PLAINTIFF RAISED QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER THE POLICE HAD PROBABLE CAUSE TO ARREST HIM AND WHETHER THE POLICE GAVE FALSE EVIDENCE TO THE GRAND JURY; THE MALICIOUS PROSECUTION, FALSE ARREST, FALSE IMPRISONMENT AND VIOLATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS CAUSES OF ACTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the malicious prosecution, false arrest, false imprisonment and 42 USC 1983 civil rights causes of action should not have been dismissed. Plaintiff had been arrested and indicted in a shooting based upon information from Pierre-Riviera, who allegedly claimed plaintiff was the shooter. The charges against plaintiff were dismissed by the District Attorney. Plaintiff alleged the information provided by Pierre-Riviera was the product of coercion by the police, and the police witnesses provided false evidence to the grand jury:
… [T]he defendants failed to eliminate triable issues of fact as to whether the police had probable cause to arrest the plaintiff … . Pierre-Riviera’s deposition testimony, submitted by the defendants on their motion, raised triable issues of fact as to whether his identification of the plaintiff as the shooter was coerced, and therefore, whether the police had probable cause to arrest the plaintiff … . …
Regarding malicious prosecution, once a suspect has been indicted, the grand jury action creates a presumption of probable cause … . A plaintiff can overcome the presumption of probable cause “by evidence establishing that the police witnesses have not made a complete and full statement of facts either to the Grand Jury or to the District Attorney, that they have misrepresented or falsified evidence, that they have withheld evidence or otherwise acted in bad faith” … . Elie v City of New York, 2020 NY Slip Op 03001, Second Dept 5-27-20