{"id":4571,"date":"2010-08-21T10:01:59","date_gmt":"2010-08-21T10:06:34","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-08-21T10:01:59","slug":"en-US","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/fourthamendment.com\/?p=4571","title":{"rendered":"E.D. Mich.: The pleading requirements for a Fourth Amendment violation in a Bivens<\/em> or \u00a7 1983 claim"},"content":{"rendered":"

The pleading requirements for a Fourth Amendment violation in a Bivens<\/a> or \u00a7 1983<\/a> claim: Yopp v. United States DOJ DEA, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85354 (E.D. Mich. August 19, 2010):<\/p>\n

Plaintiffs claim that the search warrant executed at the Yopp residence was not based on probable cause, and that the search warrant affidavit, which supported issuance of the warrant and remains under seal, contained knowingly false statements. (Compl. \u00b6\u00b6 6, 9, 10.) Putting aside for a moment the unrebutted testimony of Agent Jeneary that all statements contained in the warrant affidavit were truthful, the Complaint fails on its face to satisfy the pleading standards established in Iqbal<\/a> and Twombly<\/a> that are necessary to state a Fourth Amendment claim. The Complaint gives no indication of the substance of the alleged false statements and Plaintiffs\u2019 response to Defendants\u2019 motion does nothing to enhance the factual content on the issue of the claimed lack of probable cause. In their response, Plaintiffs merely quote the legal principles governing claims of qualified immunity and \u201ccontend that they allege [in their Complaint] sufficient facts to give notice of the allegations and potential claims.\u201d (Pls.\u2019s Resp. 3.) Plaintiffs\u2019 response does not even mention probable cause or the allegedly false statements. Plaintiffs\u2019 Complaint merely states the legal conclusion that Defendants \u201clacked probable cause\u201d and gave \u201cfalse statements\u201d in support of the warrant affidavit. Such \u201c[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.\u201d Iqbal<\/a>, supra 129 S.Ct. at 1949. \u201cA 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.\u201d Id. at 1948. Plaintiffs\u2019 allegations do not \u201cnudge\u201d their claims across the line from possibility to plausibility. Plaintiffs\u2019 Complaint fails to state a claim based upon insufficiency of the warrant or lack of probable cause to issue the warrant.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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