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Defendants.
Enslin, Assistant Minneapolis City Attorneys, 350 S. Fifth Street, Room 210,
Minneapolis, MN 55415, hereby remove this action from the Fourth Judicial
District of the State of Minnesota to this Court, and gives notice to the Plaintiffs
“Defendants”) are defendants in a civil action in the District Court of the Fourth
Charles Stotts (individually), and d/b/a Town Talk Diner & Gastropub. The original
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1 Filed 02/08/21 Page 2 of 4
attached as Exhibit 3.
to 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a) and (c). The Plaintiffs’ lawsuit, being captioned in the State
Court, is a civil action bringing claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and 42 U.S.C. §
1986, alleging that Defendants violated the Plaintiffs’ rights under the U.S.
Constitution, federal statutory law, and state statutory claims, resulting in injury
to the Plaintiffs.
constitutional civil rights and asserts claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and 42 U.S.C.
§ 1986. These are claims over which this Court has original jurisdiction pursuant
to 28 U.S.C. § 1343, as they arise under the laws of the United States within the
2
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meaning of 28 U.S.C. § 1331, and these claims are therefore removable under 28
U.S.C. § 1441.
under Minnesota law. This Court has supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiff’s
served upon them in this action. Defendants have sent written notice of the
filing of this Notice of Removal of Action to Federal Court to Plaintiff and will
promptly file a copy of this Notice with the Clerk of the District Court for the
Defendants sign this removal in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure
11.
WHEREFORE, notice is hereby given that this action is removed from the
State Court to this Court for trial or such other determination as this Court may
make regarding the action and in accordance with its jurisdictional limits under
28 U.S.C. § 1441.
3
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4
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Plaintiff(s),
Civil No: __________________
vs.
City of Minneapolis,
Mayor Jacob Frey,
Defendant(s).
1. YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiffs have started a lawsuit against you. The
Plaintiffs' Complaint against you is attached to this Summons. Do not throw these papers away.
They are official papers that affect your rights. You must respond to this lawsuit even though it
may not yet be filed with the Court and there may be no court file number on this Summons.
2. YOU MUST REPLY WITHIN 21 DAYS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. You must
give or mail to the person who signed this summons a written response called an Answer within
21 days of the date on which you received this Summons. You must send a copy of your Answer
to the person who signed this Summons located at:
Michael Healey
Wagner, Falconer, & Judd, Ltd.
100 South Fifth Street
Suite 800
Minneapolis, MN 55402
3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written response to
the Plaintiffs' Complaint. In your Answer you must state whether you agree or disagree with
each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the Plaintiffs should not be given everything
asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer.
Ex. 1
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everything asked for in the Complaint. If you do not want to contest the claims stated in the
Complaint, you do not need to respond. A default judgment can then be entered against you for
the relief requested in the Complaint.
5. LEGAL ASSISTANCE. You may wish to get legal help from a lawyer. If you do not
have a lawyer, the Court Administrator may have information about places where you can get
legal assistance. Even if you cannot get legal help, you must still provide a written Answer to
protect your rights or you may lose the case.
s/ Michael B. Healey_______________
Michael B. Healey, #0389283
Nathan B. Serr, #0339386
Cassandra M. Kuebler, #0402161
100 South Fifth Street, Suite 800
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Telephone: (612) 339-1421
Facsimile: (612) 392-3999
ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFFS
Ex. 1
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City of Minneapolis,
Mayor Jacob Frey,
Defendant(s).
PARTIES
2. Kacey and Charles are the owners of Town Talk Diner & Gastropub (“Town
4. Defendant Jacob Frey ("Mayor Frey") is the Mayor and chief executive of the
Ex. 2
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reside in Hennepin County and the events giving rise to these claims arose in Hennepin County,
6. This Court has subject-matter jurisdiction over this case under 28 U.S.C. § 1331
because this action presents federal questions and seeks to redress deprivations of rights under
7. Venue is proper in this District under 28 U.S.C. § 1391(e)(1) because the events
giving rise to these claims arose in Hennepin County, the Fourth Judicial District of Minnesota.
FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
A. Background
8. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died while in the custody of the Minneapolis
Police Department's Third Precinct officers, igniting moral outrage. A racial justice movement
Department's ("MPD") Third Precinct Station on the corner of Minnehaha Ave and East Lake
Street. Violence and destruction occurred in the surrounding area, creating a trail of property
damage.
10. On May 27, 2020 "the situation near Lake Street and Hiawatha in Minneapolis
[had] evolved into an extremely dangerous situation." 1 Fully aware of the serious safety issues
1
https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1265849420035301384
Ex. 2
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they created, Mayor Frey and the City stood back and watched as their failure to follow the
11. Residents and business owners near the MPD's Third Precinct noticed vehicles
dropping off pallets of bricks and other objects typically used to cause property destruction.
Police were notified and questioned regarding the activity. The residents and business owners
were told to "get the f#$@ out of the area" by the police.
12. On May 28, 2020, the City, at the direction of Mayor Frey, abruptly abandoned
the MPD's Third Precinct Station and the neighborhood streets relying on its protection. Rather
than seeking to restore order and protect the residents and property owners within the Third
Precinct, the City and Mayor Frey instead chose to surrender the area to rioters who set fire to
the community.
13. Kacey, Charles, and others, repeatedly pleaded with Mayor Frey and other local
leaders to put an end to the destruction of their property and the imminent dangers that were
posed to them as their neighborhood went up in flames. But the City and Mayor Frey failed to
protect Kacey and Charles' business, forcing Kacey and Charles to resort to litigation to address
14. Kacey and Charles are residents and small business owners in the Minneapolis
neighborhood that was harmed by the May 2020 riots. They have worked full time for over four
years designing, stocking, renovating, and improving Town Talk to make it one of South
2
https://twitter.com/MayorFrey/status/1265876660093685761
Ex. 2
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15. Located in a historic building, the local neighborhood diner Town Talk has become
an iconic restaurant on Lake Street. Mayor Frey and the City’s failure to quell several nights of
rioting, fires, and ransacking of local businesses resulted in Town Talk being engulfed in flames
16. The MPD, National Guard, and Minneapolis Local Leaders have policies in place
17. During the days of May 25, 2020 to May 28, 2020, the City and Mayor Frey
18. Due to Mayor Frey and the City’s failure to follow proper policy, Kacey and
Charles suffered irreparable harm by being subject to acts of violence, harassment, trespass, and
vandalism, inability to use their property, loss of police protection and public services, including
police, medical, and fire services; loss of business revenue; reduction in property value;
19. On May 29, 2020, the National Guard was mobilized in the City. Following the
policies the National Guard has in place, they restored peace and order to the City.
20. On or about September 22, 2020, Kacey and Charles submitted a request for
information from Mayor Frey and the City pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. To date,
Mayor Frey and the City have failed to respond to this request.
21. Since the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, racial justice protests began to
22. Participants of the justice movements occupied the streets and sidewalks of the
Ex. 2
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23. Peaceful protests soon developed into riots, creating a public safety concern. 3
3
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020).
Ex. 2
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24. As history has demonstrated, the killing of an unarmed black man in police
25. On May 25, 2020 when indignation began, Minneapolis' local officials were
26. However, executive leadership at the local level failed to distinguish between
demonstrators and rioters. Mayor Frey ultimately failed to provide the guidance Minnesotans
4
Id. at 1.
Ex. 2
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27. Mayor Frey initially tried to negotiate with and appease the rioters rather than
give law enforcement the authority to confront criminal acts with enough force to restore law and
order. 5
28. A primary responsibility of local elected officials is to protect the public. The
29. Mayor Frey's failure to call for additional police presence on May 25 and 26, 2020
allowed for the "second-most destructive period of local unrest in United States history" to
ensue. 7
30. Two days later, on May 27, 2020, the protests evolved into a manageable number
of destructive crowds. Shortly after 10:30 p.m., that evening, the "situation near Lake Street and
31. That evening, the first plea for everyone to leave the third precinct for the safety
of the public, and to allow firefighters and paramedics to attend to the violence and destruction
32. The second plea came from Mayor Frey around 12:30 a.m., in the early morning
5
Id.
6
Id.
7
Id. at 6.
8
https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1265849420035301384
9
Id.
10
https://twitter.com/MayorFrey/status/1265876660093685761
Ex. 2
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10
Ex. 2
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33. Ignoring the pleas of the Minnesota local leaders, a significant (yet manageable)
number of malefactors took over East Lake Street. For over three hours that morning, East Lake
Street burned. 11
34. The small businesses and homes that weren’t engulfed in flames on that evening
35. The morning of May 28, 2020, Kacey and Charles arrived at Town Talk to assess
the damage after a night of violence and looting, finding the destruction to their restaurant to be
11
https://twitter.com/ryahoward/status/1265904413933293568;
https://twitter.com/ChristianeWCCO/status/1265952993196888064
11
Ex. 2
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12
Ex. 2
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36. Kacey and Charles looked at what was left of their historic restaurant, which had
not yet been burned but had been devastated by the amount of destruction. They then boarded up
the windows of Town Talk, hoping to prevent further damage from the riots that every
13
Ex. 2
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37. The media, including WCCO, KARE 11, KSTP, and Fox 9 openly began asking
where the elected leaders were, "what's the plan?", "who is in charge?", and "what are your
resources?" However, Mayor Frey's responsive news conference was "the strangest, most rattled,
evasive, and unclear news conference," providing no answers to the citizens of the City. 12
on May 28, 2020, Saint Paul requested that the National Guard be activated for the protection of
their city. No request came at that time from the City of Minneapolis.
39. At 8:30 p.m. that evening, Governor Walz observed that the activity surrounding
40. A policy was in place to hold the Third Precinct without a loss of life using the
41. The City has a policy in place in the event of civil unrest. Mayor Frey consciously
42. Mayor Frey failed to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and failed to
43. Cheryl Dorsey, a retired police sergeant commented "I do not know what kind of
intelligence they may have over there on that police department. I don't know how they could've
been caught off guard by this. But surely, someone should have realized that this situation was
12
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 16, 18 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing 5/29/20
Tom Lunden Tweet).
13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyQFzWo4j1k
14
Id. at 27.
15
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2020.05.29.html
14
Ex. 2
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44. As the chaos became more intense due the lack of police, the MPD were forced to
watch the escalation as they waited on a decision to be made by Mayor Frey regarding the Third
Precinct.
45. Minneapolis City Council Member Linea Palmisano stated "You can't let the
Third Precinct go, that would just be the epitome of ultimate chaos in our city," properly pointing
out that the decision should be made consistent with the City's policy. 16
46. Mayor Frey was informed by the MPD that they could hold the precinct solely
using non-lethal methods, but Mayor Frey refused to use those non-lethal methods to protect the
Third Precinct. 17
47. Minneapolis police officers were told they were not allowed to use the tools at
their disposal because it "looks bad," and therefore were not allowed to respond to the rioting in
48. As Mayor Frey indecisively balanced politics with tactics, ignoring the advice of
Minneapolis' top law enforcement officials, destruction to the Third Precinct quickly escalated. 19
49. Some Minneapolis police officers were informed by the Longfellow Business
Association that "the police would be abandoning the precinct and would be leaving [the citizens
16
Id.
17
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 24 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing Commander
Gerlicher's Written Testimony).
18
Id. at 25 (citing Hearing 4, 1:27:20-1:27-50).
19
Id. at 27.
20
Id. at 11 (citing Hearing 4, 2:07:23-2:07:44).
15
Ex. 2
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50. Due to the failure of Mayor Frey and the City to provide the resources and
personnel needed, the MPD was forced into a defensive position during the rioting with no
51. Commander Scott Gerlicher of the MPD described the destruction and the
inability of local police to control the rioting: "The situation was dire, and we needed assistance
immediately." 22
52. An untimely directive to abandon the Third Precinct finally came from Mayor
Frey through the Chief of Police. 23 Mayor Frey made the decision to evacuate the Third Precinct,
removing police officers from the neighborhood, and leaving the citizens of Lake Street to
53. Minneapolis police officers never had a situation where the Mayor, Governor, and
the Commissioner of Public Safety were making these types of decisions rather than the local
police. 25 Despite it being the MPD's responsibility to make such decisions, Mayor Frey actively
54. The citizens and business owners were not consulted, given an opportunity to
comment, or provided a hearing, regarding the directive to abandon the Third Precinct and to
21
Id. at 18 (citing Commander Gerlicher's Written Testimony).
22
Id. at 8 (citing Commander Gerlicher's Written Testimony).
23
Id. at 24 (citing Commander Gerlicher's Written Testimony).
24
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/05/28/minneapolis-wakes-up-to-destruction-after-night-of-protests
25
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 24 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing Hearing 4,
1:48:17-1:48:50).
16
Ex. 2
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55. As the Third Precinct fell it became apparent to the Commissioner of the
Minnesota Department of Public Safety and other State Officials that local leader, Mayor Frey,
56. By 10:30 p.m., the Third Precinct had been taken over by rioters. 27
26
Id. (citing Hearing 3, Part 2, 20:11-21:21).
27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvQFzWo4jlk
17
Ex. 2
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57. As a result of Mayor Frey's decision to abandon the Third Precinct, one by one,
58. Citizens were then forced to try and protect themselves and their property as it
became clear that the City and Mayor Frey were not keeping them safe. 29
59. With no firefighters in sight, Minneapolis residents, including two members of the
House of Representatives, Aisha Gomez and Hodan Hassan, struggled to put out the fires:
"@RepHassan and I spent 90 minutes trying to get a gas station fire put out. A basic City service.
When I have time and our community isn’t burning I will explain the dizzying game of
28
https://www.kimt.com/content/news/30-fire-events-including-16-involving-structures-on-one-Minneapolis-street -
570832391.html; https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/a-list-of-the-buildings-damaged-looted-in-
minneapolis-and-st-paul
29
Id. at 18.
30
https://twitter.com/RepAishaGomez/status/1266616114257235974
18
Ex. 2
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60. When business owners asked how to get police protection, the response was that
they did not know, and that citizens should try to get ahold of Mayor Frey's office or police
61. Others who called 911 were told that if the situation was not "life threatening"
then the police would not get there for four days. 32
62. Some 911 calls were going completely unanswered. "The most serious types of
911 calls, which are usually responded to immediately, were unanswered for extended periods of
63. The delays in response from Mayor Frey and the City, particularly for the most
serious 911 calls, allowed for more rioting, destruction, looting, and violence. 34
64. While the riots were ongoing, Mayor Frey and the Minneapolis City Council did
65. Although stationed nearby, firefighters did not enter the protest zone. 35
66. At one point during the riots, Minneapolis firefighters quit responding to arsons
and only responded to medical emergencies because even they did not feel safe without police
31
Id. at 17 (citing Hearing 1, 1:03:14-1:04:43).
32
Id. at 17 (citing Hearing 1, 1:46:42-1:47:46).
33
Id. at 17, 18 (citing Hearing 4, 3:23:41-3:24:24; Commander Gerlicher's Written Testimony).
34
Id. at 18.
35
https://twitter.com/maxnesterak/status/1266213485026906113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembe
d%7Ctwterm%5E1266213485026906113%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mprnews.org%2
Fstory%2F2020%2F05%2F28%2Fminneapolis-wakes-up-to-destruction-after-night-of-protests;
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/05/28/minneapolis-wakes-up-to-destruction-after-night-of-protests
19
Ex. 2
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protection. 36
67. As Lake Street businesses continued to burn, local protection was nowhere to be
A. "They didn't protect our people. We were all on our own. The fire engine
National Guard!??? . . . Not much else left on E. Lake St. to set on fire other than homes! . . .
36
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 9 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing Hearing 4,
1:49:02-1:50:30).
37
Id. at 18.
38
Id. at 9 (citing https://www.startribune.com/manufacturer-that-burned-during-mpls-riots-plans-to-move-out-of-
the-city/571104922/).
39
Id. at 17 (citing City of Minneapolis Data Practice Information 2, pgs. 119-120).
20
Ex. 2
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68. At 11:08 p.m. on May 29, 2020, in response to concerned citizens, the National
Guard tweeted that they were in Minneapolis and ready to assist the Minneapolis Fire
69. At 11:30 p.m., Mayor Frey told the citizens of Minneapolis "for our Minneapolis
firefighters to respond, the area of the fire must be secure so they can focus on fighting the fire
without risking their own safety." 41 However, Mayor Frey did not bring in the National Guard or
70. After over an hour of Lake Street burning, there were still no police officers or
71. Sara Sidner, a CNN National Correspondent commented "I have never seen a
situation like this. I've never seen a situation where a precinct, a police department precinct, is on
fire, and there is absolutely no authority out there to try and control the situation." 43
72. After five (5) hours of roaring flames destroying Lake Street, at 3:30 a.m. Town
Talk was set ablaze. Not a single public official, police officer, firefighter or member of the
73. State Senator Patricia Torres Ray ("Ray") called Governor Walz directly, pleading
for help as she reiterated that "her district was on fire and there weren't any police there and there
40
https://twitter.com/MNNationalGuard/status/1266219821840109569
41
https://twitter.com/MayorFrey/status/1266585209337786369
42
https://twitter.com/maxnesterak/status/1266213485026906113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed
%7Ctwterm%5E1266213485026906113%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mprnews.org%2F
story%2F2020%2F05%2F28%2Fminneapolis-wakes-up-to-destruction-after-night-of-protests
43
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2020.05.29.html
44
https://twitter.com/CathyWurzer/status/1266312114739843074; https://www.twincities.com/2020/07/04/they-
have-lost-control-how-minneapolis-leaders-failed-to-stop-their-city-from-burning/
21
Ex. 2
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weren't any firefighters. There was no social control." 45 Regular citizens' calls for help remained
unanswered.
74. Major General Jon Jensen, Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard,
finally had to tell Governor Walz that the Minnesota National Guard was going to protect the
firefighters until the city had the situation under control again. 46
75. It was not until 3:45 a.m. that the plan to use the National Guard was ordered in. 47
76. The Minnesota National Guard was not fully mobilized in the City of Minneapolis
45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyQFzWo4j1k
46
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 9 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing Hearing 3,
2:12:15-2:14:46).
47
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyQFzWo4j1k
48
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 2 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing Commander
Gerlicher's Written Testimony; https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-walz-minnesota-governor-fully-mobilizes-
national-guard-first-time-in-history-george-floyd-death-protests/).
22
Ex. 2
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77. However, they were too late. At 4:27 a.m., Ray tweeted "My district is in flames.
Many buildings collapsing right now. Fires going on for hours and no firefighters arrived to the
area. Stores, restaurants, post office, barbershops, salons, gone! (crying emoticon)
#Minneapolis." 49
78. Mayor Frey and the City's failure to control the significant (yet manageable)
number of malefactors on Lake Street resulted in his failure to protect Town Talk. At 4:45 a.m.,
79. At 8:19 a.m. that morning, all that remained of Town Talk was its iconic sign
49
https://twitter.com/TorresRayMN/status/1266300203016916993
50
https://twitter.com/ShadowFoxMT/status/1272287041569591298;
https://twitter.com/motarola123/status/1266358392148369415
23
Ex. 2
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24
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80. The destruction to Lake Street's local businesses by fires set during the rioting
was so severe that members of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms National
81. "Politics, personal agendas, and personal feelings prevented police officers from
82. The City's response was an "abject failure" as proclaimed by Governor Walz. 53
51
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 9 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/atf-national-response-team-requested-to-help-investigate-
business-fires-in-minneapolis-st-paul/89-694e445e-e812-4761-94cf-
ef00f90d0b65#:~text=Members%20of%20the%20Bureau%20of,spokesperson%20with%20the%20ATF%20St.)
52
Id. at 25 (citing Hearing 4, 2:14:13-2:14:43).
53
https://wwww.startribune.com/gov-tim-walz-laments-abject-failure-of-riot-response/570864092/
25
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83. Mayor Frey and the City failed to react to the seriousness of the riots and danger
to Minnesotans and they failed to comply with policies to confront and stop the rioters. As a
result of Mayor Frey and the City's failed leadership, Kacey and Charles suffered damages in
excess of $4,500,000.00.
COUNT ONE
84. Kacey and Charles restate all other allegations in this complaint and incorporate
85. Kacey and Charles have constitutionally protected property rights, as defined by
Federal and Minnesota state law, to exclude others from their property and to the use and quiet
86. Mayor Frey and the City have infringed on those rights by: 1) negotiating with
and appeasing rioters; 2) assisting and allowing an indefinite, unpermitted obstruction of the
public streets, and sidewalks of the City, thereby denying Kacey and Charles access to their
property; and 3) assisting and allowing the pervasive vandalism and trespasses against Kacey
and Charles' property, thereby denying Kacey and Charles the ability to use their property and
87. Mayor Frey and the City have infringed on Kacey and Charles' constitutionally
protected rights without providing Kacey or Charles with any due process before depriving them
of these rights, or providing any recourse following the deprivation of rights. In particular,
Mayor Frey and the City failed to provided Kacey or Charles with notice or opportunity to be
heard before or after denying them of their rights to access their property, use their property, and
26
Ex. 2
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88. Mayor Frey and the City have done so pursuant to City policy as created, ratified,
and authorized by City policymakers, including Mayor Frey, without any notice to Kacey or
89. As a direct result of Mayor Frey and the City's actions, Kacey and Charles have
been denied regular and customary use of, access to, and enjoyment of their property, including
the ability to walk to their business without obstruction, the ability to prevent and remedy
vandalism, and the ability to prevent trespasses and theft against their property.
90. Kacey and Charles have been harmed by this deprivation, including through loss
91. As a result of Mayor Frey and the City's acts or omissions, Kacey and Charles
suffered losses including their building, lost restaurant revenues, loss of business, and future
income.
COUNT TWO
92. Kacey and Charles restate all other allegations in this complaint and incorporate
93. Kacey and Charles have a right pursuant to substantive due process to be
protected from state-created dangers. "Minnesotans have a right to government protection from
94. Mayor Frey and the City's actions, assistance, and allowance of rioters and looters
greatly increased the likelihood of property damage, loss of business revenue, personal injury,
54
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020).
27
Ex. 2
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-1 Filed 02/08/21 Page 28 of 32
95. "[E]lected local leaders identified with the causes promoted by the demonstrators,
causing them to lose sight of their responsibility to protect the public from criminal acts
96. All damages suffered, and still to be suffered, by Kacey and Charles were and are
foreseeable.
97. Mayor Frey and the City acted with deliberate indifference to the known and
98. Mayor Frey and the City have done so pursuant to City policy as created and
99. "Elected officials like . . . Mayor Frey, and the Minneapolis City Council believe
that increasing the presence of law enforcement and the Minnesota National Guard causes more
rioting than ending it. Protesting is a First Amendment right; rioting is a criminal act. The First is
100. As a result of Mayor Frey and the City's acts or omissions, Kacey and Charles
suffered losses including their building, lost restaurant revenues, loss of business, and future
income.
COUNT THREE
101. Kacey and Charles restate all other allegations in this complaint and incorporate
102. Mayor Frey and the City were constitutionally required to use reasonable
diligence to prevent or aid in preventing the commission of any wrongs conspired to be done.
55
Id. at 1.
56
Id. at 27.
28
Ex. 2
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-1 Filed 02/08/21 Page 29 of 32
103. Mayor Frey and the City neglected or refused to prevent the aforementioned
wrongful acts from being committed and thus, are liable to Kacey and Charles for all damages
104. Public safety is a core function of government, and the government failed to
105. "Mayor Frey's decision-making, combined with the Minneapolis City Council's
call to defund and dismantle the police, caused initially peaceful protests to explode into riots
106. The failure of the largest city in Minnesota to fully fund its police force puts the
107. The "spread of violence, including the fall of the Third Precinct, could have been
avoided or at least severely curtailed had Mayor Frey given local law enforcement the authority
108. "Our highly trained Minnesota National Guard and local police officers
understood how to protect Minnesota from riots, but . . . Mayor Frey got in their way." 61
109. Mayor Frey and the City knew that there would be more looting and riots the
nights of May 27 – 29, 2020, but took no visible steps to prevent the destruction.
110. As a result of Mayor Frey and the City's acts or omissions, Kacey and Charles
suffered losses including their building, lost restaurant revenues, loss of business, and future
income.
57
Id. at 12.
58
Id. at 43.
59
Id. at 18.
60
Id. at 43.
61
Id. at 27.
29
Ex. 2
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-1 Filed 02/08/21 Page 30 of 32
COUNT FOUR
111. Kacey and Charles restate all other allegations in this complaint and incorporate
112. Kacey and Charles have constitutionally protected property rights to use and
enjoy their property and to exclude others from their property under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Minn.
113. Mayor Frey and the City have deprived Kacey and Charles of those rights by
affirmatively assisting and allowing an indefinite, unpermitted invasion and obstruction of the
public rights-of-way that provide access to Kacey and Charles' private property, as well as by
affirmatively assisting and allowing the physical invasion of Kacey and Charles' private property
114. Mayor Frey and the City have done so pursuant to City policy as created and
115. Kacey and Charles have not received compensation of their property rights.
116. Mayor Frey and the City's actions constitute an unlawful taking for private use
and/or an unlawful taking for public use without just compensation, which has caused Kacey and
Charles economic harm, including through a loss of property value, loss of business revenue, and
117. As a result of Mayor Frey and the City's acts or omissions, Kacey and Charles
suffered losses including their building, lost restaurant revenues, loss of business, and future
income.
30
Ex. 2
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-1 Filed 02/08/21 Page 31 of 32
COUNT FIVE
118. Kacey and Charles restate all other allegations in this complaint and incorporate
119. Kacey and Charles have constitutionally protected right to access government
120. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), an agency must respond to
121. Under the Government Data Practices Act, responses to requests from a data
subject must be immediate if possible, or within ten business days. Responses to requests for
public data must be in a prompt manner and within a reasonable time. (Minn. Stat. § 13.03, subd.
122. On or about September 22, 2020, Kacey and Charles, through counsel, submitted
a request for information from Mayor Frey and the City pursuant to the FOIA. To date, Mayor
123. As a result of Mayor Frey and the City's acts or omissions, Kacey and Charles are
JURY DEMAND
31
Ex. 2
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-1 Filed 02/08/21 Page 32 of 32
I. Judgment in favor of Kacey and Charles and against Mayor Frey and the City for
III. Kacey and Charles' costs of investigation, costs of suit, and reasonable attorney’s
fees; and
IV. All such other and further monetary, injunctive, and declaratory relief as the Court
32
Ex. 2
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 1 of 32
Plaintiff(s),
Civil No: __________________
vs.
City of Minneapolis,
Mayor Jacob Frey,
Defendant(s).
1. YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiffs have started a lawsuit against you. The
Plaintiffs' Complaint against you is attached to this Summons. Do not throw these papers away.
They are official papers that affect your rights. You must respond to this lawsuit even though it
may not yet be filed with the Court and there may be no court file number on this Summons.
2. YOU MUST REPLY WITHIN 21 DAYS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. You must
give or mail to the person who signed this summons a written response called an Answer within
21 days of the date on which you received this Summons. You must send a copy of your Answer
to the person who signed this Summons located at:
Michael Healey
Wagner, Falconer, & Judd, Ltd.
100 South Fifth Street
Suite 800
Minneapolis, MN 55402
3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written response to
the Plaintiffs' Complaint. In your Answer you must state whether you agree or disagree with
each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the Plaintiffs should not be given everything
asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer.
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 2 of 32
everything asked for in the Complaint. If you do not want to contest the claims stated in the
Complaint, you do not need to respond. A default judgment can then be entered against you for
the relief requested in the Complaint.
5. LEGAL ASSISTANCE. You may wish to get legal help from a lawyer. If you do not
have a lawyer, the Court Administrator may have information about places where you can get
legal assistance. Even if you cannot get legal help, you must still provide a written Answer to
protect your rights or you may lose the case.
s/ Michael B. Healey_______________
Michael B. Healey, #0389283
Nathan B. Serr, #0339386
Cassandra M. Kuebler, #0402161
100 South Fifth Street, Suite 800
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Telephone: (612) 339-1421
Facsimile: (612) 392-3999
ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFFS
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 3 of 32
vs.
Civil No: __________________
City of Minneapolis,
Mayor Jacob Frey,
Defendant(s).
PARTIES
2. Kacey and Charles are the owners of Town Talk Diner & Gastropub (“Town
the State of Minnesota and includes all city employees and/or officials who communicated with
4. Defendant Jacob Frey ("Mayor Frey") is the Mayor and chief executive of the
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 4 of 32
reside in Hennepin County and the events giving rise to these claims arose in Hennepin County,
6. This Court has subject-matter jurisdiction over this case under 28 U.S.C. § 1331
because this action presents federal questions and seeks to redress deprivations of rights under
7. Venue is proper in this District under 28 U.S.C. § 1391(e)(1) because the events
giving rise to these claims arose in Hennepin County, the Fourth Judicial District of Minnesota.
FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
A. Background
8. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died while in the custody of the Minneapolis
Police Department's Third Precinct officers, igniting moral outrage. A racial justice movement
Department's ("MPD") Third Precinct Station on the corner of Minnehaha Ave and East Lake
Street. Violence and destruction occurred in the surrounding area, creating a trail of property
damage.
10. On May 27, 2020 "the situation near Lake Street and Hiawatha in Minneapolis
[had] evolved into an extremely dangerous situation." 1 Fully aware of the serious safety issues
1
https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1265849420035301384
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 5 of 32
they created, Mayor Frey and the City stood back and watched as their failure to follow the
11. Residents and business owners near the MPD's Third Precinct noticed vehicles
dropping off pallets of bricks and other objects typically used to cause property destruction.
Police were notified and questioned regarding the activity. The residents and business owners
were told to "get the f#$@ out of the area" by the police.
12. On May 28, 2020, the City officials, at the direction of and in coordination with
Mayor Frey, abruptly abandoned the MPD's Third Precinct Station and the neighborhood streets
relying on its protection. Rather than seeking to restore order and protect the residents and
property owners within the Third Precinct, the City and Mayor Frey instead chose to surrender
13. Kacey, Charles, and others, repeatedly pleaded with Mayor Frey and other local
leaders to put an end to the destruction of their property and the imminent dangers that were
posed to them as their neighborhood went up in flames. But the City and Mayor Frey failed to
protect Kacey and Charles' business, forcing Kacey and Charles to resort to litigation to address
14. Kacey and Charles are residents and small business owners in the Minneapolis
neighborhood that was harmed by the May 2020 riots. They have worked full time for over four
years designing, stocking, renovating, and improving Town Talk to make it one of South
2
https://twitter.com/MayorFrey/status/1265876660093685761
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 6 of 32
15. Located in a historic building, the local neighborhood diner Town Talk has become
an iconic restaurant on Lake Street. Mayor Frey and the City’s failure to quell several nights of
rioting, fires, and ransacking of local businesses resulted in Town Talk being engulfed in flames
16. The MPD, National Guard, and Minneapolis Local Leaders have policies in place
17. During the days of May 25, 2020 to May 28, 2020, the City and Mayor Frey
18. Due to Mayor Frey and the City’s failure to follow proper policy, Kacey and
Charles suffered irreparable harm by being subject to acts of violence, harassment, trespass, and
vandalism, inability to use their property, loss of police protection and public services, including
police, medical, and fire services; loss of business revenue; reduction in property value;
19. On May 29, 2020, the National Guard was mobilized in the City. Following the
policies the National Guard has in place, they restored peace and order to the City.
20. On or about September 22, 2020, Kacey and Charles submitted a request for
information from Mayor Frey and the City pursuant to the Minnesota Government Data Practices
Act. To date, Mayor Frey and the City have failed to respond to this request.
21. Since the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, racial justice protests began to
22. Participants of the justice movements occupied the streets and sidewalks of the
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 7 of 32
3
23. Peaceful protests soon developed into riots, creating a public safety concern.
3
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020).
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 8 of 32
24. As history has demonstrated, the killing of an unarmed black man in police
25. On May 25, 2020 when indignation began, Minneapolis' local officials were
26. However, executive leadership at the local level failed to distinguish between
demonstrators and rioters. Mayor Frey ultimately failed to provide the guidance Minnesotans
4
Id. at 1.
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 9 of 32
27. Mayor Frey initially tried to negotiate with and appease the rioters rather than
give law enforcement the authority to confront criminal acts with enough force to restore law and
order. 5
28. A primary responsibility of local elected officials is to protect the public. The
29. Mayor Frey's failure to call for additional police presence on May 25 and 26, 2020
allowed for the "second-most destructive period of local unrest in United States history" to
ensue. 7
30. Two days later, on May 27, 2020, the protests evolved into a manageable number
of destructive crowds. Shortly after 10:30 p.m., that evening, the "situation near Lake Street and
31. That evening, the first plea for everyone to leave the third precinct for the safety
of the public, and to allow firefighters and paramedics to attend to the violence and destruction
9
was made by Governor Tim Walz ("Governor Walz").
32. The second plea came from Mayor Frey around 12:30 a.m., in the early morning
10
of May 28, 2020.
5
Id.
6
Id.
7
Id. at 6.
8
https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1265849420035301384
9
Id.
10
https://twitter.com/MayorFrey/status/1265876660093685761
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 10 of 32
10
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 11 of 32
33. Ignoring the pleas of the Minnesota local leaders, a significant (yet manageable)
number of malefactors took over East Lake Street. For over three hours that morning, East Lake
Street burned. 11
34. The small businesses and homes that weren’t engulfed in flames on that evening
35. The morning of May 28, 2020, Kacey and Charles arrived at Town Talk to assess
the damage after a night of violence and looting, finding the destruction to their restaurant to be
11
https://twitter.com/ryahoward/status/1265904413933293568;
https://twitter.com/ChristianeWCCO/status/1265952993196888064
11
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 12 of 32
12
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 13 of 32
36. Kacey and Charles looked at what was left of their historic restaurant, which had
not yet been burned but had been devastated by the amount of destruction. They then boarded up
the windows of Town Talk, hoping to prevent further damage from the riots that every
13
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 14 of 32
37. The media, including WCCO, KARE 11, KSTP, and Fox 9 openly began asking
where the elected leaders were, "what's the plan?", "who is in charge?", and "what are your
resources?" However, Mayor Frey's responsive news conference was "the strangest, most rattled,
evasive, and unclear news conference," providing no answers to the citizens of the City. 12
on May 28, 2020, Saint Paul requested that the National Guard be activated for the protection of
their city. No request came at that time from the City of Minneapolis.
39. At 8:30 p.m. that evening, Governor Walz observed that the activity surrounding
40. A policy was in place to hold the Third Precinct without a loss of life using the
41. The City has a policy in place in the event of civil unrest. Mayor Frey consciously
42. Mayor Frey failed to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and failed to
43. Cheryl Dorsey, a retired police sergeant commented "I do not know what kind of
intelligence they may have over there on that police department. I don't know how they could've
been caught off guard by this. But surely, someone should have realized that this situation was
12
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 16, 18 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing 5/29/20
Tom Lunden Tweet).
13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyQFzWo4j1k
14
Id. at 27.
15
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2020.05.29.html
14
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 15 of 32
44. As the chaos became more intense due the lack of police, the MPD were forced to
watch the escalation as they waited on a decision to be made by Mayor Frey regarding the Third
Precinct.
45. Minneapolis City Council Member Linea Palmisano stated "You can't let the
Third Precinct go, that would just be the epitome of ultimate chaos in our city," properly pointing
out that the decision should be made consistent with the City's policy. 16
46. Mayor Frey was informed by the MPD that they could hold the precinct solely
using non-lethal methods, but Mayor Frey refused to use those non-lethal methods to protect the
Third Precinct. 17
47. Minneapolis police officers were told they were not allowed to use the tools at
their disposal because it "looks bad," and therefore were not allowed to respond to the rioting in
48. As Mayor Frey indecisively balanced politics with tactics, ignoring the advice of
Minneapolis' top law enforcement officials, destruction to the Third Precinct quickly escalated. 19
49. Some Minneapolis police officers were informed by the Longfellow Business
Association that "the police would be abandoning the precinct and would be leaving [the citizens
16
Id.
17
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 24 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing Commander
Gerlicher's Written Testimony).
18
Id. at 25 (citing Hearing 4, 1:27:20-1:27-50).
19
Id. at 27.
20
Id. at 11 (citing Hearing 4, 2:07:23-2:07:44).
15
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 16 of 32
50. Due to the failure of Mayor Frey and the City to provide the resources and
personnel needed, the MPD was forced into a defensive position during the rioting with no
51. Commander Scott Gerlicher of the MPD described the destruction and the
inability of local police to control the rioting: "The situation was dire, and we needed assistance
immediately." 22
52. An untimely directive to abandon the Third Precinct finally came from Mayor
Frey through the Chief of Police. 23 Mayor Frey made the decision to evacuate the Third Precinct,
removing police officers from the neighborhood, and leaving the citizens of Lake Street to
24
defend themselves and their property.
53. Minneapolis police officers never had a situation where the Mayor, Governor, and
the Commissioner of Public Safety were making these types of decisions rather than the local
police. 25 Despite it being the MPD's responsibility to make such decisions, Mayor Frey actively
54. The citizens and business owners were not consulted, given an opportunity to
comment, or provided a hearing, regarding the directive to abandon the Third Precinct and to
21
Id. at 18 (citing Commander Gerlicher's Written Testimony).
22
Id. at 8 (citing Commander Gerlicher's Written Testimony).
23
Id. at 24 (citing Commander Gerlicher's Written Testimony).
24
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/05/28/minneapolis-wakes-up-to-destruction-after-night-of-protests
25
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 24 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing Hearing 4,
1:48:17-1:48:50).
16
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 17 of 32
55. As the Third Precinct fell it became apparent to the Commissioner of the
Minnesota Department of Public Safety and other State Officials that local leader, Mayor Frey,
56. By 10:30 p.m., the Third Precinct had been taken over by rioters. 27
26
Id. (citing Hearing 3, Part 2, 20:11-21:21).
27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvQFzWo4jlk
17
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 18 of 32
57. As a result of Mayor Frey's decision to abandon the Third Precinct, one by one,
58. Citizens were then forced to try and protect themselves and their property as it
became clear that the City and Mayor Frey were not keeping them safe. 29
59. With no firefighters in sight, Minneapolis residents, including two members of the
House of Representatives, Aisha Gomez and Hodan Hassan, struggled to put out the fires:
"@RepHassan and I spent 90 minutes trying to get a gas station fire put out. A basic City service.
When I have time and our community isn’t burning I will explain the dizzying game of
28
https://www.kimt.com/content/news/30-fire-events-including-16-involving-structures-on-one-Minneapolis-street -
570832391.html; https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/a-list-of-the-buildings-damaged-looted-in-
minneapolis-and-st-paul
29
Id. at 18.
30
https://twitter.com/RepAishaGomez/status/1266616114257235974
18
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 19 of 32
60. When business owners asked how to get police protection, the response was that
they did not know, and that citizens should try to get ahold of Mayor Frey's office or police
61. Others who called 911 were told that if the situation was not "life threatening"
then the police would not get there for four days. 32
62. Some 911 calls were going completely unanswered. "The most serious types of
911 calls, which are usually responded to immediately, were unanswered for extended periods of
63. The delays in response from Mayor Frey and the City, particularly for the most
serious 911 calls, allowed for more rioting, destruction, looting, and violence. 34
64. While the riots were ongoing, Mayor Frey and the Minneapolis City Council did
65. Although stationed nearby, firefighters did not enter the protest zone. 35
66. At one point during the riots, Minneapolis firefighters quit responding to arsons
and only responded to medical emergencies because even they did not feel safe without police
31
Id. at 17 (citing Hearing 1, 1:03:14-1:04:43).
32
Id. at 17 (citing Hearing 1, 1:46:42-1:47:46).
33
Id. at 17, 18 (citing Hearing 4, 3:23:41-3:24:24; Commander Gerlicher's Written Testimony).
34
Id. at 18.
35
https://twitter.com/maxnesterak/status/1266213485026906113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembe
d%7Ctwterm%5E1266213485026906113%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mprnews.org%2
Fstory%2F2020%2F05%2F28%2Fminneapolis-wakes-up-to-destruction-after-night-of-protests;
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/05/28/minneapolis-wakes-up-to-destruction-after-night-of-protests
19
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 20 of 32
protection. 36
67. As Lake Street businesses continued to burn, local protection was nowhere to be
A. "They didn't protect our people. We were all on our own. The fire engine
National Guard!??? . . . Not much else left on E. Lake St. to set on fire other than homes! . . .
36
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 9 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing Hearing 4,
1:49:02-1:50:30).
37
Id. at 18.
38
Id. at 9 (citing https://www.startribune.com/manufacturer-that-burned-during-mpls-riots-plans-to-move-out-of-
the-city/571104922/).
39
Id. at 17 (citing City of Minneapolis Data Practice Information 2, pgs. 119-120).
20
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 21 of 32
68. At 11:08 p.m. on May 29, 2020, in response to concerned citizens, the National
Guard tweeted that they were in Minneapolis and ready to assist the Minneapolis Fire
69. At 11:30 p.m., Mayor Frey told the citizens of Minneapolis "for our Minneapolis
firefighters to respond, the area of the fire must be secure so they can focus on fighting the fire
without risking their own safety." 41 However, Mayor Frey did not bring in the National Guard or
70. After over an hour of Lake Street burning, there were still no police officers or
71. Sara Sidner, a CNN National Correspondent commented "I have never seen a
situation like this. I've never seen a situation where a precinct, a police department precinct, is on
fire, and there is absolutely no authority out there to try and control the situation." 43
72. After five (5) hours of roaring flames destroying Lake Street, at 3:30 a.m. Town
Talk was set ablaze. Not a single public official, police officer, firefighter or member of the
73. State Senator Patricia Torres Ray ("Ray") called Governor Walz directly, pleading
for help as she reiterated that "her district was on fire and there weren't any police there and there
40
https://twitter.com/MNNationalGuard/status/1266219821840109569
41
https://twitter.com/MayorFrey/status/1266585209337786369
42
https://twitter.com/maxnesterak/status/1266213485026906113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed
%7Ctwterm%5E1266213485026906113%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mprnews.org%2F
story%2F2020%2F05%2F28%2Fminneapolis-wakes-up-to-destruction-after-night-of-protests
43
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2020.05.29.html
44
https://twitter.com/CathyWurzer/status/1266312114739843074; https://www.twincities.com/2020/07/04/they-
have-lost-control-how-minneapolis-leaders-failed-to-stop-their-city-from-burning/
21
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 22 of 32
weren't any firefighters. There was no social control." 45 Regular citizens' calls for help remained
unanswered.
74. Major General Jon Jensen, Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard,
finally had to tell Governor Walz that the Minnesota National Guard was going to protect the
firefighters until the city had the situation under control again. 46
75. It was not until 3:45 a.m. that the plan to use the National Guard was ordered in. 47
76. The Minnesota National Guard was not fully mobilized in the City of Minneapolis
45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyQFzWo4j1k
46
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 9 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing Hearing 3,
2:12:15-2:14:46).
47
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyQFzWo4j1k
48
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 2 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing Commander
Gerlicher's Written Testimony; https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-walz-minnesota-governor-fully-mobilizes-
national-guard-first-time-in-history-george-floyd-death-protests/).
22
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CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 23 of 32
77. However, they were too late. At 4:27 a.m., Ray tweeted "My district is in flames.
Many buildings collapsing right now. Fires going on for hours and no firefighters arrived to the
area. Stores, restaurants, post office, barbershops, salons, gone! (crying emoticon)
#Minneapolis." 49
78. Mayor Frey and the City's failure to control the significant (yet manageable)
number of malefactors on Lake Street resulted in his failure to protect Town Talk. At 4:45 a.m.,
79. At 8:19 a.m. that morning, all that remained of Town Talk was its iconic sign
49
https://twitter.com/TorresRayMN/status/1266300203016916993
50
https://twitter.com/ShadowFoxMT/status/1272287041569591298;
https://twitter.com/motarola123/status/1266358392148369415
23
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 24 of 32
24
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 25 of 32
80. The destruction to Lake Street's local businesses by fires set during the rioting
was so severe that members of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms National
81. "Politics, personal agendas, and personal feelings prevented police officers from
82. The City's response was an "abject failure" as proclaimed by Governor Walz. 53
51
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, 9 (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020) (citing
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/atf-national-response-team-requested-to-help-investigate-
business-fires-in-minneapolis-st-paul/89-694e445e-e812-4761-94cf-
ef00f90d0b65#:~text=Members%20of%20the%20Bureau%20of,spokesperson%20with%20the%20ATF%20St.)
52
Id. at 25 (citing Hearing 4, 2:14:13-2:14:43).
53
https://wwww.startribune.com/gov-tim-walz-laments-abject-failure-of-riot-response/570864092/
25
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 26 of 32
83. Mayor Frey and the City failed to react to the seriousness of the riots and danger
to Minnesotans and they failed to comply with policies to confront and stop the rioters. As a
result of Mayor Frey and the City's failed leadership, Kacey and Charles suffered damages in
excess of $4,500,000.00.
COUNT ONE
84. Kacey and Charles restate all other allegations in this complaint and incorporate
85. Kacey and Charles have constitutionally protected property rights, as defined by
Federal and Minnesota state law, to exclude others from their property and to the use and quiet
86. Mayor Frey and the City have infringed on those rights by: 1) negotiating with
and appeasing rioters; 2) assisting and allowing an indefinite, unpermitted obstruction of the
public streets, and sidewalks of the City, thereby denying Kacey and Charles access to their
property; and 3) assisting and allowing the pervasive vandalism and trespasses against Kacey
and Charles' property, thereby denying Kacey and Charles the ability to use their property and
87. Mayor Frey and the City have infringed on Kacey and Charles' constitutionally
protected rights without providing Kacey or Charles with any due process before depriving them
of these rights, or providing any recourse following the deprivation of rights. In particular,
Mayor Frey and the City failed to provided Kacey or Charles with notice or opportunity to be
heard before or after denying them of their rights to access their property, use their property, and
26
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 27 of 32
88. Mayor Frey and the City have done so pursuant to City policy as created, ratified,
and authorized by City policymakers, including Mayor Frey, without any notice to Kacey or
89. As a direct result of Mayor Frey and the City's actions, Kacey and Charles have
been denied regular and customary use of, access to, and enjoyment of their property, including
the ability to walk to their business without obstruction, the ability to prevent and remedy
vandalism, and the ability to prevent trespasses and theft against their property.
90. Kacey and Charles have been harmed by this deprivation, including through loss
91. As a result of Mayor Frey and the City's acts or omissions, Kacey and Charles
suffered losses including their building, lost restaurant revenues, loss of business, and future
income.
COUNT TWO
92. Kacey and Charles restate all other allegations in this complaint and incorporate
93. Kacey and Charles have a right pursuant to substantive due process to be
protected from state-created dangers. "Minnesotans have a right to government protection from
94. Mayor Frey and the City's actions, assistance, and allowance of rioters and looters
greatly increased the likelihood of property damage, loss of business revenue, personal injury,
54
Scott Newman & Warren Limmer, Joint Transportation & Judiciary & Public Safety Committee, Review of
Lawlessness & Government Responses to Minnesota's 2020 Riots, (St. S. Rep. Oct. 2020).
27
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 28 of 32
95. "[E]lected local leaders identified with the causes promoted by the demonstrators,
causing them to lose sight of their responsibility to protect the public from criminal acts
96. All damages suffered, and still to be suffered, by Kacey and Charles were and are
foreseeable.
97. Mayor Frey and the City acted with deliberate indifference to the known and
98. Mayor Frey and the City have done so pursuant to City policy as created and
99. "Elected officials like . . . Mayor Frey, and the Minneapolis City Council believe
that increasing the presence of law enforcement and the Minnesota National Guard causes more
rioting than ending it. Protesting is a First Amendment right; rioting is a criminal act. The First is
100. As a result of Mayor Frey and the City's acts or omissions, Kacey and Charles
suffered losses including their building, lost restaurant revenues, loss of business, and future
income.
55
Id. at 1.
56
Id. at 27.
28
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 29 of 32
COUNT THREE
101. Kacey and Charles restate all other allegations in this complaint and incorporate
102. Mayor Frey and other City officials were constitutionally required to use
reasonable diligence to prevent or aid in preventing the commission of any wrongs conspired to
be done.
103. Mayor Frey and other City officials, at Mayor Frey’s direction and in
coordination with Mayor Frey, neglected or refused to prevent the aforementioned wrongful acts
from being committed and thus, are liable to Kacey and Charles for all damages caused by such
wrongful acts.
104. Public safety is a core function of government, and the government failed to
105. "Mayor Frey's decision-making, combined with the Minneapolis City Council's
call to defund and dismantle the police, caused initially peaceful protests to explode into riots
106. The failure of the largest city in Minnesota to fully fund its police force puts the
107. The "spread of violence, including the fall of the Third Precinct, could have been
avoided or at least severely curtailed had Mayor Frey given local law enforcement the authority
57
Id. at 12.
58
Id. at 43.
59
Id. at 18.
60
Id. at 43.
29
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 30 of 32
108. "Our highly trained Minnesota National Guard and local police officers
understood how to protect Minnesota from riots, but . . . Mayor Frey got in their way." 61
109. Mayor Frey and other City officials knew that there would be more looting and
riots the nights of May 27 – 29, 2020, but took no visible steps to prevent the destruction.
110. As a result of Mayor Frey's acts or omissions, in coordination with the acts or
omissions of other City officials, Kacey and Charles suffered losses including their building, lost
COUNT FOUR
111. Kacey and Charles restate all other allegations in this complaint and incorporate
112. Kacey and Charles have constitutionally protected property rights to use and
enjoy their property and to exclude others from their property under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Minn.
113. Mayor Frey and the City have deprived Kacey and Charles of those rights by
affirmatively assisting and allowing an indefinite, unpermitted invasion and obstruction of the
public rights-of-way that provide access to Kacey and Charles' private property, as well as by
affirmatively assisting and allowing the physical invasion of Kacey and Charles' private property
114. Mayor Frey and the City have done so pursuant to City policy as created and
115. Kacey and Charles have not received compensation of their property rights.
61
Id. at 27.
30
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 31 of 32
116. Mayor Frey and the City's actions constitute an unlawful taking for private use
and/or an unlawful taking for public use without just compensation, which has caused Kacey and
Charles economic harm, including through a loss of property value, loss of business revenue, and
117. As a result of Mayor Frey and the City's acts or omissions, Kacey and Charles
suffered losses including their building, lost restaurant revenues, loss of business, and future
income.
COUNT FIVE
118. Kacey and Charles restate all other allegations in this complaint and incorporate
119. Kacey and Charles have statutorily protected right to access government data
120. Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act ("MGDPA"), responses to
requests from a data subject must be immediate if possible, or within ten business days.
Responses to requests for public data must be in a prompt manner and within a reasonable time.
121. On or about September 22, 2020, Kacey and Charles, through counsel, submitted
a request for information from Mayor Frey and the City pursuant to the MGDPA. To date,
Mayor Frey and the City have failed to respond to this request.
122. As a result of Mayor Frey and the City's acts or omissions, Kacey and Charles are
31
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CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-2 Filed 02/08/21 Page 32 of 32
JURY DEMAND
I. Judgment in favor of Kacey and Charles and against Mayor Frey and the City for
III. Kacey and Charles' costs of investigation, costs of suit, and reasonable attorney’s
fees; and
IV. All such other and further monetary, injunctive, and declaratory relief as the Court
32
Ex. 3
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-3 Filed 02/08/21 Page 1 of 2
Plaintiffs,
NOTICE OF REMOVAL OF
v. ACTION TO UNITED STATES
DISTRICT COURT
City of Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey,
Defendants.
Defendants”) hereby give notice of the removal of this lawsuit to the United
States District Court by electronic mail, and mailing a copy of this notice through
United States mail, to Plaintiffs Kacey White and Charles Stotts, through their
electronically filing the same with the Hennepin County District Court.
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-3 Filed 02/08/21 Page 2 of 2
2
CASE 0:21-cv-00371-WMW-KMM Doc. 1-4 Filed 02/08/21 Page 1 of 2
JS 44 (Rev. 12/12) CIVIL COVER SHEET
The JS 44 civil cover sheet and the information contained herein neither replace nor supplement the filing and service of pleadings or other papers as required by law, except as
provided by local rules of court. This form, approved by the Judicial Conference of the United States in September 1974, is required for the use of the Clerk of Court for the
purpose of initiating the civil docket sheet. (SEE INSTRUCTIONS ON NEXT PAGE OF THIS FORM.)
I. (a) PLAINTIFFS DEFENDANTS
City of Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey
(b) County of Residence of First Listed Plaintiff Hennepin County of Residence of First Listed Defendant Hennepin
(EXCEPT IN U.S. PLAINTIFF CASES) (IN U.S. PLAINTIFF CASES ONLY)
NOTE: IN LAND CONDEMNATION CASES, USE THE LOCATION OF
THE TRACT OF LAND INVOLVED.
(c) Attorneys (Firm Name, Address, and Telephone Number) Attorneys (If Known)
Michael Healey, Nathan Serr, Cassandra Kuebler Heather P. Robertson, Kristin R. Sarff, Sharda Enslin
Wagner Falconer & Judd, Ltd. Minneapolis City Attorney's Office
100 South Fifth Street, Suite 800 Room 210, City Hall
Minneapolis, MN 55402 350 South Fifth Street
(612) 339-1421 Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 673-3949
II. BASIS OF JURISDICTION (Place an “X” in One Box Only) III. CITIZENSHIP OF PRINCIPAL PARTIES (Place an “X” in One Box for Plaintiff
(For Diversity Cases Only) and One Box for Defendant)
1 U.S. Government 3 Federal Question PTF DEF PTF DEF
Plaintiff (U.S. Government Not a Party) Citizen of This State 1 1 Incorporated or Principal Place 4 4
of Business In This State
2 U.S. Government 4 Diversity Citizen of Another State 2 2 Incorporated and Principal Place 5 5
Defendant (Indicate Citizenship of Parties in Item III) of Business In Another State
Citizen or Subject of a 3 3 Foreign Nation 6 6
Foreign Country
IV. NATURE OF SUIT (Place an “X” in One Box Only)
CONTRACT TORTS FORFEITURE/PENALTY BANKRUPTCY OTHER STATUTES
110 Insurance PERSONAL INJURY PERSONAL INJURY 625 Drug Related Seizure 422 Appeal 28 USC 158 375 False Claims Act
120 Marine 310 Airplane 365 Personal Injury - of Property 21 USC 881 423 Withdrawal 400 State Reapportionment
130 Miller Act 315 Airplane Product Product Liability 690 Other 28 USC 157 410 Antitrust
140 Negotiable Instrument Liability 367 Health Care/ 430 Banks and Banking
150 Recovery of Overpayment 320 Assault, Libel & Pharmaceutical PROPERTY RIGHTS 450 Commerce
& Enforcement of Judgment Slander Personal Injury 820 Copyrights 460 Deportation
151 Medicare Act 330 Federal Employers’ Product Liability 830 Patent 470 Racketeer Influenced and
152 Recovery of Defaulted Liability 368 Asbestos Personal 840 Trademark Corrupt Organizations
Student Loans 340 Marine Injury Product 480 Consumer Credit
(Excludes Veterans) 345 Marine Product Liability LABOR SOCIAL SECURITY 490 Cable/Sat TV
153 Recovery of Overpayment Liability PERSONAL PROPERTY 710 Fair Labor Standards 861 HIA (1395ff) 850 Securities/Commodities/
of Veteran’s Benefits 350 Motor Vehicle 370 Other Fraud Act 862 Black Lung (923) Exchange
160 Stockholders’ Suits 355 Motor Vehicle 371 Truth in Lending 720 Labor/Management 863 DIWC/DIWW (405(g)) 890 Other Statutory Actions
190 Other Contract Product Liability 380 Other Personal Relations 864 SSID Title XVI 891 Agricultural Acts
195 Contract Product Liability 360 Other Personal Property Damage 740 Railway Labor Act 865 RSI (405(g)) 893 Environmental Matters
196 Franchise Injury 385 Property Damage 751 Family and Medical 895 Freedom of Information
362 Personal Injury - Product Liability Leave Act Act
Medical Malpractice 790 Other Labor Litigation 896 Arbitration
REAL PROPERTY CIVIL RIGHTS PRISONER PETITIONS 791 Employee Retirement FEDERAL TAX SUITS 899 Administrative Procedure
210 Land Condemnation 440 Other Civil Rights Habeas Corpus: Income Security Act 870 Taxes (U.S. Plaintiff Act/Review or Appeal of
220 Foreclosure 441 Voting 463 Alien Detainee or Defendant) Agency Decision
230 Rent Lease & Ejectment 442 Employment 510 Motions to Vacate 871 IRS—Third Party 950 Constitutionality of
240 Torts to Land 443 Housing/ Sentence 26 USC 7609 State Statutes
245 Tort Product Liability Accommodations 530 General
290 All Other Real Property 445 Amer. w/Disabilities 535 Death Penalty IMMIGRATION
Employment Other: 462 Naturalization Application
446 Amer. w/Disabilities 540 Mandamus & Other 465 Other Immigration
Other 550 Civil Rights Actions
448 Education 555 Prison Condition
560 Civil Detainee -
Conditions of
Confinement
V. ORIGIN (Place an “X” in One Box Only)
1 Original 2 Removed from 3 Remanded from 4 Reinstated or 5 Transferred from 6 Multidistrict
Proceeding State Court Appellate Court Reopened Another District Litigation
(specify)
Cite the U.S. Civil Statute under which you are filing (Do not cite jurisdictional statutes unless diversity):
VI. CAUSE OF Removal is pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sections 1441 (a) and (b), 1343, 1331, and 1367(a).
ACTION Brief description of cause:
Plaintiffs claims violation of their onstitutional Rights pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 and 42 U.S.C § 1986.
VII. REQUESTED IN CHECK IF THIS IS A CLASS ACTION DEMAND $ CHECK YES only if demanded in complaint:
COMPLAINT: UNDER RULE 23, F.R.Cv.P. JURY DEMAND: Yes No
The JS 44 civil cover sheet and the information contained herein neither replaces nor supplements the filings and service of pleading or other papers as
required by law, except as provided by local rules of court. This form, approved by the Judicial Conference of the United States in September 1974, is
required for the use of the Clerk of Court for the purpose of initiating the civil docket sheet. Consequently, a civil cover sheet is submitted to the Clerk of
Court for each civil complaint filed. The attorney filing a case should complete the form as follows:
I. (a) Plaintiffs-Defendants. Enter names (last, first, middle initial) of plaintiff and defendant. If the plaintiff or defendant is a government agency, use
only the full name or standard abbreviations. If the plaintiff or defendant is an official within a government agency, identify first the agency and
then the official, giving both name and title.
(b) County of Residence. For each civil case filed, except U.S. plaintiff cases, enter the name of the county where the first listed plaintiff resides at
the time of filing. In U.S. plaintiff cases, enter the name of the county in which the first listed defendant resides at the time of filing. (NOTE: In
land condemnation cases, the county of residence of the "defendant" is the location of the tract of land involved.)
(c) Attorneys. Enter the firm name, address, telephone number, and attorney of record. If there are several attorneys, list them on an attachment,
noting in this section "(see attachment)".
II. Jurisdiction. The basis of jurisdiction is set forth under Rule 8(a), F.R.Cv.P., which requires that jurisdictions be shown in pleadings. Place an "X"
in one of the boxes. If there is more than one basis of jurisdiction, precedence is given in the order shown below.
United States plaintiff. (1) Jurisdiction based on 28 U.S.C. 1345 and 1348. Suits by agencies and officers of the United States are included here.
United States defendant. (2) When the plaintiff is suing the United States, its officers or agencies, place an "X" in this box.
Federal question. (3) This refers to suits under 28 U.S.C. 1331, where jurisdiction arises under the Constitution of the United States, an amendment
to the Constitution, an act of Congress or a treaty of the United States. In cases where the U.S. is a party, the U.S. plaintiff or defendant code takes
precedence, and box 1 or 2 should be marked.
Diversity of citizenship. (4) This refers to suits under 28 U.S.C. 1332, where parties are citizens of different states. When Box 4 is checked, the
citizenship of the different parties must be checked. (See Section III below; NOTE: federal question actions take precedence over diversity
cases.)
III. Residence (citizenship) of Principal Parties. This section of the JS 44 is to be completed if diversity of citizenship was indicated above. Mark
this section for each principal party.
IV. Nature of Suit. Place an "X" in the appropriate box. If the nature of suit cannot be determined, be sure the cause of action, in Section VI below, is
sufficient to enable the deputy clerk or the statistical clerk(s) in the Administrative Office to determine the nature of suit. If the cause fits more
than one nature of suit, select the most definitive.
VI. Cause of Action. Report the civil statute directly related to the cause of action and give a brief description of the cause. Do not cite jurisdictional
statutes unless diversity. Example: U.S. Civil Statute: 47 USC 553 Brief Description: Unauthorized reception of cable service
VII. Requested in Complaint. Class Action. Place an "X" in this box if you are filing a class action under Rule 23, F.R.Cv.P.
Demand. In this space enter the actual dollar amount being demanded or indicate other demand, such as a preliminary injunction.
Jury Demand. Check the appropriate box to indicate whether or not a jury is being demanded.
VIII. Related Cases. This section of the JS 44 is used to reference related pending cases, if any. If there are related pending cases, insert the docket
numbers and the corresponding judge names for such cases.
Date and Attorney Signature. Date and sign the civil cover sheet.