Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse

Case: Becker v. District of Columbia

1:01-cv-00811 | U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Filed Date: April 13, 2001

Closed Date: July 15, 2010

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Case Summary

This class-action litigation arose out of the April 15, 2000, mass arrest of more than 670 people protesting upcoming World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings by Washington, D.C., and federal law enforcement. The original complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on April 13, 2001, by 33 named plaintiffs, including individuals and organizations (the number of named plaintiffs shrunk to 14 by the time the court approved the settlement in the case in July 2010, and the caption name of the case changed at least twice due to plaintiffs terminating their involvement with the suit). Included in the suit were eight individual plaintiffs whose claims arose out of incidents at different locations or times from the mass arrest.

The plaintiffs sued the District of Columbia government, the Chief and Executive Assistant Chief of Operations of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in DC, the MPD, a number of MPD officers, the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and a number of federal law enforcement agencies and officers, seeking monetary and declaratory relief for violations of their First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights, as well as false arrest, false imprisonment, assault, and battery. In addition, the plaintiffs also sought expungement of records of their arrests by both the District of Columbia and the federal government. The case was assigned to Judge Paul L. Friedman and Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola.

The plaintiffs filed for class certification on October 30, 2001. After the parties litigated various legal disputes for nearly five years, Magistrate Facciola recommended the class certification be approved, and Judge Friedman adopted his recommendation in full, granting the class certification on October 13, 2006. The class approved consisted of "[a]ll persons detained and arrested in Washington, D.C., on April 15, 2000, near 20 Street, N.W. and I and K Streets, N.W. in connection with the protest against the Prison Industrial Complex during the IMF/World Bank demonstrations."

In August 2006, Judge Friedman adopted in full another recommendation from Magistrate Judge Facciola, dismissing the plaintiffs’ demand for declaratory relief because the plaintiffs lacked standing.

In late 2009, the plaintiffs agreed to a settlement with the District of Columbia defendants, whereby the District of Columbia would pay a total of $13,302,500, divided as follows: $700,000 to the 14 class representatives ($50,000 each); $9,180,000 to settle the claims of all other eligible class members (no more than $18,000 per individual); $3,272,500 in attorneys’ fees; and $150,000 to provide for notification to eligible class members and administration of the settlement agreement and funds. The eight individual, non-class plaintiffs also received a collective total of $425,000 in the settlement.

In addition to the payments, the MPD agreed to require officers undergo additional training on First Amendment and mass demonstration policies and implement other changes to its practices for handling protests and similar First Amendment-protected events for a time period of three years. The settlement also declared the arrests of all class members null and void, and the District of Columbia agreed to expunge their arrest records and seek similar expungements from the federal government and any other states that might have the records, where applicable.

The final settlement was approved on July 15, 2010, and its terms stated the case would be dismissed with prejudice after three years. No public record of the exact date of dismissal has been found, so the case is now presumably closed.

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Summary Authors

Ben Marvin-Vanderryn (11/3/2021)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attrorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4632314/parties/becker-v-district-of-columbia/

Judge(s)

Facciola, John M. (District of Columbia)

Friedman, Paul L. (District of Columbia)

Attorneys(s) for Plaintiff

Klimaski, James R (District of Columbia)

Messineo, Carl L (District of Columbia)

Nickles, Peter J. (District of Columbia)

Onisko, Merrilyn Anne (District of Columbia)

Schember, Daniel McCrea (District of Columbia)

Spitzer, Arthur (District of Columbia)

Verheyden-Hilliard, Mara E (District of Columbia)

Weinglass, Leonard I (New York)

Judge(s)

Facciola, John M. (District of Columbia)

Friedman, Paul L. (District of Columbia)

Attorneys(s) for Plaintiff

Klimaski, James R (District of Columbia)

Messineo, Carl L (District of Columbia)

Nickles, Peter J. (District of Columbia)

Onisko, Merrilyn Anne (District of Columbia)

Schember, Daniel McCrea (District of Columbia)

Spitzer, Arthur (District of Columbia)

Verheyden-Hilliard, Mara E (District of Columbia)

Weinglass, Leonard I (New York)

Wolfe, Zachary J. (District of Columbia)

Attorneys(s) for Defendant

Copeland, Chad Wayne (District of Columbia)

Efros, Ellen A. (District of Columbia)

Hashmi, Aaishah (District of Columbia)

Koger, Thomas Louis (District of Columbia)

Leidenheimer, Robert Ernest Jr (District of Columbia)

Love, Richard Stuart (District of Columbia)

Matini, Shana Lyn (District of Columbia)

Mullen, Martha J. (District of Columbia)

Parris, Lori S. (District of Columbia)

Pressley, Monique Daniel (District of Columbia)

Shine, Edith Margeurita (District of Columbia)

Smith, Peter S. (District of Columbia)

Utiger, Robert C. (District of Columbia)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

	Document
1:01-cv-00811	Docket [PACER]	Nov. 23, 2010	Nov. 23, 2010 Docket
238 1:01-cv-00811	Report and Recommendation Alliance for Global Justice v. District of Columbia	Aug. 9, 2006	Aug. 9, 2006 Magistrate Report/Recommendation
240 1:01-cv-00811	Report and Recommendation Alliance for Global Justice v. District of Columbia	Aug. 22, 2006	Aug. 22, 2006 Magistrate Report/Recommendation
358-5 1:01-cv-00811	Settlement Agreement	June 24, 2010	June 24, 2010 Settlement Agreement

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Resources

Title	Description		External URL Date / External URL

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4632314/becker-v-district-of-columbia/

Last updated Aug. 8, 2022, 3:06 a.m.

ECF Number	Description	Date	Link Date / Link
85	MOTION filed by plaintiffs for Leonard I. Weinglass to appear pro hac vice ( 6 West 20th Street, Suite 10A, New York, NY 10011, (212) 807-8646) (bm) (Entered: 04/10/2003)	April 8, 2003	April 8, 2003 PACER
86	MOTION filed by Carl L. Messineo, Zachary Jay Wolfe, Mara Elizabeth Verheyden-Hilliard : to withdraw as attorney for JOSEPH CATRON (bm) (Entered: 04/10/2003)	April 8, 2003	April 8, 2003 PACER
87	MOTION filed by Carl L. Messineo, Zachary Jay Wolfe, Mara Elizabeth Verheyden-Hilliard : to withdraw as attorney for NISHA M. ANAND (bm) (Entered: 04/10/2003)	April 8, 2003	April 8, 2003 PACER
88	MOTION filed by plaintiffs for leave to amend complaint to add four new class representatives [1-1] by plaintiffs ; EXHIBIT-AMENDED COMPLAINT. (bm) (Entered: 04/10/2003)	April 8, 2003	April 8, 2003 PACER
89	MOTION filed by plaintiffs to extend time to 4/15/03 within which to file a sur-reply to motion to dismiss (bm) (Entered: 04/10/2003)	April 8, 2003	April 8, 2003 PACER
95	NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL as to plaintiff BETTE J. HOOVER (bm) (Entered: 04/11/2003)	April 8, 2003	April 8, 2003 PACER
96	NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL as to plaintiff FIFTY YRS. IS ENOUGH (bm) (Entered: 04/11/2003)	April 8, 2003	April 8, 2003 PACER
97	NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL as to plaintiff NADINE BLOCH (bm) (Entered: 04/11/2003)	April 8, 2003	April 8, 2003 PACER
98	NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL as to plaintiff MARTIN F. THOMAS (bm) (Entered: 04/11/2003)	April 8, 2003	April 8, 2003 PACER
94	NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL of Appearance by Charlotte Bradley for defendant DC. (nmr) (Entered: 04/11/2003)	April 9, 2003	April 9, 2003 PACER
90	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to extend time to 4/15/03 within which to file a sur-reply to motion to dismiss [89-1] by plaintiffs (N) (bm) (Entered: 04/10/2003)	April 10, 2003	April 10, 2003 PACER
91	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion for Leonard I. Weinglass to appear pro hac vice ( 6 West 20th Street, Suite 10A, New York, NY 10011, (212) 807-8646) [85-1] by plaintiffs (N) (bm) (Entered: 04/10/2003)	April 10, 2003	April 10, 2003 PACER
92	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion for leave to amend complaint to add four new class representatives [1-1] by plaintiffs [88-1] by plaintiffs (N) (bm) (Entered: 04/10/2003)	April 10, 2003	April 10, 2003 PACER
93	AMENDED COMPLAINT by plaintiffs adding plaintiffs BENJAMIN BECKER, JULIE FRY, MONICA MOOREHEAD, SARAH SLOAN, and amending complaint [1-1]; jury demand (bm) (Entered: 04/10/2003)	April 10, 2003	April 10, 2003 PACER
102	MOTION filed by plaintiffs to extend time to 4/15/03 within which to file a sur-reply to motion to dismiss (bm) (Entered: 04/17/2003)	April 15, 2003	April 15, 2003 PACER
99	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting plaintiffs' motion for extending time to 4/16/03 to file a sur-reply to federal defendants' reply to motion to dismiss (N) (bm) (Entered: 04/16/2003)	April 16, 2003	April 16, 2003 PACER
100	MOTION (consent) filed by plaintiffs to extend time to 4/21/03 to file surreply in order to review sonn to be produced FBI documents. (td) (Entered: 04/17/2003)	April 16, 2003	April 16, 2003 PACER
101	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to extend time to 4/21/03 to file surreply to defendant's reply to the motion to dismiss [100-1] by defendants (N) (bm) (Entered: 04/17/2003)	April 17, 2003	April 17, 2003 PACER
103	SURREPLY by plaintiffs to motion to dismiss [1-1] [28-1] by federal defendants; attachments (21) BULKY PLEADING (FILED UNDER SEAL) (bm) (Entered: 04/23/2003)	April 22, 2003	April 22, 2003 PACER
106	SURREPLY by plaintiffs to motion to dismiss [1-1] [28-1] by federal defendants; attachments (2) (Version Two) redacted (bm) (Entered: 04/24/2003)	April 23, 2003	April 23, 2003 PACER
104	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to withdraw as attorney for NISHA M. ANAND [87-1] by Mara Elizabeth Verheyden-Hilliard, Zachary Jay Wolfe, Carl L. Messineo of the Partnership for Civil Justice, Inc. and the National Lawyers Guild (N) (bm) (Entered: 04/24/2003)	April 24, 2003	April 24, 2003 PACER
105	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to withdraw as attorney for JOSEPH CATRON [86-1] by Mara Elizabeth Verheyden-Hilliard, Zachary Jay Wolfe, Carl L. Messineo of the Partnership for Civil Justice, Inc. and the National Lawyers Guild (N) (bm) (Entered: 04/24/2003)	April 24, 2003	April 24, 2003 PACER
108	MOTION filed by federal defendant to extend time to 5/29/03 to respond to plaintiffs' sur-reply. (td) (Entered: 05/02/2003)	April 29, 2003	April 29, 2003 PACER
109	RESPONSE by plaintiffs to motion to extend time to 5/29/03 to respond to plaintiffs' sur-reply [108-1] by federal defendants (bm) (Entered: 05/02/2003)	April 30, 2003	April 30, 2003 PACER
107	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman: granting federal defendants motion extending time to 5/29/03 to file their response to plaintiffs' surreply (N) (bm) (Entered: 05/01/2003)	May 1, 2003	May 1, 2003 PACER
110	MOTION filed by plaintiffs to extend time by one day within which to fie their sur-reply to federal defendants' motions to dismiss (bm) (Entered: 05/12/2003)	May 9, 2003	May 9, 2003 PACER
111	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to extend time by one day within which to fie their sur-reply to federal defendants' motions to dismiss [110-1] by plaintiffs (N) (bm) (Entered: 05/12/2003)	May 12, 2003	May 12, 2003 PACER
112	MOTION (consent) filed by federal defendant to extend time to 6/9/03 for an enlargement of time to respond to plaintiffs' surreply. (td) (Entered: 05/30/2003)	May 28, 2003	May 28, 2003 PACER
113	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to extend time to 6/9/03 for an enlargement of time to respond to plaintiffs' surreply. [112-1] by federal defendants (N) (bm) (Entered: 06/03/2003)	June 3, 2003	June 3, 2003 PACER
114	MOTION filed by District defendants, and federal defendants to dismiss as to plaintiffs NISHA M. ANAND, and JOSEPH CATRON (bm) (Entered: 06/09/2003)	June 6, 2003	June 6, 2003 PACER
115	MOTION filed by federal defendants to extend time to 6/17/03 within which to file their response to plaintiffs' sur-reply (bm) (Entered: 06/10/2003)	June 8, 2003	June 8, 2003 PACER
116	ORDER by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola : vacating order filed dated 12/16/03 77 ; further ordered that counsel for all parties meet and confer in person within the next ten (10) days and make a conscientious, good faith effort to resolve all existing and reasonably aniticipated disputes concerning discovery (see order). (N) (ldc) (Entered: 06/10/2003)	June 10, 2003	June 10, 2003 PACER
117	ORDER by Judge Richard J. Leon for Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to extend time to 6/17/03 within which to file their response to plaintiffs' sur-reply [115-1] by federal defendants (N) (bm) (Entered: 06/11/2003)	June 11, 2003	June 11, 2003 PACER
118	MOTION (CONSENT) filed by federal defendant to extend time to 6/18/03 to file response to plaintiffs' sur-reply (aet) (Entered: 06/18/2003)	June 17, 2003	June 17, 2003 PACER
121	RESPONSE by federal defendants to surreply [106-1] by plaintiffs (bm) (Entered: 06/19/2003)	June 18, 2003	June 18, 2003 PACER
122	MOTION filed by federal defendants to extend time to 6/23/03 within which to file their attachment to federal defendants response to plaintiffs' sur-reply, exhibit "A" under seal (bm) (Entered: 06/19/2003)	June 18, 2003	June 18, 2003 PACER
119	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to extend time to 6/18/03 to file response to plaintiffs' sur-reply [118-1] by federal defendants (N) (bm) (Entered: 06/19/2003)	June 19, 2003	June 19, 2003 PACER
120	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to dismiss as to plaintiffs NISHA M. ANAND, and JOSEPH CATRON [114-1] by federal defendants, defendants (N) (bm) (Entered: 06/19/2003)	June 19, 2003	June 19, 2003 PACER
123	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to extend time to 6/23/03 within which to file federal defendants' exhibit "A" under seal, an attachment to their response to plaintiffs' sur-reply [122-1] by federal defendants (N) (bm) (Entered: 06/20/2003)	June 20, 2003	June 20, 2003 PACER
124	NOTICE OF FILING by federal defendants corrected response to plaintiffs' sur-reply; attachment (1) (bm) (Entered: 06/25/2003)	June 23, 2003	June 23, 2003 PACER
125	NOTICE OF FILING by federal defendants Exhibit "A" to federal defendants response to plaintiffs' sur-reply; attachment (1) (bm) (Entered: 06/25/2003)	June 23, 2003	June 23, 2003 PACER
127	MOTION filed by plaintiff for enlargement of discovery period to provide for final phase of discovery ; attachments (4) (td) (Entered: 07/07/2003)	June 30, 2003	June 30, 2003 PACER
126	ATTORNEY APPEARANCE for federal defendants by Robert Ernest Leidenheimer Jr. (bm) (Entered: 07/07/2003)	July 1, 2003	July 1, 2003 PACER
128	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : referring to Magistrate Judge Facciola for disposition or for a report and recommendation on plaintiffs' 56(f) motion (N) (bm) (Entered: 07/08/2003)	July 8, 2003	July 8, 2003 PACER
	CASE RE-REFERRED to Magistrate Judge Facciola for disposition or report and recommendation for plaintiffs' 56(f) motion (cp)	July 8, 2003	July 8, 2003 PACER
129	RESPONSE by defendants to motion for enlargement of discovery period to provide for final phase of discovery [127-1] by plaintiffs (bjsp) (Entered: 07/15/2003)	July 14, 2003	July 14, 2003 PACER
130	MOTION (Partial Consent) filed by plaintiff for two-day enlargement of time to file a reply in support of plaintiffs' motion to provide enlargement of disvocrey period to provide final phase of disvocery. (td) (Entered: 07/25/2003)	July 24, 2003	July 24, 2003 PACER
131	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion for two-day enlargement of time to 7/27/03 to file a reply in support of plaintiffs' motion to provide enlargement of discovery period to provide final phase of discovery [130-1] by plaintiffs (N) (bm) (Entered: 07/28/2003)	July 28, 2003	July 28, 2003 PACER
133	MOTION (PARTIAL) filed by plaintiffs to extend time to 8/1/03 nunc pro tunc, to file a reply in support of motion for enlargement of discovery period (bjsp) (Entered: 07/30/2003)	July 29, 2003	July 29, 2003 PACER
134	MOTION (PRAECIPE) (CONSENT) filed by federal defendants to extend time to 7/29/03, nunc pro tunc, to file a reply in support of motion for enlargement of discovery period (bjsp) (Entered: 07/30/2003)	July 29, 2003	July 29, 2003 PACER
132	ORDER by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola : granting motion for enlargement of discovery period to provide for final phase of discovery [127-1] by plaintiffs; further ordered that plaintiffs may file a reply in support for their motion for enlargement of time. (N) (ldc) (Entered: 07/30/2003)	July 30, 2003	July 30, 2003 PACER
135	ORDER by Judge Paul L. Friedman : granting motion to extend time to 8/1/03 nunc pro tunc, to file a reply in support of motion for enlargement of discovery period to provide for final phase of discovery [133-1] by MOBIL/GLOBAL JUSTICE (N) (bm) (Entered: 08/01/2003)	Aug. 1, 2003	Aug. 1, 2003 PACER
138	MOTION filed by plaintiffs to extend time to 8/4/03 within which to file a reply in support of motion for enlargement of discovery period to provide for final phase of discovery (bjsp) (Entered: 08/07/2003)	Aug. 1, 2003	Aug. 1, 2003 PACER
136	REPLY by plaintiffs in support of motion for enlargement of discovery period to provide for final phase of discovery; exhibits (29) (bjsp) (Entered: 08/05/2003)	Aug. 4, 2003	Aug. 4, 2003 PACER
137	STATEMENT filed by plaintiffs regarding: federal defendants' consent to relief requested in plaintiffs' motion for one day enlargement of time within which to file a reply in support of their motion for enlargement of discovery period. (bjsp) (Entered: 08/05/2003)	Aug. 4, 2003	Aug. 4, 2003 PACER
139	ORDER by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola : granting motion to extend time to 8/4/03 nunc pro tunc, within which to file a reply in support of motion for enlargement of discovery period to provide for final phase of discovery [138-1] by JUSTICE (N) (ldc) (Entered: 08/19/2003)	Aug. 6, 2003	Aug. 6, 2003 PACER
140	ORDER by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola : granting in part, denying in part motion for enlargement of discovery period to provide for final phase of discovery [127-1]; further ordered that the parties shall comply with the directions of this order. (N) (ldc) (Entered: 08/21/2003)	Aug. 20, 2003	Aug. 20, 2003 PACER
196	MEMORANDUM AND OPINION. Signed by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola on 7/29/2005. (lcjf1, )	July 29, 2005	July 29, 2005 RECAP
197	ORDER granting 178 Motion for Protective Order. Signed by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola on 7/29/2005. (lcjf1, )	July 29, 2005	July 29, 2005 RECAP
230	ORDER granting in part and denying in part 210 Defendant District of Columbia's Amended Motion for Protective Order, and granting in part and denying in part 214 Plaintiff's Amended Motion to Compel the District of Columbia to Produce a Deponent on Behalf of the Municipal Defendant to Testify Based on the Collective Knowledge of the Municipal Defendant. Signed by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola on 6/15/06. (lcjf1, )	June 15, 2006	June 15, 2006 RECAP
231	MEMORANDUM OPINION re ORDER granting in part and denying in part 210 Defendant District of Columbia's Amended Motion for Protective Order, and granting in part and denying in part 214 Plaintiff's Amended Motion to Compel. Signed by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola on 6/15/06. (lcjf1, )	June 15, 2006	June 15, 2006 RECAP
238	REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION re 202 Federal Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment. Signed by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola on 8/9/06. (lcjf1, )	Aug. 9, 2006	Aug. 9, 2006 RECAP
240	REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION re 15 Plaintiffs' Motion for Class Certification and Notice. Signed by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola on 8/22/06. (lcjf1, )	Aug. 22, 2006	Aug. 22, 2006 RECAP
324	MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER re Report & Recommendation of Magistrate Judge Facciola. Signed by Judge Paul L. Friedman on March 3, 2008. (MA)	March 3, 2008	March 3, 2008 RECAP
345	MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola on 7/20/09. (lcjmf1)	July 20, 2009	July 20, 2009 RECAP
346	MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER for the parties to reconsider the prospects for settlement and to report to the Court the results of their preliminary discussions at a status conference scheduled for September 18, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Signed by Judge Paul L. Friedman on August 20, 2009. (MA)	Aug. 20, 2009	Aug. 20, 2009 RECAP

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Case Details

State / Territory: District of Columbia

Case Type(s):

Policing

Key Dates

Filing Date: April 13, 2001

Closing Date: July 15, 2010

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

All persons who were detained and arrested on April 15, 2000, near the area of 20 Street, N.W. and I and K Streets, N.W. in connection with the protest against the Prison Industrial Complex during the IMF/World Bank demonstrations.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Non-profit NON-religious organization

Private Plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

ACLU Affiliates (any)

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: Yes

Class Action Outcome: Granted

Defendants

District of Columbia, City

Charles H. Ramsey (District of Columbia, District of Columbia), Private Entity/Person