telegdy was also aware that Radvansky had furniture and personal possessions still inside the house. The following night, the police dispatcher informed Telegdy and Saxer that “the same person from last evening was back.” J.A. at 169 (May 10 Telegdy stated that he thought that “[i]f that person lived there and they knew the neighbor well enough to go over and borrow a knife to break into their own house, why would they be calling the police?” J.A. at 1168 (Telegdy Dep.). Saxer stated that “[t]he whole call seemed a little strange to [him].” J.A. at 1095 (Saxer Dep.). No. 03-3798 Radvansky v. City of Olmsted Falls, et al. Page 10 15 Police Incident Rep.). Thus, as they were responding to the call on the night of May 15, Telegdy and Saxer knew the following five facts: (i) that there was a dispute between the homeowner and someone who had lived at the residence; (ii) the dispute was over money and the right to live there; (iii) the person still had furniture and personal possessions in the house; (iv) the person had brazenly attempted to break into the house the night before; and (v) the same person had returned on this night. In addition to disregarding these facts, Telegdy and Saxer ignored Radvansky’s repeated protestations that he had a right to be on the premises. Radvansky claimed that while being handcuffed, he told the officers “I live here, my car is registered here, I have furniture here, all my stuff is here, I have stuff in every room of the house here, I have every right to be here.” J.A. at 870 (Radvansky Dep.). Telegdy stated in his deposition that Radvansky told them, “I came here to get my stuff. I live here.” J.A. at 1188 (Telegdy Dep.). The incident report filled out by Saxer indicates that Radvansky “stated that he did nothing wrong, that he lived in the house and forgot his keys.” J.A. at 169 (May 15 Police Incident Rep.). At the police car, when asked by Telegdy what he was doing there, Radvansky responded, “Getting my belongings out of the house.” J.A. at 1191 (Telegdy Dep.). The officers disregarded all of these comments. Moreover, Telegdy and Saxer dismissed the undisputed documentary evidence which corroborated Radvansky’s claim. Telegdy removed Radvansky’s wallet and found his valid driver’s license, which indicated he lived at the Redwood Drive residence. Saxer ran Radvansky’s social security number, and the dispatcher responded with Radvansky’s name and the address of the Redwood Drive residence. A police print-out also reflected Radvansky’s address as the same. Radvansky explained that he tried to show the officers the note Rosemark had written which “states that I owe him rent, that makes me a renter, that gives me every right to live here.” J.A. at 882-83 (Radvansky Dep.). The officers refused to look at it. Finally, despite Radvansky’s repeated statements about having possessions and furniture in the house, no police officer investigated this claim. Radvansky claimed that he could describe every room in the house, that he had belongings in almost every room, and that he was receiving mail there. Upon their arrival, Gilles and Lane went inside the house and could easily have verified Radvansky’s statements. After placing Radvansky into the squad car, either Saxer or Telegdy could have entered the house to check out his story as well. None of the officers ever did. After discussing the evidence12with Gilles,11 the senior officer at the scene, Saxer placed Radvansky under arrest for burglary. The sole evidence which supported a charge of criminal 11 Though Gilles was the senior officer at the scene, Telegdy and Saxer were the main investigating officers, and Saxer was the one who arrested Radvansky. J.A. at 775 (Gilles Dep.); 1138-39A (Saxer Dep.). It should be noted that Gilles also had prior knowledge of the dispute between Rosemark and Radvansky. Caine had told Gilles two weeks prior to the break-in that there was “a civil problem with Mr. Radvansky, as far as payment” and that Caine advised Rosemark to post a note if he changed the locks. J.A. at 732-37 (Gilles Dep.). Gilles also responded with Telegdy the night of May 14 and was the officer who spoke to Rosemark. Radvansky did not include Gilles in his complaint, but Saxer consulted Gilles prior to placing Radvansky under arrest. 12 The district court noted that Telegdy and Saxer had probable cause to arrest Radvansky for a number of crimes, including burglary, breaking and entering, criminal trespass, and criminal mischief. J.A. at 67. We have held that “knowledge of the precise crime committed is not necessary to a finding of probable cause provided that probable cause exists showing that a crime was committed by the defendants.” United States v. Anderson, 923 F.2d 450, 457 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 499 U.S. 980 (1991). All the crimes cited by the district court, however, involve either trespass or unprivileged activity. See Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2911.12(A)(1) (defining burglary as “[n]o person, by force, stealth or deception, shall . . . trespass in an occupied structure . . .); § 2911.13(A) (defining breaking and entering as “[n]o person by force, stealth, or deception shall trespass in an unoccupied structure . . .); § 2911.21(A) (defining criminal trespass as “[n]o person without privilege to do so . . .); § 2909.07(A)(1) (defining criminal mischief as “[n]o person shall without privilege to do so . . .) (emphasis added). Because we conclude that a reasonable jury could find that the police No. 03-3798 Radvansky v. City of Olmsted Falls, et al. Page 11 trespass, the required element for burglary, was Rosemark’s word. In light of the officers’ preexisting knowledge about the dispute between Radvansky and Rosemark, as well as the skeptical view in which statements made by interested parties should be judged, Rosemark’s word is not reasonably reliable information which could establish probable cause. Moreover, combined with Radvansky’s repeated protestations that he lived there, undisputed documentary evidence which supported that claim and the presence of his personal property, clothing, and furnishings within the house, a reasonable jury could find that Telegdy and Saxer lacked probable cause to arrest Radvansky that night.13 The district court and Appellees rely heavily on several of our prior cases, in which we have held that “[o]nce probable cause is established, an officer is under no duty to investigate further or to look for additional evidence which may exculpate the accused.” Ahlers, 188 F.3d at 371. Moreover, we have stated that “[a] policeman . . . is under no obligation to give any credence to a suspect’s story nor should a plausible explanation in any sense require the officer to forego arrest pending further investigation if the facts as initially discovered provide probable cause.” Criss v. City of Kent, 867 F.2d 259, 263 (6th Cir. 1988). “To hold otherwise would be to allow every suspect, guilty or innocent, to avoid arrest simply by claiming ‘it wasn’t me.’” Id. While these cases stand for the undoubtedly correct proposition that “[t]he Constitution does not guarantee that only the guilty will be arrested,” Baker v. McCollan, 443 U.S. 137, 145 (1979), reliance on them in this instance is misplaced. The cases cited by Appellees hold that “once a police officer has sufficient probable cause to arrest, he need not investigate further.” Klein, 275 F.3d at 551 (emphasis in original). For example, in Criss, we held that “[s]everal objective factors support the arresting officers’ belief that plaintiff had received stolen property,” and therefore, the officers did not have to take into account his subsequent claims of innocence. 867 F.2d at 263. Similarly, in Klein v. Long, we concluded that the physical evidence of battery along with the victim’s description of the attack and her immediate fear constituted a sufficient factual basis for probable cause, and thus, the officers were not required to investigate further prior to arresting the alleged attacker. 275 F.3d at 551. Finally, in Ahlers v. Schebil, we held probable cause existed based on a victim’s statement and corroborating evidence of a window of opportunity for the attack. 188 F.3d at 372. We refused to hold the arresting officers liable for “evidence which they failed to collect and, therefore, of which they were unaware.” Id. should have known Radvansky was a current tenant entitled to “custody and control” of the Redwood Drive residence, whether there was probable cause to arrest Radvansky for any of these other crimes is a disputed material fact as well. 13 Appellees argue in their brief that the subsequent indictment of Radvansky by the grand jury conclusively establishes probable cause for the arrest. Appellees’ Br. at 20. In a situation where the arrest of the plaintiff was pursuant to a grand jury indictment, “the finding of an indictment, fair upon its face, by a properly constituted grand jury, conclusively determines the existence of probable cause for the purpose of holding the accused to answer.” Higgason v. Stephens, 288 F.3d 868, 877 (6th Cir. 2002) (quoting Ex Parte United States, 287 U.S. 241, 250 (1932)). By contrast, neither the Supreme Court, nor this court, has ever held that a subsequent grand jury indictment can establish probable cause for an earlier arrest. See Rios v. United States, 364 U.S. 253, 261 (1960) (evaluating probable cause based on the circumstances at the time of arrest despite the fact that the defendant was later indicted by a federal grand jury); Giordenello v. United States, 357 U.S. 480, 487 (1958) (holding that in the absence of a prior indictment, probable cause for arrest is determined by the facts in the sworn complaint); United States v. Bowker, 372 F.3d 365, 374 (6th Cir. 2004) (analyzing probable cause to arrest based on evidence before the warrant-issuing magistrate judge even though the defendant was later indicted by a grand jury); United States v. Bartholomew, 310 F.3d 912, 919 (6th Cir. 2002), cert. denied, 537 U.S. 1177 (2003) (assessing the existence of probable cause to arrest a later-indicted defendant based on the facts that police knew at the time of arrest); see also Smith v. Thornburg, 136 F.3d 1070, 1077 (6th Cir. 1998) (concluding that police had probable cause to arrest the suspect despite the fact that he was not indicted later by a grand jury). What we have previously held implicitly, we now state explicitly — after-the-fact grand jury involvement cannot serve to validate a prior arrest. See Garmon v. Lumpkin County, 878 F.2d 1406, 1409 (11th Cir. 1989) (“A subsequent indictment does not retroactively provide probable cause for an arrest that has already taken place.”). No. 03-3798 Radvansky v. City of Olmsted Falls, et al. Page 12 All of these cases support the general argument laid out by Appellees that police officers are under no duty to investigate prior to making an arrest based on probable cause. None of these cases, however, are applicable to the situation, as in this case, where officers are in the process of determining whether probable cause exists to arrest. Unlike the above-cited cases, there were no objective factors which corroborated Rosemark’s claim and support a finding of probable cause to arrest Radvansky. Moreover, unlike the victim’s statement in Klein, Rosemark is an interested party involved in a contentious dispute, whose claims should be viewed in a skeptical light. Finally, unlike Ahlers, this is not a situation where officers failed to collect exculpatory evidence, but rather they already had both knowledge and possession of such evidence at the time of the arrest. In this case, a reasonable jury could certainly find that Telegdy and Saxer failed to take into account all the evidence before them prior to arresting Radvansky. Appellees further argue that evidence of the forced entry into the Redwood Drive residence was sufficient by itself to establish probable cause of criminal wrongdoing. Appellees’ Br. at 19. In support of this argument, Appellees contend that because Radvansky “chose to break into the property without first taking reasonable steps to protect himself from suspicion, such as calling the police, [he] acted at his own peril.” Id. The Constitution, however, does not place the burden on a citizen to take steps to ensure his liberty, but rather on the police to prove their right to infringe upon it. Under Ohio law, forced entry by itself is insufficient to establish probable cause of either burglary, criminal trespass, breaking and entering, or criminal mischief. Every one of these crimes requires either trespass or unprivileged activity, upon which the forced entry by itself sheds no light. See supra note 12. A homeowner, who is in control and custody of the house, is entitled to enter his own residence through a broken window without fear of arrest. The forced entry, however, is certainly sufficient to create reasonable suspicion of criminal activity which thereby justifies the police in “detain[ing] the suspect briefly to investigate the suspicious circumstances.” United States v. Bentley, 29 F.3d 1073, 1075 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 1028 (1994) (citing Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968)). During a Terry stop, officers may draw their weapons or use handcuffs “so long as circumstances warrant that precaution.” Houston v. Clark County Sheriff Deputy John Does 1-5, 174 F.3d 809, 815 (6th Cir. 1999). We have previously stated that when a person “was reasonably suspected of having just burglarized a home and might reasonably have been deemed armed and dangerous” the police’s use of handcuffs might be justified “as a precautionary measure to secure their safety.” United States v. Hurst, 228 F.3d 751, 758 n.3 (6th Cir. 2000). In this case, Telegdy and Saxer were clearly justified in detaining Radvansky after he exited the Redwood Drive residence. The officers were responding to a call that a burglary was in progress. Saxer had discovered the broken window and screen. The officers also had information from the homeowner that the person inside most likely was not privileged to be there. Given the nature of the crime, the hour of the day, and Radvansky’s response that he was armed with a stun gun, Telegdy and Saxer were also justified in drawing their weapons and using handcuffs to restrain Radvansky. Once he was detained, however, the officers did not investigate any further. In fact, Telegdy and Saxer ignored every opportunity to learn more about the suspicious circumstances. The two officers dismissed Radvansky’s repeated protestations that he lived there. They disregarded the documentary evidence which supported that claim, including Radvansky’s driver’s license, the dispatcher report based on Radvansky’s social security number, and even Rosemark’s note to Radvansky left on the door. Though they went inside the house, the officers failed to investigate whether Radvansky’s personal property, clothing, and furnishings were within it. As a result, the reasonable suspicion which justified their initial actions never matured to probable cause of wrongdoing, which is necessary to support a full-fledged arrest. Thus, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Radvansky, we conclude that the district court erred in finding Telegdy’s and Saxer’s actions were supported by probable cause. No. 03-3798 Radvansky v. City of Olmsted Falls, et al. Page 13
Having established that a reasonable jury could find that Telegdy and Saxer violated Radvansky’s constitutional right, the next steps in the qualified immunity analysis are to determine whether that right is clearly established and whether the officials’ actions were objectively unreasonable in light of that right. It is beyond doubt that in 2001 “the law was clearly established that, absent probable cause to believe that an offense had been committed, was being committed, or was about to be committed, officers may not arrest an individual.” Dietrich v. Burrows, 167 F.3d 1007, 1012 (6th Cir. 1999) (finding the probable cause standard to be clearly established in 1991). Moreover, “[t]he law has been clearly established since at least the Supreme Court’s decision in Carroll v. United States, 267 U.S. 132, 162 (1925), that probable cause determinations involve an examination of all facts and circumstances within an officer’s knowledge at the time of an arrest.” Id. (emphasis in original). Thus, the sole remaining issue is whether Radvansky has offered sufficient evidence to indicate that the officers’ alleged actions were objectively unreasonable in light of the clearly established right. We hold that he has. Based on the information that Telegdy and Saxer had at the time, a reasonable officer would not have concluded that there was probable cause for arrest. The forced entry by itself gives rise to reasonable suspicion but not probable cause of criminal wrongdoing. Ohio courts have held that current tenants are not liable for criminal trespass. Harper, 1994 WL 81983, at . Thus, the sole ground upon which to base a probable cause finding was Rosemark’s word that Radvansky abandoned the apartment. Given the totality of the circumstances — the officers’ prior knowledge of the dispute, Radvansky’s denials of wrongdoing, the undisputed documentary evidence corroborating his claim, and the presence of his personal property, clothing, and furnishings within the house — a reasonable officer would not have concluded that Rosemark’s statement was reasonably trustworthy information upon which to act, but rather that “the criminal process [was being] used to be handle what [was] obviously a landlord-tenant dispute.” Id. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Radvansky, Telegdy’s and Saxer’s actions were not objectively reasonable that night, and thus, they are not entitled to qualified immunity from suit. Therefore, the decision of the district court with regards to qualified immunity for Telegdy and Saxer is hereby reversed.