Opinion ID: 391265
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Harassment, Bad Faith Enforcement

Text: 20 Appellant's strongest argument is under the bad faith exception to the Younger doctrine that requires a showing that the ordinance was drafted, and is being enforced, in bad faith and with the intent to harass appellant. Younger v. Harris, supra, 401 U.S. at 48, 91 S.Ct. at 752. 21 Federal intervention in pending state proceedings that have been tainted by harassment and bad faith law enforcement cannot be properly characterized as a disregard for the competence of state court judges, or as a disregard for the overwhelming expectation that they will carry out their oaths to support the federal constitution. 22 The leading case dealing with irreparable injury resulting from bad faith prosecution and harassment is Dombrowski v. Pfister, 380 U.S. 479, 85 S.Ct. 1116, 14 L.Ed.2d 22 (1965). Pursuant to the Louisiana Subversive Activities and Communist Control Law and the Communist Propaganda Control Law, unlawful arrests, searches, seizures and prosecutions were allegedly undertaken with no expectation of obtaining valid convictions. The items seized were allegedly used to harass those engaged in activities protected by the first amendment. The Court held that the complaint stated a claim for equitable relief even though there existed a pending state court prosecution of the plaintiffs. Id. at 483-84, 85 S.Ct. at 1119-1120. 23 The Supreme Court further explained the bad faith exception in Cameron v. Johnson, 390 U.S. 611, 88 S.Ct. 1335, 20 L.Ed.2d 182 (1968), where the exception was treated as applying to a special class of cases in which the pending state proceeding was inadequate to vindicate rights guaranteed by the federal constitution. Id. at 614, 88 S.Ct. at 1337. 24 There are a number of reasons supporting the bad faith exception. First, where there is no expectation of a valid conviction, proceedings in the state court are frivolous and thus the federal court will derive no benefit from giving deference to the state proceeding. Additionally, the consequences of the arrestee's entry into the state criminal justice system may be more onerous than usual when bad faith prosecution is present. For example, the arrest may be attended with undue publicity thereby resulting in an undue impairment of first amendment rights. Finally, the extent of prosecutorial power is so great that its abuse may have a serious detrimental effect upon the defendant before a state proceeding ends. 25 Given this background, we proceed to examine the facts before us to determine if the irreparable harm posed by the continued enforcement of Ordinance Nos. 2336 and 2337 approach that which has been associated with bad faith. 26 The district court's opinion gave considerable attention to the evidence presented by appellant. The district court's findings are as follows: 27 The Plaintiff's evidence as to harassment was presented by the adult bookstore manager and was to the effect that she was harassed by the selective enforcement of parking ordinances as to her car and that of her customers; that she was harassed by aggressive interrogation and observation of her store and customers by certain council members; by overt and constant surveillance of her business by uniformed policemen and marked police cars; and by surreptitious observation of her store and customers by council members and police in mufti. 28 At the outset I observe that the witness did not present her evidence convincingly.... (H)er evidence was general and vague as to time, place and number of incidents. Where she did present a claim of an identifiable incident, the controverting evidence was stronger and more persuasive. 29 . . . . 30 So, I conclude, after a review of all the evidence that the claim of harassment as an official policy of the City and its responsible officers acting within their authority was not proved .... 31 Central Avenue News, Inc. v. City of Minot, No. A4-79-179 (D.N.D. May 23, 1980) (slip op. at 6-8). 32 The district court's findings were not clearly erroneous. Although appellant was harassed by a particular council member who undertook to interrogate customers and to generally make a nuisance of himself outside the bookstore, there is no evidence that his antics were encouraged or condoned by the City Council. The allegations of overt police surveillance were negated by the bookstore manager's testimony that at least some of the police appearances at appellant's bookstore were a result of the manager's requests for police investigation of recent robberies at the bookstore. 33 As previously noted, federal interference with proceedings pending in state court is justified only if it could be shown that the proceedings were the product of bad faith on the part of law enforcement officials or that other extraordinary circumstances existed. The gravamen of bad faith prosecution is the lack of a reasonable expectation that valid convictions will result. Eagle Books, Inc. v. Reinhard, 418 F.Supp. 345, 351 (N.D. Ill. 1976), vacated on other grounds, 432 U.S. 902, 97 S.Ct. 2942, 53 L.Ed.2d 1073 (1977). Although appellant's chances of success in state court may be tainted by a mere possibility of erroneous initial application of constitutional standards, there is no evidence to support appellant's contention that the questionable conduct displayed by the police and the public official acting as a private citizen was tantamount to bad faith enforcement and prosecution. 34 Further, the record contains no evidence of irreparable injury resulting from the district court's abstention. Thus we do not reach the question of whether irreparable injury alone is sufficient to warrant an exception to Younger. Cf. Steffel v. Thompson, 415 U.S. 452, 455, 94 S.Ct. 1209, 1213, 39 L.Ed.2d 505 (1974). 35 Appellant's bookstore is currently open and doing business and has not presented evidence of economic loss. The record does not reflect that the state enforcement proceeding has discouraged patronage of the bookstore. See Spiegel v. City of Houston, 636 F.2d 997, 1001 (5th Cir. 1981) (injunction imposed but no state action pending). The City of Minot has neither threatened to close appellant's bookstore nor forced appellant to move its business to another location. Further, the district court found credible the City Manager's testimony that he undertook, by affirmative actions, directions, and overall supervision of official personnel to be sure that during the period involved, (appellant's) business was treated as any other business. See Kugler v. Helfant, supra, 421 U.S. at 124-25, 95 S.Ct. at 1530, 1531. Thus, the finding of the district court that the claim of great and immediate irreparable injury was not proved was also not clearly erroneous.