Court Opinion

ID: 9456785
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 20:02:22.302616+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:35:06.197265
License: Public Domain

LUMBARD, Chief Judge
(concurring) :
I agree that Judge Henderson’s order dismissing the complaint as against the Mayor and the Commissioner of Police is reviewable as an interlocutory order “refusing” an injunction under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a) (1), but I feel it would be unwise at this time to attempt to establish broad propositions of law to govern all situations where an appeal is sought under that section. First, the confusion generated by this case may unduly color our judgment as to the general desirability of appeals at this stage of litigation when, in practical effect, all injunctive relief against the appellees has been denied. Second, although we requested and received supplementary briefs on the appealability of Judge Henderson’s order, the parties did not consider the possibility that review could be had under § 1292(a) (1), and we all agree that this is the only relevant statute. Thus, we are without the customary benefit of assistance from the parties in resolving a difficult question of law. For these reasons, I would avoid statements more general than are necessary to resolve the instant case.
Judge Anderson’s dissent recognizes that we have jurisdiction where the dis*290missal for all practical purposes effectively terminates the litigation, or where the scope of injunctive relief originally sought is necessarily contracted. I agree that in such cases immediate review is justified. Since I also agree with Judge Kaufman that the instant litigation does meet these standards proposed by the dissent, I find it unnecessary to decide whether some or most other cases dismissing an action against some parties where injunctive relief is sought should be appealable.
In my view, Judge Henderson’s dismissal of the Mayor and the Commissioner of Police as defendants effectively terminated this litigation, and certainly nullified the injunctive relief that was requested. The complaint plainly sought to restrain the Buffalo police from committing alleged massive and systematic violations of the constitutional rights of the named plaintiffs and other citizens of Buffalo who are similarly situated. After Judge Henderson’s dismissal, plaintiffs were placed in a logically untenable position: a “class” action against several named and anonymous police officers seeking injunctive and declaratory relief against systematic violations of constitutional rights, and institution of an adequate grievance machinery. Without the Mayor and the Police Commissioner as parties, Judge Henderson had no choice but to dissolve the class action, dismiss the suit entirely, and consign the individual plaintiffs to separate actions for the specific deprivations they allegedly suffered. Judge Henderson so acted on January 22, 1971, and plaintiffs inform us by letter dated March 12, 1971, that they do not intend to appeal this determination.
The above letter also claims that the allegations against the individual police officers were included in the complaint “primarily as illustrations of the abuse which the defendants-appellees herein, encouraged and condoned.” This contention obviously is well-founded, for the plaintiffs would accomplish virtually nothing by obtaining equitable relief against a handful of police officers. The detailed and specific nature of this complaint may well have been a response to the holding of at least one circuit that conclusory allegations of police misconduct failed to state a cause of action under the Civil Rights Act. Peek v. Mitchell, 419 F.2d 575, 579 (6th Cir. 1970).
For these reasons, I conclude that the order appealed from meets both of Judge Anderson’s proposed tests, and is reviewable under § 1292(a) (1). On the merits, I join in Judge Kaufman’s opinion.