Lynch v. City of New York

Detainees Show City's Infringement on Liberty Interest in Paying Bail, Release Thereon

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OPINION & ORDERJames Lynch, Lloyd Jones, and Baron Spencer bring this putative federal civil rights and common law false imprisonment class action against the City of New York. The City moves to dismiss Plaintiffs’ constitutional claims for failure to state a claim and urges this Court to decline supplemental jurisdiction over the false imprisonment claims. For the reasons that follow, the City’s motion to dismiss is denied.BACKGROUNDThis case concerns the constitutionality of pre-trial detention of people who have obtained judicial orders entitling them to release upon paying bail. In New York, “cash bail in the amount designated in the order fixing bail may be posted” at any time after an individual has been committed to custody. N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law §520.15(1). And “[u]pon proof of the deposit of the designated amount,” the detainee “must be forthwith released from custody.” N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law §520.15(1). The following is drawn from the allegations in the Complaint, which are presumed true for purposes of this motion.In broad strokes, the Complaint alleges that the City’s byzantine and dysfunctional procedures for bail payment and release result in unreasonably lengthy delays in permitting bail to be posted and subsequently releasing detainees for whom bail has been paid. Although bail may be paid at the courthouse after the arraignment judge fixes the amount, Plaintiffs assert that the City routinely transports defendants to Department of Correction (“DOC”) facilities as a matter of administrative convenience before friends and family have the opportunity to post bail. (Compl., ECF No. 1,

24-26.) Once a defendant arrives at a DOC facility, a 12-to 22-hour intake process begins, during which the defendant is categorically ineligible to be released on bail. (Compl.

Lynch v. City of New York

Detainees Show City's Infringement on Liberty Interest in Paying Bail, Release Thereon

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