Opinion ID: 2828917
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Potocnik’s Complaint

Text: Potocnik alleges that since 2003, more than 200 law enforcement personnel from approximately 40 different departments or agencies have accessed his information approximately 420 times. The audit attached to Potocnik’s complaint reveals that 308 of the 416 listed accesses—and 47 of the 50 accesses within the limitations period—were performed through the Minneapolis PD’s station. There are only four agencies with accesses within the limitations period: the Minneapolis PD, Gilbert PD, Dilworth PD, and St. Louis County Sheriff’s office. Of these, the Dilworth PD had only one early-morning access and no other accesses whatsoever. Although numerous users in the Minneapolis PD frequently accessed Potocnik’s information, the City of Minneapolis is not a party to this appeal. Potocnik has pursued a separate action against Minneapolis and the Law Enforcement Does responsible for accesses through the Minneapolis PD. See Potocnik v. City of Minneapolis, No. 14-1215(DSD/TNL), 2014 WL 4829454 (D. Minn. Sept. 29, 2014). The St. Louis County Sheriff’s office and Gilbert PD each accessed Potocnik’s information only once during the limitations period, but they did have a history of suspicious accesses. Nevertheless, Potocnik has pleaded no underlying facts that explain why he would garner Law Enforcement Does’ interest. Although the parties have indicated that Potocnik is a former police officer who was once under investigation, there are no allegations in the complaint of any relationship he may have had with any law enforcement agency, professional or otherwise. Nor are there any allegations that would explain why law enforcement officers would have an unusually high level of interest in Potocnik. Potocnik alleges in conclusory fashion -34- that his personal information was obtained “without probable cause or reasonable suspicion.” Potocnik does not allege that he committed no crimes that would justify the accesses. Potocnik asks us to infer from the sheer volume of accesses, the large majority of which are attributable to the Minneapolis PD, and from a few past suspicious accesses through the Gilbert PD and St. Louis County Sheriff stations, that the accesses were for an impermissible purpose. His allegations of underlying facts lack the specificity necessary to give rise to a reasonable inference that the remaining Defendants obtained his personal information for an impermissible purpose. We therefore affirm the dismissal of Potocnik’s complaint against all Law Enforcement Does and Local Entities. We express no opinion about Potocnik’s claims in the separate action.