Opinion ID: 483247
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Nature of Plaintiffs' Claims

Text: 4 Plaintiffs Lorraine Cullen, John L. Jund, and Michael Landi were employed by the Town or the County prior to December 1976. Suing on behalf of all persons similarly situated, they claim that for some years prior to the filing of their federal complaint, the defendants had engaged in a scheme of demanding, in violation of plaintiffs' rights under federal law, that employees or prospective employees of the Town and the County contribute annually one percent of their salaries to the Nassau County Republican Party in order to obtain promotion or employment. Plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as refunds of the sums collected from class members pursuant to the alleged scheme since 1971. 5 Prior to commencing the present action, Cullen and Jund, purporting to sue on behalf of others similarly situated, had brought suit challenging this alleged conduct in state court in 1974, naming as defendants, inter alios, Joseph M. Margiotta, individually and as County Leader of the Nassau County Republican Committee, Ralph G. Caso, individually and as County Executive of the County of Nassau, and the County of Nassau. Neither the Town nor the Town Committee was named as a defendant, either directly or indirectly. The state suit was dismissed on the grounds that the complaint did not set forth a cause of action under state law and that class action treatment was inappropriate under N.Y.Civ.Prac. Law (CPLR) Sec. 1005 (repealed and replaced by CPLR Sec. 901 effective Sept. 1, 1975 (McKinney 1976)). Cullen v. Margiotta, 81 Misc.2d 809, 367 N.Y.S.2d 638 (Sup.Ct. Nassau Co. 1975) (State Court Judgement), aff'd mem., 59 A.D.2d 831, 399 N.Y.S.2d 160 (2d Dep't 1977). 6 On December 14, 1976, plaintiffs commenced the present action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983, contending principally that defendants' alleged conduct violated their rights under the First Amendment to the Constitution. Their present complaint also alleged that this conduct constituted a pattern of racketeering activity within the meaning of RICO, 18 U.S.C. Secs. 1961(1) and (5). Plaintiffs sought, inter alia, single damages on their Sec. 1983 claims and, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1964(c), treble damages on their civil RICO claims.