Opinion ID: 2156898
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: common-law tort claims

Text: Appellees argue for affirmance because Appellants failed to establish that Appellees acted with malice when they arrested Mr. Okwa, thus failing to overcome the immunity from certain tort suits enjoyed by state personnel. Appellees further urge they had adequate legal justification and probable cause to arrest Mr. Okwa based on his conduct at BWI.
The Circuit Court concluded that Appellees' were entitled to summary judgment on Appellants' battery count because the Appellees were acting in accordance with their duties of employment ... [and] the requisite finding of malice [motivating their conduct] against [Mr. Okwa] does not exist to remove the bar of immunity in the present suit. The immunity referred to by the trial court is that provided to state personnel under the Maryland Tort Claims Act (MTCA). Maryland Code (1984, 1999 Repl.Vol.), State Government, § 12-105 provides that State personnel shall have the immunity from liability described under § 5-552(b) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article. Maryland Code (1973, 1998 Repl.Vol.), Courts & Judicial Proceedings, § 5-522(b) in turn states, in pertinent part: State personnel, as defined in § 12-101 of the State Government Article, are immune from suit in courts of the State and from liability in tort for a tortious act or omission that is within the scope of the public duties of the State personnel and is made without malice or gross negligence. Section 12-101(a)(2)(i) defines employees of the Maryland Transportation Authority as State Personnel. It is undisputed that Appellees were police officers employed by the Maryland Transportation Authority and Appellants concede that Appellees were acting within the scope of their public duties during their confrontation with Mr. Okwa. As Appellants do not argue that Appellees acted with gross negligence, the sole issue as to the battery count is whether the Circuit Court concluded correctly that there existed no triable issue as to whether Appellees acted with malice when they arrested and restrained Mr. Okwa. This Court has addressed the issue of defining malice under the MTCA. Recently in Shoemaker v. Smith, 353 Md. 143, 725 A.2d 549 (1999), we clarified the standard of malice under CJP § 5-522(b). Shoemaker involved two St. Mary's County sheriff's deputies sued by a family following the deputies' temporary detention of the family's children. [10] The deputies sought summary judgment, arguing they were immune from suit under the MTCA. The Circuit Court denied the motion. Before this Court, the deputies asserted they were entitled to summary judgment based on the doctrine of collateral estoppel because, in a related federal case where the family had asserted a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim against the deputies, a United States District Judge found that the deputies did not use excessive or unreasonable force. See Shoemaker, 353 Md. at 158, 725 A.2d at 557. Following a review of the evolution of the grounds for immunity from a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim, we rejected the deputies' argument, holding that substantial distinctions existed between 42 U.S.C. § 1983 immunity and immunity under the MTCA. We noted that malice had been eliminated effectively as a ground that would trump immunity in a § 1983 context, but that the absence of malice was a legislatively mandated element for immunity under the MTCA and CJP § 5-522(b). We explained that: [t]he question raised for purposes of immunity under the State Tort Claims Act is whether a jury could reasonably find that [the deputies] conduct, given all of the existing and antecedent circumstances, was motivated by ill will, by an improper motive, or by an affirmative intent to injure the boys ... that motive or animus may exist even when the conduct is objectively reasonable. If it does, there is no immunity under the State Tort Claims Act. Id. at 164, 725 A.2d at 560. In an earlier case, Sawyer v. Humphries, 322 Md. 247, 587 A.2d 467 (1991), we similarly described the element of malice for purposes of the MTCA. The defendant in Sawyer, a state police officer, was alleged to have committed numerous intentional torts, including battery. The plaintiffs claimed that the officer, while off-duty, threw rocks at their car and attacked one of the occupants of the car. The Court of Special Appeals affirmed the trial court's judgment dismissing the case, holding that the officer was immune from the suit under the MTCA. As one basis for our reversal of the Court of Special Appeals, we held the plaintiffs had alleged sufficiently, to overcome the motion to dismiss, that the officer's actions were malicious. In clarifying the meaning of the term malice, we stated: [w]hen someone, without provocation or cause, throws rocks at two other persons, he is obviously demonstrating ill will towards those persons. Wrestling another to the ground, pulling his hair, and hitting him on the face, again without cause or provocation, is certainly malicious conduct. Sawyer, 322 Md. at 261, 587 A.2d at 474. Our review of the record in the present case, in particular the affidavits submitted by Mr. Okwa and Appellees, reveals two diametrically opposed versions of the circumstances surrounding Mr. Okwa's arrest. According to the Appellees' affidavits collectively, as the three officers were escorting Mr. Okwa toward the terminal exit, he started jerking from side to side and began to kick his feet. After the group calmly exited the terminal, Mr. Okwa started jumping and Appellees merely tried to control him by his handcuffs. Mr. Okwa continued to struggle and the group fell to the ground while Officer Harper tried to break Mr. Okwa's fall as he would not be able to catch himself. Mr. Okwa was still fighting as Appellees held him to the ground. Mr. Okwa, however, offered a different view of the incident. He explained in his affidavit that, after he was handcuffed, Appellees roughly dragged him toward the exit. When the group emerged outside of the terminal, he was forcibly put to the ground. Although at no time did [he] resist or provoke the officers, Mr. Okwa was struck in the head and neck and his cuffed hands [were twisted] by his thumbs. As a result of the incident, Mr. Okwa suffered injuries to [his] head, neck, knees, wrists, and arms. Based on Appellees' version of the story, a fact finder, if given the opportunity, could conclude that Appellees acted without malice and did not commit the act of battery while arresting Mr. Okwa. The fact finder could find that any injuries suffered by Mr. Okwa were the product of his own resistive and combative efforts. Apparently this is the version of events that the trial judge opted to believe. The trial judge necessarily determined Appellees' accounts of the alteration to be more credible and based his ruling on them. This was an error. The summary judgment process is not properly an opportunity for the trial court to give credence to certain facts and refuse to credit others. See Pittman v. Atlantic Realty Co., 359 Md. 513, 537, 754 A.2d 1030, 1042-43 (2000) (citations omitted)(the trial judge is not permitted to weigh evidence in deciding a motion for summary judgment); Sheets v. Brethren Mut. Ins. Co., 342 Md. at 638, 679 A.2d at 542 ([i]n granting a motion for summary judgment, the trial court does not resolve factual disputes, but instead is limited to ruling as a matter of law); Dobbins v. Washington Suburban Sanitary Comm'n, 338 Md. 341, 345, 658 A.2d 675, 677 (1995)(the trial court does not determine facts, but instead rules on the motion [for summary judgment] as a matter of law). If a fact finder believed Mr. Okwa's rendition of the incident, however, it could infer reasonably that Appellees were motivated by an improper motive or that they had an affirmative intent to bring harm to Mr. Okwa. See Shoemaker, 353 Md. at 164, 725 A.2d at 560. It would not be unreasonable for a fact finder to infer that Appellees were motivated by an extreme and overzealous desire to punish Mr. Okwa for failing to obey immediately their instructions to walk away from the ticket counter and exit the terminal. The alleged fact, if believed, that peace officers beat a citizen about his head and neck while they twisted his thumbs, could support an inference that Appellees were inspired with malicious intention. Such behavior fits the type of conduct which would strip the actor's immunity otherwise provided under the MTCA. See Shoemaker, 353 Md. at 164, 725 A.2d at 560. Because disputed material facts exist in the record, or inferences of malicious conduct may be drawn from Mr. Okwa's version of the facts, the battery counts were not amenable to disposition via summary judgment.
The Circuit Court granted Appellees' motion for summary judgment, as to the malicious prosecution counts, because there are not adequate grounds to support a cause of action for Malicious Prosecution as to these [Appellees]. [11] For the reasons explained below, we hold that the trial judge erred in reaching this conclusion. A plaintiff must show the following to establish the tort of malicious prosecution: 1) the defendant instituted a criminal proceeding against the plaintiff; 2) the criminal proceeding was resolved in the plaintiff's favor; 3) the defendant did not have probable cause to institute the proceeding; and 4) the defendant acted with malice or a primary purpose other then bringing the plaintiff to justice. See DiPino v. Davis, 354 Md. 18, 54, 729 A.2d 354, 373 (1999); One Thousand Fleet Ltd. Partnership v. Guerriero, 346 Md. 29, 37, 694 A.2d 952, 956 (1997); Krashes v. White, 275 Md. 549, 554, 341 A.2d 798, 801 (1975). Appellees do not contest that following Mr. Okwa's arrest by Appellees, he was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assault. It is also uncontested that Mr. Okwa was found not guilty of these charges by the District Court. Thus, facts have been plead that, if proven, satisfy elements 1) and 2) of the tort. It is necessary for us to consider whether there are a triable issues as to whether Appellees had probable cause to arrest Mr. Okwa and whether they acted with malice when they did so. Probable cause, as the term suggests, is a concept based on probability. See State v. Ward, 350 Md. 372, 396, 712 A.2d 534, 545-46 (1998)(quoting Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 231, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 2328, 76 L.Ed.2d 527, 544 (1983)). It does not have a technical definition. Rather, the question of whether a law enforcement officer had probable cause to make a particular arrest is determined on factual and practical considerations of everyday life on which reasonable and prudent [people]... act. Id. We have defined probable cause as `facts and circumstances sufficient to warrant a prudent [person] in believing that the [suspect] had committed or was committing an offense.' DiPino, 354 Md. at 32, 729 A.2d at 361 (citations omitted)(alterations in original). In DiPino, we instructed that: [t]o determine whether an officer had probable cause, under that conception, the reviewing court necessarily must relate the information known to the officer to the elements of the offense that the officer believed was being or had been committed. The officer, of course, must undertake the same analysis in determining, in the first instance, whether the person may lawfully be arrested. Id. Appellees initially arrested Mr. Okwa for disorderly conduct. Therefore, it is necessary for us first to consider the nature of that offense. Disorderly conduct in public places is a statutory crime with common law roots. It is presently codified in Maryland Code (1957, 1996 Repl.Vol.), Article 27, § 123. The statute provides, in pertinent part: A person may not act in a disorderly manner to the disturbance of the public peace, upon any public street, highway, alley, park or parking lot, in any city, town, or county in this State, or at any place of public worship, or public resort or amusement in any city, town or county in this State, or in any store during business hours, or in any elevator, lobby or corridor of any office building or apartment house having more than three separate dwelling units, or in any public building in any city, town or county of this State. We have interpreted the statute to prohibit the doing or saying, or both, of that which offends, disturbs, incites, or tends to incite, a number of people gathered in the same area. See Dennis v. State, 342 Md. 196, 201, 674 A.2d 928, 930 (1996), vacated on other grounds and remanded, 519 U.S. 802, 117 S.Ct. 40, 136 L.Ed.2d 4 (1996), affirmed on remand, 345 Md. 649, 693 A.2d 1150 (1997). Appellees correctly asserted at oral argument that there is a police command aspect to the crime of disorderly conduct. See Dennis, 342 Md. at 201, 674 A.2d at 930. When a citizen disobeys a reasonable and lawful request by a police officer fairly made to prevent a disturbance to the public peace that citizen has engaged in disorderly conduct. See Harris v. State, 237 Md. 299, 303, 206 A.2d 254, 256 (1965). See also Baynard v. State, 318 Md. 531, 538, 569 A.2d 652, 655 (1990)(under some circumstances, it is a violation to disobey a police officer's request to leave an area). The police officer's request, however, must be intended to prevent someone from inciting or offending others. It may not be an arbitrary directive. See Dennis, 342 Md. at 201, 674 A.2d at 930. In Dennis, we held that a passenger's failure to remain in a car after he was commanded to do so did not pose a sufficient danger of breaching the peace in order to sustain a disorderly conduct conviction. See id. at 203, 674 A.2d at 931. But see Barnhard v. State, 325 Md. 602, 616, 602 A.2d 701, 708 (1992)(evidence that a defendant taunted police with obscenities, threatened to kill another officer, and incited a crowd was sufficient to give police probable cause to make an arrest for disorderly conduct). In Briggs v. State, 90 Md.App. 60, 599 A.2d 1221 (1992), the Court of Special Appeals affirmed a disorderly conduct conviction on somewhat analogous facts to those alleged by Appellees in the present case. During a carnival in Caroline County, the defendant became agitated after he lost a sum of money at a gambling table. He began cursing in a loud voice, violently throwing dice at the table, and grabbing for his lost money. Despite efforts to calm him down, the defendant continued his behavior, the police were summoned and eventually arrested him. During the arrest, the defendant swung his arms around and struck the police officers. A large crowd gathered during the struggle. After his conviction for disorderly conduct, the defendant appealed to the Court of Special Appeals challenging the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction. The court undertook a chronological analysis, viewing the defendant's conduct in separate episodes, first at the gambling table and then during the fight with the police. It ultimately held that the defendant's behavior in either time frame was sufficient to support a disorderly conduct conviction. Focusing on his behavior at the table, the court stated: [the defendant] shouted, grabbed back the money he lost, and slammed the dice into the table. The carnival was crowded, and some of the patrons were noticeably affected by this: people complained to the firemen, asking them to do something to induce [the defendant] to desist. So extreme was [the defendant's] behavior that the firemen operating the dicing game were moved to seek police assistance in persuading him to leave after their own attempts to discourage his disruptive behavior were unsuccessful. This alone would be sufficient to invoke the statute's sanctions. Briggs, 90 Md.App. at 69, 599 A.2d at 1225. Turning to the point in time when the defendant was arrested, the court explained: his response to their order constituted disorderly conduct: in addition to physically resisting their efforts to take him into custody, he threatened them, and incited the crowd sufficiently to cause the officers to fear that the crowd would `take him away' from them .... we conclude that a rational jury reasonably could have concluded that [the defendant] was guilty of disorderly conduct. [The defendant's] actions at every turn disrupted the carnival, challenged the police, and eventually incited the crowd against the officers. This behavior reasonably prompted the officers to arrest him for disorderly conduct. Id. at 73, 599 A.2d at 1227. Against this backdrop, Appellees contend that they acted properly when they arrested Mr. Okwa for disorderly conduct. They point out that he engaged in the type of conduct prohibited by the statute by waiving his hands in the air, yelling, repeatedly refusing to obey Officer Potter's orders to cease and desist this activity in the Airport, and that a reasonable person observing Mr. Okwa's conduct could believe that Mr. Okwa committed the offense of disorderly conduct. This may be a persuasive argument when made to a fact-finder, but it will not carry the day in our review of the grant of summary judgment in this case. Implicit in the Circuit Court's grant of summary judgment is a finding of the facts, viewed in the light most favorable to Appellants, supporting the conclusion, as a matter of law, that Appellees had probable cause to arrest Mr. Okwa. See Md. Rule 2-501(a); Baltimore Gas and Elec. Co. v. Lane, 338 Md. 34, 43, 656 A.2d 307, 311 (1995); Natural Design, Inc. v. Rouse Co., 302 Md. 47, 62, 485 A.2d 663, 671 (1984). That was an error. Examining the factual record before the Circuit Court, under the correct standard, it suggests that Mr. Okwa paid over $2000 for a plane ticket to Nigeria and confirmed his reservation twice before the flight. On both confirmation efforts, airline personnel advised him that there were no problems with his reservation. As he attempted to check-in on the day of the fight, airline personnel refused to accept his ticket or explain their refusal. Rather, he was informed to take up his dispute with his travel agent. His flight was about to depart and he raised his voice, understandably, in frustration. The police approached and, without inquiring into the situation, told him to leave the area. According to Mr. Okwa's version of the event, only he, Appellees, and British Airways personnel were in the immediate vicinity of the dispute. Mr. Okwa stated that he wanted to know why he could not board his flight and the police immediately arrested him. If Mr. Okwa's factual allegations are believed ultimately, Officers Potter and Harper did not have probable cause to arrest Mr. Okwa. [12] Maryland Code (1957, 1996 Repl.Vol.), Article 27, § 123 is directed at deterring more severe conduct than that engaged in by Mr. Okwa by his account. From the facts alleged by Appellants, a reasonable person might not believe Mr. Okwa's behavior could have offended, disturbed, or incited a group of surrounding people. See Dennis, 342 Md. at 201, 674 A.2d at 930. Mr. Okwa simply was attempting to settle a facially legitimate dispute over a commercial transaction. On the record before us, we cannot say, as a matter of law, that Mr. Okwa's conduct created any real danger of breaching the peace as a matter of law. See Md. Rule 2-501(a); Green v. H & R Block, Inc., 355 Md. 488, 501, 735 A.2d 1039, 1047 (1999). We also shall consider briefly the question of whether, on this record and as a matter of law, Appellees lacked malice, or a primary purpose in instituting the proceeding other than that of bringing the offender to justice. See Krashes, 275 Md. at 554, 341 A.2d at 801. This Court has long held that the `malice' element of malicious prosecution may be inferred from a lack of probable cause. Montgomery Ward v. Wilson, 339 Md. 701, 717, 664 A.2d 916, 924 (1995). See DiPino, 354 Md. at 55, 729 A.2d at 374; Exxon Corp. v. Kelly, 281 Md. 689, 699-700, 381 A.2d 1146, 1152-53 (1978); Jannenga v. Libernini, 222 Md. 469, 474, 160 A.2d 795, 798 (1960). Because we have determined that Appellees may not have had probable cause to arrest Mr. Okwa, further analysis of this element is unnecessary. We note one final matter regarding Appellants' malicious prosecution claims. Appellants have alleged in their first amended complaint that they are entitled to punitive damages based on the actual malice which allegedly motivated Appellees. Although an inference of malice based on a lack of probable cause is sufficient to support an award of compensatory damages, in order to receive a punitive damage award Appellants must prove at trial that Appellees were moved by actual malice. This showing may not be made inferentially. See DiPino, 354 Md. at 55-56, 729 A.2d at 374; Montgomery Ward, 339 Md. at 735-36, 664 A.2d at 933. In Montgomery Ward, we recognized that: for punitive damages to be allowable in malicious prosecution actions, a plaintiff must establish by clear and convincing evidence the defendant's wrongful or improper motive for instigating the prosecution. Although the jury may draw an inference of such motive from lack of probable cause for purposes of compensatory damages, it may not rely on the inference in considering punitive damages. Montgomery Ward, 339 Md. at 735-36, 664 A.2d at 933. We command a higher standard in this context because, in certain situations, police officers or an individual may lack probable cause to institute a criminal proceeding because they have acted negligently. An inference of malice, resulting from a negligent action, rather than one motived by true ill-will, cannot justify an award of punitive damages. See id. at 735, 664 A.2d at 933.
Turning to Appellants' false arrest and false imprisonment claims, the Circuit Court awarded summary judgment to Appellees based on its finding that these counts fail to establish a claim upon which relief can be granted in that False Arrest & False Imprisonment require an arrest or confinement without legal authority or probable cause.... As a result of Plaintiff Okwa's independent actions, the officers had adequate probable cause to cause an arrest and imprisonment. The Circuit Court erred. In Appellants' first amended complaint they framed one count designated as False Arrest / Imprisonment. Although the intentional torts of false arrest and false imprisonment are separate causes of action, they share the same elements. See generally Scott v. Jenkins, 345 Md. 21, 29, 690 A.2d 1000, 1003 (1997); Montgomery Ward, 339 Md. at 721, 664 A.2d at 926. We shall discuss the torts concurrently. For a successful cause of action based on false arrest or false imprisonment, the plaintiff must establish that the defendant deprived him or her of his or her liberty without consent and without legal justification. See Scott, 345 Md. at 29, 690 A.2d at 1003; Montgomery Ward, 339 Md. at 721, 664 A.2d at 926; Ashton v. Brown, 339 Md. 70, 119, 660 A.2d 447, 471 (1995); Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. v. Paul, 256 Md. 643, 654, 261 A.2d 731, 738 (1970). The core issue under Appellants False Arrest/Imprisonment cause of action is whether Appellees had legal authority to facilitate the arrest of Mr. Okwa at the airport. To resolve this issue, we must examine Appellees' legal authority to make arrests in conjunction with the circumstances of Mr. Okwa's arrest. See Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. v. Paul, 256 Md. at 655, 261 A.2d at 738 (the test whether legal justification existed in a particular case has been judged by the principles applicable to the law of arrest). Appellees, as members of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force, have all the powers granted to other police in this State when exercising police authority on airport property. See Maryland Code (1974, 1993 Repl.Vol., 1999 Supp.), Transportation Article, § 4-208(b). One of the many powers given to police officers in this State is the authority, under certain circumstances, to make arrests without an arrest warrant. The boundaries of this particular authority are defined in Maryland Code (1957, 1996 Repl.Vol., 1999 Supp.), Article 27, § 594B. As Mr. Okwa was arrested for disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, subsections (a) & (b) of the statute are applicable to the present case. These subsections provide: (a) Arrest for crime committed in presence of officer. A police officer may arrest without a warrant any person who commits, or attempts to commit, any felony or misdemeanor in the presence of, or within the view of, such officer. (b) Arrest for crime apparently committed in presence of officer. A police officer who has probable cause to believe that a felony or misdemeanor is being committed in the officer's presence or within the officer's view, may arrest without a warrant any person whom the officer may reasonably believe to have committed such offense. In part III. B. of this opinion, we held that for the purposes of summary judgment a trier of fact reasonably could infer from the facts alleged by Appellants that Appellees did not have probable cause to arrest Mr. Okwa for disorderly conduct. One consequence of this conclusion is that, without probable cause, Appellees did not have legal authority to arrest Mr. Okwa pursuant to § 594B(b). We now consider Appellees' legal authority to arrest Mr. Okwa under § 594B(a). As alluded to earlier, the question is not simply whether Mr. Okwa was committing the misdemeanor of disorderly conduct in the presence of Appellees. Our task is slightly more complex. In the procedural posture of this case, we must resolve as a matter of law whether a trier of fact looking at the facts in the light most favorable to Appellants could infer reasonably that Mr. Okwa was not committing disorderly conduct. See Md. Rule 2-501(e); Green, 355 Md. at 501, 735 A.2d at 1047 ; Baltimore Gas and Elec. Co., 338 Md. at 43, 656 A.2d at 311; Natural Design, Inc., 302 Md. at 62, 485 A.2d at 671. We answer this question in the affirmative. Looking at the facts in the light most favorable to Appellants, they establish that Mr. Okwa raised his voice during his attempt to settle a facially valid mercantile dispute with an airline employee. The airline employees summoned Officers Potter and Harper to come to the ticket counter. The officers directed Mr. Okwa to leave the area. Admittedly, he did not collect his belongings immediately and withdraw when the officers directed him to do so, but, without more, this is not enough to support the conclusion that Mr. Okwa committed the crime of disorderly conduct in the presence of Officers Potter and Harper. See Dennis, 342 Md. at 203, 674 A.2d at 931. A measure of distinction exists between acceptable assertiveness and disorderly conduct. We think Appellants are entitled to have a fact-finder resolve this distinction. [13]