Opinion ID: 779087
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Plaintiffs Rogers and Emigh

Text: 15 Upon Officer Stark's arrival at the laundromat, he observed two individuals moving dryers onto a moving van. When he entered the laundromat, Stark found it in a state of disrepair. There were holes in the ceiling and walls of the laundromat and Stark saw that piping, wires and a water heater had been removed from the premises. Stark also consulted Inspector McQuade who told him that the laundromat was in good working order just one week earlier. 16 Plaintiffs note that Rogers identified himself to Stark as the owner of the business and the equipment and attempted to explain the situation. The plaintiffs argue that this explanation made it impossible for Stark to conclude that plaintiffs had acted with the requisite intent to commit criminal mischief. Thus, their argument runs, officers of reasonable competence could not disagree over whether there was probable cause, and consequently, Stark was not entitled to qualified immunity. 17 This argument is not persuasive. New York Penal Law § 145.10 provides that: 18 A person is guilty of criminal mischief in the second degree when with intent to damage property of another person, and having no right to do so nor any reasonable ground to believe that he has such right, he damages property of another person in an amount exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars. 19 N.Y. Penal Law § 145.10 (McKinney 2002). During his explanation, Rogers admitted that he and Emigh had caused all the damage in question to the laundromat. Although Rogers told Officer Stark that he was entitled to remove his own equipment, Stark was not privy to any earlier discourse between the plaintiffs and city officials. He therefore had no reason to believe that Rogers was entitled to remove the equipment. Further, even if he did believe Rogers, he could have concluded that the resultant damage to the city-owned building was intentional and deliberate. People v. Misevis, 155 A.D.2d 729, 547 N.Y.S.2d 439, 440 (3d Dep't 1989) (discussing intent element of Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree). 20 In sum, given these conditions, officers of reasonable competence could disagree as to whether probable cause existed to arrest Rogers and Emigh. Thus, the district court did not err in concluding that Stark was entitled to qualified immunity as to the claims of Rogers and Emigh.