Wilson v. Montano , 715 F.3d 847 ( 2013 )

FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
May 3, 2013
PUBLISH Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
TENTH CIRCUIT
MICHAEL WILSON, SR.,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
JESSE ORTIZ; OSCAR LEYVA; PATRICK
MARQUEZ; MARK SANCHEZ; DUSTN
SARRETT,
Plaintiffs,
v. No. 12-2051
LAWRENCE MONTANO, Deputy; FRED
TORRES, Deputy; JOE CHAVEZ, Warden;
RENE RIVERA, former Sheriff;
Defendants - Appellants,
JOHN DOE, VCDC booking officer or
employee; MARTIN BENAVIDEZ, Officer;
MIKE CHAVEZ, former Chief of Police;
BRENT WOODARD; NICK BALIDO, former
Los Lunas Police Department, Chief of Police;
LOUIS BURKHARD, Sheriff; DELINDA
CHAVEZ; JOSEPH CHAVEZ; ROY A.
CORDOVA; GREG JONES, Bosque Farms
Police Department, Police Chief; ROY
MELNICK, Los Lunas Police Department,
Chief of Police; DAN ROBB, Belen Police
Department, Chief of Police; STEVEN
ROBERTS; DEREK WILLIAMS; JOE
STIDHAM, Former Bosque Farms Police
Department, Police Chief,
Defendants.
APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO
(D.C. NO. 1:11-CV-00658-BB-KBM)
Brandon Huss, Wallin, Huss & Mendez, LLC, Moriarty, New Mexico (Dennis K.
Wallin, Wallin, Huss & Mendez, LLC, Moriarty, New Mexico, and Mary T.
Torres, Beall & Biehler, Albuquerque, New Mexico, with him on the briefs), for
Defendants-Appellants.
Matthew Coyte, Coyte Law P.C., Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Plaintiff-
Appellee.
Before MATHESON, EBEL, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.
MURPHY, Circuit Judge.
I. Introduction
Appellants seek reversal of the district court’s order denying their motion
to dismiss claims asserted against them by Michael Wilson, Sr. under 42 U.S.C.
§ 1983. Wilson alleges he was unlawfully detained and deprived of his
constitutional right to a prompt probable cause determination. Appellants claim
they are entitled to qualified immunity. The district court concluded Wilson’s
complaint alleged sufficient facts to state a plausible claim against each of the
appellants for violating his Fourth Amendment rights. Exercising jurisdiction
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291, this court affirms in part and reverses in part.
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II. Background 1
On December 18, 2010, Wilson was arrested without a warrant by
Lawrence Montano, a deputy with the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office
(“VCSO”) in New Mexico. Montano asked Deputy Fred Torres to transport
Wilson to the Valencia County Detention Center (“VCDC”). Prior to booking
Wilson into the VCDC, Montano prepared a criminal complaint listing the charge
against Wilson as a misdemeanor offense. Neither Montano nor Torres ever filed
the criminal complaint in a court with jurisdiction or brought Wilson before a
judicial officer for a probable cause determination during the time he was held at
the VCDC. On December 29, 2010, eleven days after his arrest, Wilson was
released from the VCDC by order of a magistrate judge. In the order, the
magistrate noted no complaint had been filed. On January 4, 2010, after Wilson
was released, Montano filed the misdemeanor criminal charge in an appropriate
court. On April 11, 2011, the district attorney’s office dismissed the charge due
to insufficient evidence.
Wilson brought suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. His complaint named as
defendants Deputies Montano and Torres; Joe Chavez, the warden of VCDC; and
Rene Rivera, the Valencia County Sheriff during the time of Wilson’s detention.
1
The facts set forth here are drawn from the allegations in Wilson’s
complaint, which must be taken as true when considering a motion to dismiss.
Brown v. Montoya, 662 F.3d 1152, 1162 (10th Cir. 2011).
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Chavez and Rivera were named in both their individual and official capacities.
Count I of the complaint alleged the defendants engaged in “Illegal and
Unreasonable Detention in Violation of the Fourth Amendment.” Counts III and
IV alleged Warden Chavez and Sheriff Rivera, respectively, were liable for
establishing an unconstitutional policy or custom and deliberate indifference.2
Wilson alleged the deputies deliberately detained him without filing a criminal
complaint or bringing him before a judicial officer for a probable cause
determination. He further asserted that, prior to his detention, there were
numerous incidents in which VCDC held individuals without filing criminal
charges or otherwise allowing them to appear before a magistrate judge. Wilson
thus alleged his detention was the result of a policy established by Warden
Chavez in which individuals were routinely held without the filing of criminal
charges until they were released by sua sponte court orders, and that Warden
Chavez trained his staff to accept inmates without the filing of charges. Wilson
also asserted Warden Chavez was deliberately indifferent to the unconstitutional
policy of incarcerating citizens without pending charges.
Wilson made substantially similar claims against Sheriff Rivera. He
alleged there were numerous prior incidents in which VCSO deputies arrested
2
The complaint also alleged violations of the Fifth and Fourteenth
Amendments and the New Mexico State Tort Claims Act and requested injunctive
and declaratory relief. Those claims are not at issue in this appeal.
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individuals without a warrant and thereafter failed to file criminal complaints or
provide prompt probable cause determinations. He asserted these illegal
detentions, including his own, were the result of a policy or custom established by
Sheriff Rivera. He also alleged Sheriff Rivera failed to train his staff, which
resulted in the routine incarceration of individuals without legal process. In
addition, Wilson alleged Sheriff Rivera was deliberately indifferent to the
constitutional violations which resulted from his policies, customs, and/or failure
to train his employees. 3
Appellants jointly filed a motion to dismiss Wilson’s claims, arguing, inter
alia, Wilson’s complaint failed to state a claim against any of the defendants in
3
In addition to Wilson’s, two other suits were filed relating to the detention
of individuals at the VCDC. In Ortiz v. Benavidez, No. 11-cv-0951, Jesse Ortiz
alleged he was arrested without a warrant and detained at the VCDC for twelve
days without a probable cause hearing. The Ortiz complaint alleged Warden
Chavez established a policy or custom of holding citizens without pending
charges, trained his staff to accept detainees without the filing of charges or a
probable cause hearing, and was deliberately indifferent to the violations of
detainees’ constitutional rights. In Sarrett v. Cordova, No. 11-cv-1021, four
plaintiffs made similar allegations of warrantless arrest and subsequent detention
at the VCDC without a probable cause hearing. The Sarrett complaint alleged
Warden Chavez and Sheriff Rivera implemented a policy or practice of holding
citizens without criminal complaints or probable cause determinations. Due to
common questions of law and fact, the district court consolidated Ortiz and
Sarrett with Wilson’s case.
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their individual capacities 4 and each of the defendants was entitled to qualified
immunity. The district court denied the motion, and this appeal followed. 5
III. Discussion
A. Jurisdiction and Standard of Review
Although an order denying a motion to dismiss based on qualified
immunity is not a final judgment, this court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.
§ 1291 to review the order “to the extent that it turns on an issue of law.”
Mitchell v. Forsyth, 472 U.S. 511, 530 (1985). This court reviews the district
court’s denial of a motion to dismiss based on qualified immunity de novo,
accepting as true all well-pleaded factual allegations in the complaint and viewing
the allegations in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Brown v.
Montoya, 662 F.3d 1152, 1162 (10th Cir. 2011). The Supreme Court recently
articulated in detail the standard for evaluating a motion to dismiss based on
qualified immunity:
4
Appellants did not move to dismiss Wilson’s claims against them in their
official capacities.
5
Wilson’s complaint also includes as a defendant “John Doe VCDC
Booking Officer or Employee.” On appeal, the parties proceed as though the
district court denied qualified immunity to Doe and Doe subsequently appealed.
The district court, however, did not resolve any of the claims against Doe.
Further, while appellants purport to raise arguments on Doe’s behalf in their brief,
neither counsel for Montano, Torres, and Chavez nor counsel for Rivera have
claimed to represent Doe. Wilson’s claims against Doe are therefore not properly
before this court, and we express no opinion on their merits.
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To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient
factual matter, accepted as true, to “state a claim to relief that is
plausible on its face.” A claim has facial plausibility when the
plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the
reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct
alleged. The plausibility standard is not akin to a “probability
requirement,” but it asks for more than a sheer possibility that a
defendant has acted unlawfully. Where a complaint pleads facts that
are “merely consistent with” a defendant’s liability, it “stops short of
the line between possibility and plausibility of ‘entitlement to
relief.’”
Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citations omitted) (quoting Bell Atl.
Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555–57 (2007)). In the context of a § 1983
action against multiple individual governmental actors, “it is particularly
important . . . that the complaint make clear exactly who is alleged to have done
what to whom, to provide each individual with fair notice as to the basis of the
claims against him or her.” Robbins v. Oklahoma, 519 F.3d 1242, 1250 (10th Cir.
2008).
Consistent with Supreme Court precedent, this court requires a plaintiff to
“allege sufficient facts that show—when taken as true—the defendant plausibly
violated his constitutional rights, which were clearly established at the time of
violation.” Schwartz v. Booker, 702 F.3d 573, 579 (10th Cir. 2012). For a
constitutional right to be clearly established, “[t]he contours of the right must be
sufficiently clear that a reasonable official would understand that what he is doing
violates that right.” Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S. 635, 640 (1987). Even
when the plaintiff pleads a violation of a clearly established right, the court must
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sometimes consider “whether extraordinary circumstances—such as reliance on
the advice of counsel or on a statute—so prevented the official from knowing that
his or her actions were unconstitutional that he or she should not be imputed with
knowledge of a clearly established right.” Shero v. City of Grove, 510 F.3d 1196,
1204 (10th Cir. 2007). This court has discretion to decide which prong of the
qualified immunity test to address first in light of the circumstances of each
particular case. Brown, 662 F.3d at 1164.
B. Duty to Ensure Prompt Probable Cause Determination
Appellants do not dispute that Wilson had a Fourth Amendment right to a
prompt probable cause determination, and that such a right was clearly
established at the time of Wilson’s detention at the VCDC. Cnty. of Riverside v.
McLaughlin, 500 U.S. 44, 56 (1991) (holding an arrestee is entitled to a probable
cause determination within forty-eight hours absent “a bona fide emergency or
other extraordinary circumstance”); Gerstein v. Pugh, 420 U.S. 103, 114 (1975)
(“[T]he Fourth Amendment requires a judicial determination of probable cause as
a prerequisite to extended restraint of liberty following arrest.”). Appellants
nonetheless argue they are entitled to qualified immunity because there is no
clearly established law delineating which of them had the obligation to provide
Wilson with a probable cause hearing. In support of this argument, appellants
rely heavily on an unpublished case from this circuit, Strepka v. Miller, 28 F.
App’x 823 (10th Cir. 2001). In Strepka, this court affirmed the dismissal of a
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§ 1983 claim alleging officers violated the plaintiff’s right to a prompt judicial
determination of probable cause. Id. at 825–30. Analyzing the plaintiff’s
complaint against the officers in their individual capacities, we concluded: “Even
under the most liberal construction, plaintiff’s complaint was devoid of any
allegations showing that any of the arresting officers caused or participated in the
delay in providing plaintiff a prompt probable cause determination.” Id. at 828.
We also affirmed the denial of the plaintiff’s Rule 59(e) motion objecting to the
dismissal and seeking leave to amend, concluding that although the proposed
amended complaint would “probably” be sufficient to state a claim against the
two arresting officers, remand would be futile because the officers would still be
entitled to qualified immunity. Id. at 829–30. Specifically, we stated: “Although
Supreme Court opinions have clearly established the right to a prompt probable
cause determination, they have not established that the duty to ensure that right
rests with the arresting officer. Nor have any Tenth Circuit cases—or the
majority of cases from other circuits—so held.” Id. at 830.
To the extent appellants rely on Strepka for the proposition that each of
them is entitled to qualified immunity because it is not clearly established which
of them is responsible for violating Wilson’s constitutional rights, we are
unpersuaded. First, as an unpublished decision, Strepka is not binding on this
court. See 10th Cir. R. 32.1(A). Second, Strepka’s assertion this court has never
held that an arresting officer has a duty to ensure an arrestee receives a prompt
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probable cause determination is inaccurate. In Austin v. Hamilton, 945 F.2d
1155, 1162–63 (10th Cir. 1991), abrogated on other grounds by Johnson v. Jones,
515 U.S. 304, 309–20 (1995), this court affirmed the denial of summary judgment
to federal agents who refused to provide detainees with probable cause hearings. 6
Finally, we are persuaded by the opinions of other circuits which have rejected
appellants’ position that “someone else” had a duty to provide a prompt probable
cause determination. See Drogosch v. Metcalf, 557 F.3d 372, 378–79 (6th Cir.
2009) (looking to state law to determine who is responsible for ensuring a prompt
probable cause determination after arrest and concluding, in Michigan,
6
Appellants’ attempts to distinguish Austin are unpersuasive. First,
appellants argue Austin does not establish who has the duty to ensure a detainee
receives a probable cause determination. Austin did, however, conclude the
defendants, who effected the plaintiffs’ arrests and detentions, could be held
liable for the plaintiffs’ prolonged detentions without probable cause. Austin v.
Hamilton, 945 F.2d 1155, 1162–63 (10th Cir. 1991), abrogated on other grounds
by Johnson v. Jones, 515 U.S. 304, 309–20 (1995). In so concluding, the court in
Austin read Gerstein v. Pugh, 420 U.S. 103, 114 (1975), as sufficient authority to
overcome the defendants’ assertions of qualified immunity. See id. at 1162. At
minimum, Austin undermines appellants’ position that it is wholly unclear who
has the duty to ensure a prompt probable cause determination. Second, appellants
argue the additional allegations in Austin of excessive force and intentional
detention without a probable cause determination somehow distinguish it from the
present case. Austin’s analysis of the excessive force claims, however, is separate
from its analysis of the intentional prolonged detention claims. Finally,
appellants argue Strepka supercedes Austin or, at the very least, indicates the law
is unclear as to who has the duty to ensure a prompt probable cause
determination. Strepka, however, is not precedential. See 10th Cir. R. 32.1.
Further, the court in Austin stated the plaintiffs’ claims for prolonged detention
“do not implicate unsettled law” and “invoke[d] settled fourth amendment
principles predating the circumstances of this case.” Austin, 945 F.2d at 1162.
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responsibility lies with the arresting officer); Cherrington v. Skeeter, 344 F.3d
631, 642–45 (6th Cir. 2003) (“County of Riverside itself . . . would have alerted a
reasonable official to . . . the existence of Cherrington’s Fourth Amendment right
to a judicial determination of probable cause within 48 hours . . . . Under the
present record, therefore, the individual Defendants are not entitled to qualified
immunity on Plaintiff Cherrington’s Fourth Amendment claim . . . .”); Luck v.
Rovenstine, 168 F.3d 323, 326 (7th Cir. 1999) (“We find unconvincing the
sheriff’s attempt to shrug off his federal constitutional responsibilities toward
detainees . . . who have not yet had a probable cause hearing.”); Hallstrom v. City
of Garden City, 991 F.2d 1473, 1482-83 (9th Cir. 1993) (denying qualified
immunity to sheriff and jail commander for holding plaintiff for four days without
probable cause determination).
Although we reject appellants’ argument that the law is insufficiently clear
to hold any of them responsible for ensuring Wilson received a prompt probable
cause determination after his detention, it does not follow that all are necessarily
liable. “Individual liability under § 1983 must be based on personal involvement
in the alleged constitutional violation.” Foote v. Spiegel, 118 F.3d 1416, 1423
(10th Cir. 1997). Thus, we must examine the allegations in the complaint as to
each individual appellant to determine whether a plausible claim for relief is
stated. We consider New Mexico state law insofar as it bears on the scope of
each appellant’s responsibility to ensure a prompt probable cause determination.
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See Cherrington, 344 F.3d at 644 (“[B]efore a defendant may be held liable under
section 1983, that defendant must first possess power by virtue of state law, then
misuse that power in a way that violates federal constitutional rights.”).
C. Personal Involvement of Individual Defendants
1. Non-Supervisory Defendants
a. Torres
Wilson’s allegations against Torres are limited. Wilson’s complaint alleges
Torres transported him from his home to the VCSO at Montano’s request. The
remainder of the allegations against Torres revolve around Torres’ failure to file
charges against Wilson or otherwise ensure Wilson received a probable cause
hearing. Further, although Wilson refers to Torres as an “arresting officer” in his
briefing before this court, his complaint does not indicate Torres was an arresting
officer. At most, the complaint alleges Torres “assisted” Montano in effecting the
arrest. Appellants’ App. at 22. Further, Wilson is unable to cite any authority
indicating Torres had a duty to ensure he received a prompt probable cause
hearing. While Wilson cites ample authority defining the scope of an arresting
officer’s duties under New Mexico law related to ensuring an arrestee receives a
prompt probable cause determination, see infra Part III.C.1.b, none of the cited
authorities indicate such duties extend to any officer who assists in an arrest.
Wilson’s complaint therefore lacks sufficient allegations to state a plausible claim
that Torres was personally involved in the violation of his right to a prompt
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probable cause determination. The district court therefore erred in denying the
motion to dismiss as to Torres.
b. Montano
The complaint alleges Montano arrested Wilson without a warrant. The
complaint further alleges Montano wrote out a criminal complaint, but failed to
file it in any court with jurisdiction to hear the misdemeanor charge until well
after Wilson was released from the VCDC. Thus, the complaint alleges Montano
was the arresting officer and that he failed to initiate the criminal process by
filing criminal charges or otherwise ensure Wilson was brought before a judge for
a prompt probable cause determination. New Mexico law makes clear an
arresting officer has a duty to ensure an arrestee receives a prompt probable cause
determination. N.M. Stat. Ann. § 35-5-1 provides:
Whenever a peace officer makes an arrest without warrant for a
misdemeanor within magistrate trial jurisdiction, he shall take the
arrested person to the nearest available magistrate court without
unnecessary delay. In such cases, a complaint shall be filed
forthwith by the peace officer and a copy given to the defendant at or
before the time he is brought before the magistrate.
As discussed supra Part III.B, appellants concede an arrestee has a clearly
established constitutional right to a prompt probable cause hearing, i.e., a hearing
within forty-eight hours after arrest. See Cnty of Riverside, 500 U.S. at 56;
Gerstein, 420 U.S. at 114. Thus, the complaint alleges Montano, in contravention
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of his duties under New Mexico law, deprived Wilson of his clearly established
constitutional rights.
These allegations, taken as true, are sufficient to overcome Montano’s
assertion of qualified immunity. See Drogosch, 557 F.3d at 378–79 (applying a
substantially similar Michigan statute to conclude arresting officer was not
entitled to qualified immunity for violating arrestee’s rights under Gerstein);
Cherrington, 344 F.3d at 644 (holding arresting officers potentially liable for
violating arrestee’s rights under Gerstein when Ohio law placed duty to ensure
prompt probable cause determination on arresting officer); Hallstrom, 991 F.2d at1478-82 & 1482 n.22 (“[T]he laws of Idaho guaranteeing timely presentation to a
magistrate . . . place substantive limitations on official discretion and contain
explicitly mandatory language sufficient to create a liberty interest protected by
the Fourteenth Amendment and actionable under Section 1983.” (quotations and
alterations omitted)); see also Cnty. of Riverside, 500 U.S. at 52-53 (permitting
states to develop their own specific procedures to ensure prompt probable cause
determinations). Further, a reasonable official in Montano’s position “would
understand that what he is doing violates” Wilson’s right to a prompt probable
cause hearing. Anderson, 483 U.S. at 640. The complaint therefore alleges
sufficient personal involvement on Montano’s part to state a plausible claim for
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relief under § 1983, and the district court correctly denied appellants’ motion to
dismiss as to Montano. 7
2. Supervisory Defendants
In Dodds v. Richardson, this court held a plaintiff may establish the
individual liability of a supervisor for a constitutional violation under § 1983 by
demonstrating: “(1) the defendant promulgated, created, implemented or
possessed personal responsibility for the continued operation of a policy that (2)
caused the complained of constitutional harm, and (3) acted with the state of mind
required to establish the alleged constitutional violation.” 614 F.3d 1185, 1199
(10th Cir. 2010). The plaintiff in Dodds brought a § 1983 suit, alleging a sheriff,
7
Appellants characterize Wilson’s allegations against Montano as asserting
he failed to timely file a complaint. Moreover, appellants argue, because New
Mexico’s Rules of Criminal Procedure for Magistrate Courts provide that a
complaint can be filed more than forty-eight hours after arrest, see N.M.R.A.
6-201, the timely filing of a criminal complaint does not ensure a prompt probable
cause determination in all cases. Appellants therefore assert Wilson’s allegation
that Montano failed to timely file a complaint is insufficient to show Montano’s
personal involvement in the violation of Wilson’s right to a prompt probable
cause determination. These arguments are unpersuasive. First, Wilson alleged
not that Montano failed to timely file criminal charges, but that Montano failed to
take any action whatsoever to ensure a prompt probable cause determination
while Wilson was being held at the VCDC. Second, Wilson need not allege that
the timely filing of a criminal complaint will always ensure a defendant receives a
timely probable cause determination in every possible circumstance. It is
sufficient to withstand a motion to dismiss that his allegations support an
inference of causation in this case. Drawing all inferences in the light most
favorable to Wilson, we can readily conclude the complaint sufficiently alleges
Montano’s failure to promptly file criminal charges caused Wilson’s prolonged
detention.
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acting in his individual capacity, “violated his Fourteenth Amendment due
process rights by depriving him of his protected liberty interest in posting bail.”
Id. at 1189. The district court denied the sheriff’s qualified-immunity based
motion for summary judgment, and the sheriff appealed. Id. at 1190. This court
recognized that “Oklahoma law charged Defendant as sheriff with the
responsibilities of running the county jail and accepting bail from . . . arrestees.”
Id. at 1203. Thus, “Oklahoma law made Defendant responsible for the policies
that operated and were enforced by his subordinates at the jail.” Id. Moreover,
the sheriff admitted that he allowed the policies, which caused the deprivation of
Dodds’ constitutional rights, to operate. Id. The facts showed the sheriff’s
conduct in maintaining these policies at the jail caused Dodds to be deprived of
his due process rights and, therefore, showed the sheriff was personally involved
in the constitutional deprivation. Id. at 1204.
This court also concluded: “Plaintiff’s right to be free from unjustified
detention after his bail was set was clearly established such that a reasonable
official in Defendant’s position [at the time] would have understood that his
deliberately indifferent maintenance of the policies that prevented arrestees from
posting preset bail for no legitimate reason violated the Constitution.” Id. at
1206. In so concluding, this court noted that “other cases of ours and the great
weight of authority from other circuits clearly established by 2007 that officials
may be held individually liable for policies they promulgate, implement, or
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maintain that deprive persons of their federally protected rights.” Id. at 1207.
We therefore held the plaintiff had “shown facts that, if proven at trial, establish
Defendant violated his clearly established rights.” Id.
New Mexico law sets forth the respective duties of wardens and sheriffs in
ensuring detainees receive a prompt probable cause determination. New Mexico
law charged Sheriff Rivera with the responsibility of running the VCDC and
ensuring arrestees received a prompt probable cause determination. See, e.g.,
N.M. Stat. Ann. § 4-37-4(A) (“It is the duty of every county sheriff . . . to: (1)
enforce the provisions of all county ordinances; [and] (2) diligently file a
complaint or information alleging a violation if circumstances would indicate that
action to a reasonably prudent person . . . .”); id. § 4-41-2 (“The sheriff shall be
conservator of the peace within his county” and shall “cause all offenders to . . .
appear at the next term of the court and answer such charges as may be preferred
against them.”); id. § 29-1-1 (declaring it “the duty of every sheriff . . . to . . .
diligently file a complaint or information, if the circumstances are such as to
indicate to a reasonably prudent person that such action should be taken . . . .”);
id. § 31-1-5(B) (“Every accused shall be brought before a court having
jurisdiction to release the accused without unnecessary delay.”); id. § 33-3-1(A)
(“The common jails shall be under the control of the respective sheriffs . . . .”).
New Mexico law charged Warden Chavez with similar responsibilities. See, e.g.,
id. § 33-1-2(E) (stating “‘warden’ . . . means the administrative director of a
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correctional facility”); id. § 33-2-15 (“The employees of the penitentiary shall
perform such duties in the charge and oversight of the penitentiary, care of the
property belonging thereto, and in the custody, government, employment and
discipline of the convicts as shall be required of them by the corrections division
[corrections department] or the warden, in conformity with law and rules and
regulations prescribed for the government of the penitentiary.”); id. § 33-3-1(A)
(“The common jails shall be under the control of the respective . . . jail
administrators hired by the board of county commissioners or other local public
body or combination thereof . . . .”). Thus, under New Mexico law both Warden
Chavez and Sheriff Rivera were responsible for the policies or customs that
operated and were enforced by their subordinates at the VCDC and VCSO and for
any failure to adequately train their subordinates. We therefore consider the
allegations against each supervisory defendant to determine whether they meet the
Dodds requirements for imposing individual liability under § 1983.
a. Warden Chavez
The complaint alleges Warden Chavez “established a policy or custom of
holding citizens without pending criminal charges until the court filed orders of
release sua sponte.” Allegedly, these policies or customs were “a significant
moving force behind Plaintiff’s illegal detention.” The complaint further alleges
Warden Chavez’s policy of holding citizens without court orders caused the
violation of Wilson’s Fourth Amendment right to a prompt probable cause
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determination. That is, because Warden Chavez failed to require the filing of
written complaints, detainees, including Wilson, were held at the VCDC without
receiving prompt probable cause determinations. The complaint also alleges
Warden Chavez inappropriately trained his employees, which led to the violation
of Wilson’s right to a prompt probable cause determination. Indeed, the
complaint alleges there were numerous occasions where the VCDC and the VCSO
held individuals for days and, on some occasions, weeks, without law
enforcement taking those individuals before a magistrate judge.
These allegations, taken as true, sufficiently establish Warden Chavez
promulgated policies which caused the constitutional harm of which Wilson
complains, i.e., his prolonged detention without a probable cause hearing. See
Dodds, 614 F.3d at 1195-96 (stating a causal connection is alleged by claiming a
supervisor defendant “set in motion a series of events that the defendant knew or
reasonably should have known would cause others to deprive plaintiff of [his]
constitutional rights” (quotations omitted)). That Wilson has not alleged he had
any direct contact with Warden Chavez or that Warden Chavez actually knew of
Wilson’s specific circumstances is of no consequence. See id. at 1195 (“Personal
involvement does not require direct participation because § 1983 states any
official who ‘causes’ a citizen to be deprived of her constitutional rights can also
be held liable.” (quotations and alteration omitted)).
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Finally, the complaint alleges sufficient facts to establish Warden Chavez
acted with the requisite mental state. To establish a violation of § 1983 by a
defendant-supervisor, the plaintiff must establish, at minimum, a deliberate and
intentional act on the part of the supervisor to violate the plaintiff’s legal rights.
Porro v. Barnes, 624 F.3d 1322, 1327-28 (10th Cir. 2010). The complaint alleges
Warden Chavez acted with deliberate indifference to routine constitutional
violations occurring at the VCDC. This allegation is supported by Wilson’s
assertions that there were numerous prior occasions in which individuals at the
VCDC and VCSO were subject to prolonged warrantless detention. See supra
n.3. Appellants do not challenge the district court’s conclusion that deliberate
indifference is a sufficiently culpable mental state to impose supervisory liability
under § 1983. The complaint’s allegations against Warden Chavez therefore state
a plausible claim for relief under Dodds, and the district court did not err in
denying the motion to dismiss as to Warden Chavez.
b. Sheriff Rivera
The allegations in the complaint as to Sheriff Rivera are similar to those
against Warden Chavez. The complaint alleges Sheriff Rivera “established a
policy or custom of allowing officers to arrest people and wait before filing
charges;” that “[i]n some circumstances this policy or custom resulted in the
arrest and detention of citizens with charges never being filed;” that Sheriff
Rivera was deliberately indifferent to the ongoing constitutional violations which
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occurred under his supervision and due to his failure to adequately train his
employees; that the “routine warrantless arrest and incarceration of citizens
without charges being filed amounted to a policy or custom of VCSO which was
set forth by [Sheriff] Rivera,” and that such policy was “a significant moving
force behind [Wilson’s] illegal detention.” As with Warden Chavez, these
allegations, if proven, are sufficient to establish Sheriff Rivera’s individual
liability for Wilson’s unconstitutional detention under Dodds, and the district
court did not err in denying the motion to dismiss as to Sheriff Rivera.
D. Additional Arguments
1. Magistrate Court Rules
Notwithstanding the numerous New Mexico statutes which spell out in
detail the duties of the arresting officers, warden, and sheriff as they relate to
providing citizens with a prompt post-arrest probable cause determination,
appellants cite to several provisions of New Mexico’s Rules for Magistrate Courts
in an attempt to argue it is unclear who has the responsibility for ensuring an
arrestee ensures a prompt probable cause determination. See N.M.R.A. 6-201(D)
(“If the court is not open at the time the copy of the complaint is given to the
defendant, and the defendant remains in custody, the complaint shall be filed the
next business day of the court.”); N.M.R.A. 6-203(A) (“The probable cause
determination shall be made by a magistrate, metropolitan or district court judge
promptly, but in any event within forty-eight (48) hours after custody commences
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and no later than the first appearance of the defendant whichever occurs earlier.”)
Appellants take the position that, because these provisions do not explicitly assign
responsibility for ensuring a prompt probable cause determination is made to one
particular party (e.g. the sheriff, warden, arresting officer, or court), it cannot be
clearly established that any of them violated Wilson’s constitutional rights. This
argument is unavailing. The rules cited by appellants are not inconsistent with
the numerous New Mexico statutes, discussed supra Part III.C, which delineate
the duties of the arresting officers, sheriff, and warden to ensure an arrestee
receives a timely post-arrest probable cause determination. Thus, they do not
undermine the conclusion that officials in the positions of Montano, Warden
Chavez, or Sheriff Rivera would have known their actions violated Wilson’s
constitutional rights. See Anderson, 483 U.S. at 640. 8
8
Similarly unavailing is appellants’ reliance on a memo from the New
Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts discussing the requirements of Rule
6-203 and the importance of the magistrate courts establishing procedures to
ensure arrestees receive a timely probable cause determination. The memo’s
silence on the duties of parties other than the magistrate courts is wholly
unremarkable, as the memo was promulgated by the administrative arm of the
New Mexico judiciary and concerns the rules of procedure for New Mexico
courts. Moreover, nothing in the memo, or the rule it interprets, suggests a
magistrate’s independent obligation to make a probable cause determination
within forty-eight hours of arrest somehow relieves other parties of their
respective duties to ensure such a determination is possible.
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2. N.M. Stat. Ann. § 33-3-12(B)
Finally, appellants argue it would have been impossible to provide Wilson
with the relief he sought due to operation of N.M. Stat. Ann. § 33-3-12(B), which
provides: “Any jailer who deliberately and knowingly releases a prisoner without
an order of release . . . except upon expiration of the prisoner’s term of
commitment, is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be removed from office.”
Before the district court, appellants argued the existence of § 33-3-12(B)
amounted to an extraordinary circumstance which “so prevented [them] from
knowing that [their] actions were unconstitutional that [they] should not be
imputed with knowledge of a clearly established right.” Shero, 510 F.3d at 1204.
Before this court, appellants argue simply that § 33-3-12(B) contributes to a lack
of clarity under New Mexico law as to which party is responsible for ensuring a
prompt probable cause determination. In either case, this argument is
unpersuasive. Wilson does not argue appellants had an obligation to release him.
Rather, he argues they had a duty to provide him with a prompt probable cause
determination. Those appellants with a duty to ensure Wilson received a prompt
probable cause determination could have done so without releasing him in
contravention of § 33-3-12. Thus, § 33-3-12 does not constitute an “extraordinary
circumstance” which excuses appellants’ violation of Wilson’s constitutional
rights, nor does it undermine the conclusion that those rights were clearly
established.
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IV. Conclusion
The district court erred in denying the motion to dismiss as to Torres. The
district court correctly denied the motion to dismiss as to Montano, Chavez, and
Rivera. For the foregoing reasons, the order of the district court is therefore
affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded for further proceedings not
inconsistent with this opinion.
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