Case: Prince v. Aiellos
2:09-cv-05429 | U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Filed Date: Oct. 23, 2009
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
Case Summary
On October 23, 2009, an individual plaintiff filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the Hackensack Police Department, Hackensack Municipal Court, Bergen County Jail in the City of Hackensack, Bergen County Municipal Court, and Bergen County Prosecutor. The plaintiff, representing himself pro se, sought compensatory and punitive damages plus special damages for future legal fees. The plaintiff specifically claimed that the defendants violated his Fourteenth Amendment rights by attempting to break in and enter his home, threatening to imprison him, fabricating stories to have him incarcerated, and asserting false criminal charges, which led to plaintiff spending three months and five days in county jail.
Prior to these events, the plaintiff and officers had a relationship that arose out of an automobile accident. The plaintiff stated that he collected social security checks because of lasting injuries from the accident. The officers, allegedly because the plaintiff is black, claimed that the plaintiff had faked these injuries.
On October 12, 2010, the U.S. District Court (Judge Jose L. Linares) issued an order granting in part and denying in part motions to dismiss the plaintiff's complaint. The court granted leave to the plaintiff to allow him to amend his conspiracy to maliciously prosecute and equal protection claims. The court noted that if the plaintiff failed to do so, his Second Amended Complaint would remain the operative complaint in this matter and the case would proceed solely as to the plaintiff's malicious prosecution claim as against defendant Sgt. Aiellos. 2010 WL 4025846.
The plaintiff submitted an amended complaint later that month on October 27, 2010. The District Court issued an opinion dismissing the amended complaint as to all defendants except Behnke and Sgt. Aiellos on December 22, 2010. 2010 WL 5392724. The court granted Behnke's subsequent motion to dismiss on February 26, 2011.
Then, on May 22, 2012, the court issued an opinion denying the plaintiff’s motions for leave to submit another amended complaint and for a stay in discovery proceedings. 2012 WL 1883812.
On December 20, 2013, the U.S. District Court (Judge Jose L. Linares) issued an order denying the defendant’s and plaintiff’s motions for summary judgment. 2013 WL 6865619. On January 16, 2014, the defendant appealed to the Third Circuit on the basis of qualified immunity. The district court issued an order on May 7, 2014 granting the defendant’s motion to stay the case pending interlocutory appeal.
Months later, on December 2, 2014, the Third Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision to deny summary judgment. The Third Circuit’s decision hinged on two elements, including whether the plaintiff’s criminal complaint was brought without probable cause and whether the defendant acted maliciously toward the plaintiff. The court agreed with the district court that both issues were matters of disputed fact for a jury to decide and therefore rejected the motion for summary judgment. 594 Fed. App'x 742.
Following the Third Circuit’s decision, litigation continued in the district court. The parties litigated discovery and pretrial orders vigorously. Trial was initially set for June 2018, but later postponed because in May 2018, the docket indicates that plaintiff sought to retain counsel (which terminated all pending pretrial motions). That fall and into early 2019, the parties continued settlement negotiations without success. In May of 2019, the case was re-assigned to Judge John Michael Vazquez. Later that year, the plaintiff filed a motion for recusal, which was denied by Judge Vazquez.
On February 7, 2020, the plaintiff requested to stay the case while the Third Circuit decided a petition for a writ of mandamus. The stay request was denied and the parties prepared for trial. However, the trial has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the case remains pending as of April 15, 2021.
Summary Authors
Julie Singer (11/13/2014)
Will McCartney (3/10/2018)
Richa Bijlani (12/1/2019)
Rachel Harrington (4/15/2021)
People
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5779186/parties/prince-v-aiellos/
Allen, Jessie (New York)
Ayes, Mitchell Ryan (New Jersey)
Del Bove, Christopher Smith (New Jersey)
Eder, Reid Harlan (New York)
Flanagan, Brian G. (New Jersey)
Ayes, Mitchell Ryan (New Jersey)
Del Bove, Christopher Smith (New Jersey)
Flanagan, Brian G. (New Jersey)
Galasso, Vicent L. (New Jersey)
Gatlin, Karen Boe (New Jersey)
Kundla, Mark Stewart (New Jersey)
Langfitt, V. Nicole (New Jersey)
Malagiere, Richard (New Jersey)
Mclaughlin, Lucinda Jordan (New Jersey)
Documents in the Clearinghouse
Docket
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5779186/prince-v-aiellos/
Last updated Aug. 21, 2026, 5:24 a.m.
Docket for: PRINCE v. AIELLOS
Case Details
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Oct. 23, 2009
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Plaintiff is a private citizen who alleges his arrest and confinement to a mental institution were founded in animus on the part of the local police and courts, and not in criminal activity.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: Yes
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
State
Hackensack Police Department
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Criminal Violation of Federal Rights Under Color of Law, 18 U.S.C. § 242
Constitutional Clause(s):
Unreasonable search and seizure
Other Dockets:
District of New Jersey 2:09-cv-05429
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 14-01149
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Race(s):
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Over/Unlawful Detention (facilities)
Policing:
Case Summary of Prince v. Aiellos, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/13339/ (last updated 4/15/2021).