Daggett v. York Cnty.

THOMAS DAGGETT Plaintiff, v. YORK COUNTY, et al., Defendants.

No. 2:18-cv-00303-JAW

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MAINE

March 8, 2021

ORDER ON DEFENDANTS' MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Police arrested a man for allegedly violating a state court protection order, which prohibited him from being on the premises of his estranged wife's residence. The man, who has Parkinson's Disease, spent the night in county jail and he alleges he suffered injuries from inadequate medical care while in jail. The man filed a multi-defendant complaint in federal court, asserting constitutional claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a civil rights conspiracy claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1985, and related state law claims against the officer who arrested him, the arresting police department, the police chief, the county that owns and operates the jail, the sheriff who oversees the jail, three unnamed sheriff's department employees, the company that administers medical care within the jail, and two of its unnamed employees. The Defendants move for summary judgment, maintaining that factual and legal shortcomings as well as immunity doctrines entitle them to judgment as a matter of law. The Court grants the Defendants' motions for summary judgment.

I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On August 8, 2018, Thomas Daggett filed a complaint against York County; Sheriff William King, both individually and as Sheriff of York County, Michael Vitiello, both individually and as an employee of the York County Sheriff's Department, three unnamed York County Sheriff's Department employees, in their individual and official capacities, Corizon, Inc., two unnamed Corizon employees, both individually and in their capacities as employees of Corizon, the town of Berwick, Maine, Chief Timothy Towne of the Berwick Police Department, and Officer Eli Poore, individually and as an employee of the town of Berwick. Pl.'s Compl. at 1 (ECF No. 1) (Compl.).

On September 25, 2018, Mr. Daggett moved to amend his Complaint after learning that Correct Care Solutions, LLC (CCS), not Corizon, Inc., was the proper defendant and filed a proposed amended complaint, which substituted CCS for Corizon. Mot. to Amend Compl. at 1-2 (ECF No. 8); id., Attach. 1, Pl.'s Am. Compl. Pl.'s Am. Compl. (ECF No. 9) (Am. Compl.). On September 26, 2018, the Magistrate Judge granted Mr. Daggett's motion to amend and accepted the Amended Complaint as the operative pleading. Order Granting Mot. to Amend Compl. (ECF No. 10).

On October 3, 2018, the town of Berwick, Chief Towne, and Officer Poore (the Berwick Defendants) answered. Answer to Pl.'s Am. Compl. (ECF No. 12); Am. Answer to Pl.'s Am. Compl. (ECF No. 13). On October 5, 2018, York County, Sheriff King, and Michael Vitiello (the York Defendants) answered. Answer (Defs. YorkCounty, William King, and Michael Vitiello) (ECF No. 15). On November 9, 2018, CCS answered. Def. Correct Care Solutions, LLC's Answer (ECF No. 17).

Discovery closed on November 15, 2019. Order on Disc. Issues and Am. Scheduling Order at 2 (ECF No. 39). On November 22, 2019, the Defendants each notified the Court they intended to move for summary judgment and requested a pre-filing conference pursuant to Local Rule 56(h). Defs. Town of Berwick, Timothy Towne and Eli Poore's Notice of Intent to File Mot. for Summ. J. and Req. for Pre-Filing Conference (ECF No. 40); Def. Correct Care Solutions LLC's Notice of Intent to Move for Summ. J. (ECF No. 41); County Defs.' Notice of Intent to File Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 42). On November 25, 2019, the Court issued a procedural order, which scheduled the Local Rule 56(h) conference for December 16, 2019. Procedural Order (ECF No. 43). On December 16, 2019, the Court held the Local Rule 56(h) conference. Min. Entry (ECF No. 47).

On March 6, 2020 the Berwick Defendants filed a stipulated record on behalf of all parties, which contains twenty-seven stipulated exhibits. Stipulated R. (ECF No. 48) (R.); id., Attachs. 1-27. On March 23, 2020 the Berwick Defendants moved for summary judgment and filed a statement of material facts. Defs. Town of Berwick, Timothy Towne and Eli Poore's Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 49) (Berwick Mot.); Berwick Defs.' Statement of Undisputed Material Facts in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 50) (BDSMF). On March 25, 2020, CCS moved for summary judgment and filed its statement of material facts. Def. Correct Care Solutions LLC's Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 52) (CCS Mot.); Def. Correct Care Solutions LLC's Statement ofMaterial Facts in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 53) (CDSMF). On April 22, 2020, the York Defendants filed their motion for summary judgment and statement of material facts. County Defs.' Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 55) (York Mot.); County Defs.' Statement of Material Facts in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 56) (YDSMF).

On June 8, 2020, Mr. Daggett filed a consolidated response in opposition to the motions for summary judgment. Pl.'s Resp. in Opp'n to Defs.' Mots. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 60) (Pl.'s Opp'n). On the same day, Mr. Daggett also responded to each Defendant's statement of material facts and filed his own statement of material facts. Pl.'s Resp. to Berwick Defs.' Statement of Undisputed Material Facts (ECF No. 61) (PRBDSMF); Pl.'s Resp. to County Defs.' Statement of Material Facts in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 62) (PRYDSMF); Pl.'s Resp. to Def. Correct Care Solutions LLC's Statement of Material Facts in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 63) (PRCDSMF); Pl.'s Statement of Additional Facts (ECF No. 64) (PSAMF).

On June 17, 2020, the Berwick Defendants replied to Mr. Daggett's response and Mr. Daggett's additional statement of material facts. Defs. Town of Berwick, Timothy Towne and Eli Poore's Reply to Pl.'s Opp'n to Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 65) (Berwick Reply); Berwick Defs.' Resp. to Pl.'s Additional Statement of Undisputed Material Facts in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 66) (BDRPSAMF). The next day, CCS did the same. Def. Correct Care Solutions LLC's Reply to Pl.'s Opp'n to Defs.' Mots. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 67) (CCS Reply); Def. Correct Care Solutions LLC's Reply to Pl.'s Statement of Additional Facts (ECF No. 68) (CDRPSAMF). OnJune 22, 2020, the York Defendants replied to Mr. Daggett. County Defs.' Reply Mem. of Law in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. (ECF No. 69) (York Reply); County Defs.' Resp. to Pl.'s Statement of Additional Facts (ECF No. 70) (YDRPSAMF).

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND¹

Thomas Daggett was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2000. PSAMF ¶ 1; BDRPSAMF ¶ 1; CDRPSAMF ¶ 1; YDRPSAMF ¶ 1. He takes a medication called Sinemet every ninety minutes to two hours to treat his symptoms. CDSMF ¶ 2; PRCDSMF ¶ 2. In May 2015, when the events giving rise to this case arose, Mr. Daggett's prescribed dose of Sinemet was 25/250 mg. CDSMF ¶ 2; PRCDSMF ¶ 2. If a Parkinson's patient does not take their prescribed Sinemet, they may experience muscular rigidity and paralysis.² PSAMF ¶ 42; BDRPSAMF ¶ 42; CDRPSAMF ¶ 42; YDRPSAMF ¶ 42.

In May of 2015, Mr. Daggett was in the process of divorcing his then-wife, Penny Daggett. PSAMF ¶ 2; BDRPSAMF ¶ 2; CDRPSAMF ¶ 2; YDRPSAMF ¶ 2. Mrs. Daggett had an active protection from abuse order against Mr. Daggett at that time. PSAMF ¶ 7; R., Attach. 4, at 1-2 (Protection Order). By its plain text, theprotection order permitted direct contact between Mr. and Mrs. Daggett to facilitate the transfer of Mr. Daggett's belongings out of Mr. Daggett's former residence on Cranberry Meadow Road in Berwick, Maine.³ PSAMF ¶ 8; Protection Order at 2. Specifically, the protection order contained the following requirements, among others:

1. [Mr. Daggett] is prohibited from having any contact with [Mrs. Daggett], directly or indirectly; except for direct contact related to exchange of property.

2. [Mr. Daggett] is prohibited from imposing any restriction upon the person or liberty of [Mrs. Daggett];

3. [Mr. Daggett] is prohibited from threatening, assaulting, molesting, harassing, or otherwise disturbing the peace of [Mrs. Daggett];

4. [Mr. Daggett] is prohibited from, repeatedly and without reasonable cause, following [Mrs. Daggett] or being at or in the vicinity of [Mrs. Daggett's] home, school, business or place of employment;

5. [Mr. Daggett] is prohibited from entering the family residence or premises of the separate residence of [Mrs. Daggett] at (list, unless confidential): 317 CRANBERRY MEADOW ROAD, BERWICK ME *

6. [Mr. Daggett] is prohibited from taking, converting or damaging property in which [Mrs. Daggett] may have legal interest;* The parties agree that [Mr. Daggett] may go to the marital residence with an agreed upon person at an agreed upon time to take the following items: (1) his medication, (2) his clothes, (3) guitars & sound gear, (4) old refurbished laptop, (5) desktop.

Protection Order at 2. As a part of the divorce proceeding, Mr. Daggett reasonably believed that Ms. Daggett had a duty to protect Mr. Daggett's property that remained at the marital residence.⁴ PSAMF ¶ 3; YDRPSAMF ¶ 3.

A. Thomas Daggett's May 17, 2015 Arrest

On Sunday, May 17, 2015, Mr. Daggett was returning home from a celebration at the American Legion Hall in Rollinsford, New Hampshire. PSAMF ¶¶ 4-5; BDRPSAMF ¶¶ 4-5; CDRPSAMF ¶¶ 4-5; YDRPSAMF ¶¶ 4-5. He was a passenger in a car driven by Mary Howarth. PSAMF ¶ 4; BDRPSAMF ¶ 4; CDRPSAMF ¶ 4; YDRPSAMF ¶ 4. Mr. Daggett and Ms. Howarth stopped at a pharmacy to pick up some prescription medications during their drive. PSAMF ¶ 5; BDRPSAMF ¶ 5; CDRPSAMF ¶ 5; YDRPSAMF ¶ 5. Their customary route home from the pharmacy took them past Mr. Daggett's former residence at 317 Cranberry Meadow Road in Berwick, Maine, where his estranged wife still resided. PSAMF ¶ 6; BDRPSAMF ¶ 6; CDRPSAMF ¶ 6; YDRPSAMF ¶ 6.

As Mr. Daggett and Ms. Howarth approached Mr. Daggett's former residence, Mr. Daggett observed that the trashcans were out by the curb. PSAMF ¶ 9; BDRPSAMF ¶ 9; CDRPSAMF ¶ 9; YDRPSAMF ¶ 9. Mr. Daggett thought this was unusual because it was...