Court Opinion

ID: 9546381
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 17:28:37.092865+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:16:22.351998
License: Public Domain

Justice SCOTT,
dissenting:
I join in Justice Lohr’s dissent; however, I write separately to make clear my concern that by placing such an onerous burden on the plaintiffs crafting of her complaint, the majority opinion, in effect, may be improperly read to establish a heightened pleading requirement for claims made pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in contravention of our rules of civil procedure. The majority’s holding, as a consequence, should not be read to reflect any hostility in this court to § 1983 claims; otherwise, plaintiffs whose pleadings are not sufficiently informed by evidence more usually obtained through discovery, or at later stages of litigation, will no longer have access to our courtrooms and, therefore, need not seek entry to obtain remedies for the deprivation of fundamental rights.
I agree with the majority that a plaintiff must allege facts showing that the State “acted, or declined to act, with the requisite degree of culpability in failing to protect the plaintiff.” Maj. op. at 1160. Furthermore, I agree that allegations of recklessness or deliberate indifference must be pled to meet the appropriate standard of culpability to *1168establish a due process violation under § 1983 where the State’s duty arises as a result of the creation of the danger which harms the plaintiff. Maj. op. at 1161. Nonetheless, unlike the majority, I conclude that Henderson’s allegations, when read in the light most favorable to her, are sufficient to support an inference that the Facility Defendants acted in disregard of a known great risk. See maj. op. at 1162.
Under the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, which subscribe to notice pleading, all that is required is “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” C.R.C.P. 8(a)(2); Dorman v. Petrol Aspen, Inc., 914 P.2d 909, 911 (Colo.1996). The only instance in which complaints must be particular is when fraud or mistake are alleged. C.R.C.P. 9(b). Intent, as well as malice and knowledge, may be averred generally. Id. As set forth in Justice Lohr’s dissent, Henderson has met this requirement.
The United States Supreme Court has recently held similarly. Writing for a unanimous Court, Chief Justice Rehnquist opined that a federal court may not apply a “heightened pleading standard” in civil rights cases alleging municipal liability under § 1983. Leatherman v. Tarrant County Narcotics Intelligence & Coordination Unit, 507 U.S. 168, 113 S.Ct. 1160, 122 L.Ed.2d 517 (1993). The Court considered the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) and 9(b) and concluded that neither rule imposes a particularity requirement regarding pleadings except when fraud or mistake are averred. Id. at 168, 113 S.Ct. at 1163. The Court further stated that in the absence of a specificity requirement in pleading constitutional violations, federal courts and litigants must rely on summary judgment and control of discovery to weed out unmeritorious claims sooner rather than later. Id. at 168-69,113 S.Ct. at 1163. In my view, the same should apply here, instead of an approach that would clear court dockets, prematurely dismissing the meritorious claims along with the unmeritorious.
In my opinion, it is not possible to file a complaint replete with detailed allegations and facts because, as contemplated by our rules of civil procedure, the period in which a great deal of investigating and learning takes place—discovery—has not yet occurred. As such, it is inappropriate to require plaintiffs to demonstrate at the complaint stage what may only become clear after discovery. More importantly, our rules do not require such specificity in pleadings.
I disagree with the majority’s conclusion that Henderson’s allegations are not sufficient to overcome the Facility Defendants’ motion to dismiss or that they will not permit an inference that the defendant disregarded a known great risk. See maj. op. at 1162. To the contrary, I agree with Justice Lohr’s dissent that the allegations support the reasonable inference that the defendants affirmatively took steps to place Henderson in a position of danger and thereby increased her vulnerability. Lohr, J., dissenting, at 1164-65.
Accordingly, because I believe that the majority’s reading of Mary Henderson’s complaint is onerous and obliterates remedies that would vindicate substantive rights otherwise guaranteed under § 1983, I respectfully dissent.
I am authorized to say that Justice LOHR and Justice KIRSHBAUM join in this dissent.