Ziegler v. Eby ( 2003 )

Opinions of the United
2003 Decisions States Court of Appeals
for the Third Circuit
10-7-2003
Ziegler v. Eby
Precedential or Non-Precedential: Non-Precedential
Docket No. 03-1126
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NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
__________
No. 03-1126
__________
AARON ZIEGLER, by the Estate of
Aaron Ziegler by Rosalie M. Ziegler, Administratrix,
Appellant
v.
WILLIAM EBY; LARRY RAMPOLO;
RICHARD F. BEIERSCHMITT, Superintendent;
MARY E. JOHN; MT. CARMEL AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT;
DONALD P. GEARY; BOROUGH OF MT. CARMEL
__________
On Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Civil Action No. 02-cv-00618
District Judge: Honorable Malcolm Muir
__________
Submitted Under Third Circuit L.A.R. 34.1(a)
October 3, 2003
___________
Before: RENDELL, WEIS, and GARTH, Circuit Judges
(Opinion Filed: October 7, 2003)
__________
OPINION
__________
Garth, Circuit Judge:
While a senior in high school, Aaron Ziegler received a ten-day suspension for
appearing to be under the influence of marijuana while on school grounds. He was
arrested one month later at school and charged with several misdemeanors arising out of
the alleged drug use. Two police officers transported Aaron to a local magistrate to be
arraigned. Following his graduation from high school, Aaron pled no contest to a single
misdemeanor charge of drug possession pursuant to a plea agreement with the district
attorney. While awaiting sentencing, however, he took his own life.
Aaron’s mother, Rosalie Ziegler, subsequently filed a Section 1983 1 lawsuit in her
son’s name against the arresting police officers (Larry Rompallo,2 William Eby, and
Donald Geary), the school district superintendent (Richard Beierschmitt), the high school
principal (Mary John), the school district, and the local borough.3 The complaint alleges
that the defendants violated, and conspired to violate, Aaron’s First, Fourth, and Sixth
Amendment rights by planning and carrying out a “vindictive conspiracy intending to
humiliate, demean, and harass” Aaron, and that “his suicide was a reasonably foreseeable
result of their intentional misconduct.” (Complaint ¶¶ 1, 28.) In four separate orders
issued over a five-month period, the District Court granted summary judgment to certain
1
See 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
2
Rompallo’s name is misspelled as “Rampolo” in the caption.
3
We will refer to Rosalie Ziegler as “Ziegler” and to Aaron Ziegler as “Aaron.”
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of the defendants (Beierschmitt, John, Eby, and Geary) and dismissed the complaint as to
the remaining defendants (the school district and Rompallo).
I.
Although Ziegler filed an amended notice of appeal on January 16, 2003, which
specifically appealed from the District Court’s August 9, 2002 order (granting summary
judgment in favor of Beierschmitt and John), Ziegler had previously filed a notice of
appeal reading, “[n]otice is hereby given that the . . . plaintiffs hereby appeals [sic] . . .
from the decision . . . for the U.S. District Court . . . entered on December 30, 2003 [sic].”
(Appellant’s Appendix at 11.) The December 30, 2002 order, which granted Eby and
Geary’s motion for summary judgment, was the final order entered by the District Court.
While we would normally be guided, and have jurisdiction over, those orders designated
in the notice of appeal, see Elfman Motors, Inc. v. Chrysler Corp., 567 F.2d 1252, 1254
(3d Cir. 1977), here the original notice of appeal and the amended notice of appeal, both
of which included and specified the December 30, 2002 final order, would appear to
bring up the District Court’s earlier orders for our review. We note, however, that
motions panels of our court previously granted motions to dismiss as parties to the appeal
the following two defendants: Rompallo and Mt. Carmel Area School District. We agree
with that result in part, first: because the brief on appeal submitted by Ziegler addresses
primarily the judgment entered in favor of Beierschmitt (the superintendent) and John
(the school principal), and argues that they were liable because Aaron’s arrest on school
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grounds was “contrary to the stated customary policy of the defendants Beierschmitt,
Johns’ [sic] and the School District.” (Appellant’s Brief at 8.) Second: the brief does not
specifically identify the other defendants against whom relief is sought, but only alleges
that the defendants sought to make Aaron an object of ridicule in order to retaliate against
him; that when he arrived at the magistrate’s office to be arraigned he was “held so the
press could arrive;” that he was a news item on the six o’clock news; that the defendants
were not entitled to qualified immunity; that they knew Aaron suffered from depression
and was subject to mental and emotional pressures; and that he was intimidated and
harassed by the police.
The District Court had jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 1331 and we
have appellate jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. Section 1291. Our review is plenary.
II.
Ziegler’s brief does not refer to any evidence submitted on behalf of Ziegler and in
opposition to the summary judgment motions or motions to dismiss which were filed in
the District Court. Nor does the brief distinguish among the status or liability of the
particular defendants.
Among other issues discussed in Ziegler’s brief, Ziegler argues on appeal that,
under the United States Supreme Court’s decisions in Wilson v. Layne, 526 U.S. 603(1999) and Hanlon v. Berger, 526 U.S. 808 (1999), the defendants are not entitled to
qualified immunity. The Supreme Court held in those two companion cases that the
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Fourth Amendment does not permit the police to bring the news media into a person’s
home (or onto residential property) during the execution of a warrant. See Wilson, 526
U.S. at 614; Hanlon, 526 U.S. at 809-10. Here, the complaint alleges that the school
officials conspired with local police to make an example of, and retaliate against, Aaron
because of his refusal to submit to a drug test on the day that he appeared to be under the
influence of marijuana. (Complaint ¶¶ 13-28.) As we have stated, they allegedly carried
out this conspiracy by first arresting Aaron at the high school in handcuffs and leg
shackles and then by alerting the media and waiting for local reporters to arrive at the
magistrate’s office before removing Aaron from a police cruiser and escorting him into
the building. (Id.)
Following a careful and independent review of the record, we have determined that
it is not necessary for us to decide whether the police violated the Fourth Amendment by
allegedly alerting the news media to Aaron’s arrest and waiting for them to arrive at the
magistrate’s office before removing Aaron from the police vehicle.4 See Christopher v.
Harbury, 536 U.S. 403, 417 (2002) (explaining that federal judiciary has an obligation “to
avoid deciding constitutional issues needlessly”).
The District Court determined, and we agree, that the uncontroverted evidence
does not support the factual allegations in the complaint. The Chief of Police, who
4
Caldarola v. County of Westchester, -- F.3d --, 2003 WL 22080012 (2d Cir.
Sept. 9, 2003), a recent case from the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit discussing
allegations similar to those raised by Ziegler, held them not actionable.
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accompanied Aaron to the local magistrate’s office, submitted an affidavit stating that he
and Rompallo “did not delay taking Ziegler before District Justice Mychak for
arraignment.” (Appellant’s Appendix at 95, ¶ 8.) The other police officer who remains a
party to this appeal submitted an affidavit swearing that he did not even accompany
Aaron to the magistrate’s office. (Appellant’s Appendix at 98, ¶ 9.) Ziegler did not
submit any evidence to refute these or any other affidavits produced by any of the
defendants. And the complaint was not verified, thereby precluding the District Court
from treating it as the equivalent of an affidavit for purposes of Federal Rule of Civil
Procedure 56(e). See, e.g., Reese v. Sparks, 760 F.2d 64, 67 (3d Cir. 1985) (treating
verified complaint as an affidavit on summary judgment motion). Nor is there any
evidence in the record which suggests that the police or school officials conspired to
involve the media in a plan to retaliate against Aaron. Indeed, the District Court in its
August 9, 2002 order pertaining to Beierschmitt and John, made findings of fact based on
this uncontroverted evidence and concluded that:
With respect to Plaintiff’s remaining claims it is difficult to
understand how Defendants Beierschmitt and John violated Aaron Ziegler’s
constitutional rights. Aaron Ziegler committed suicide 69 days after he
graduated from high school and 145 days after the conclusion of his
suspension. We are unaware of any case where a court has imposed a
constitutional duty on a school official to prevent a student’s suicide after
the student has graduated from the school and is no longer within the
school’s control when the suicide occurred. Furthermore, Plaintiff has not
presented any evidence suggesting that Aaron Ziegler was suicidal when he
attended school, that Defendants Beierschmitt or John were aware of his
suicidal tendencies or that they failed to take appropriate action.*
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* Again, Plaintiff has failed to explain by way of affidavit why she
could not “present by affidavit facts essential to justify” her
opposition to the motion for summary judgment.
(Appellant’s Appendix at 26-27.)
III.
Ziegler also argues on appeal that there are no facts controverting the
remaining allegations in the complaint, such as the claim that Aaron’s arrest on school
grounds was a planned event or that he was arrested in retaliation for his refusal to submit
to a drug test. We are satisfied, however, that even if those allegations may be deemed
true, (and as noted there is no evidence supporting them), the defendants did not violate
any “clearly established” right under the First, Fourth, or Sixth Amendments and
therefore are entitled to qualified immunity. See Wilson, 526 U.S. at 609. We also note
that the connection between the defendants’ alleged conduct in March and April of 2001
and Aaron’s suicide on August 13, 2001 is too legally attenuated, both because of the
passage of time and Aaron’s interceding high school graduation.
For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the district court will be
AFFIRMED.
TO THE CLERK:
Please file the foregoing opinion.
/s/ Leonard I. Garth
Circuit Judge
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