McIntyre v. U.S.

• Citation: 336 F.Supp.2d 87
• Decision Date: 30 September 2004
• Docket Number: No. CIV.A.01-CV-10408-RC.,CIV.A.01-CV-10408-RC.
• Parties: Emily MCINTYRE and Christopher McIntyre as co-administrators of the Estate of John L. McIntyre, Plaintiffs, v. The UNITED STATES of America, et al., Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — District of Massachusetts

Page 87

336 F.Supp.2d 87

Emily MCINTYRE and Christopher McIntyre as co-administrators of the Estate of John L. McIntyre, Plaintiffs, v. The UNITED STATES of America, et al., Defendants.

No. CIV.A.01-CV-10408-RC.

United States District Court, D. Massachusetts.

September 30, 2004.

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Edward E. Berkin, Boston, MA, for Anna M. Litif, Lee Litif, Luanne Litif, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

Stacey Bosshardt, U.S. Department of Justice, Torts Branch, Civil Division, Washington, DC, for Federal Bureau of Investigation, Consolidated Defendant.

Douglas S. Brooks, Kelly, Libby & Hoopes, PC, Boston, MA, for David B. Wheeler, Lawrence A. Wheeler, Mark Wheeler, Pamela (Wheeler) Norberg, Patricia J.(Wheeler) Langholz, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

William A. Brown, Boston, MA, for Robert Fitzpatrick, Defendant.

Katherine A. Carey, Torts Branch, Civil Division, Washington, DC, for USA, Defendant.

William E. Christie, Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., Concord, NH, for Christopher McIntyre, Emily McIntyre, The Estate of Edward Brian Halloran, Anna M. Litif, Brian Castucci, Denise Castucci, Lee Litif, Lisa Castucci Inello, Luanne Litif, Marion Hussey, Mary Jane Callahan, Michael T. Donahue, Olga Davis, Patricia Donahue, Patrick Shawn Callahan, Richard J. Castucci, Jr., Sandra Castucci, Shawn Donahue, Thomas Donahue, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

Earle C. Cooley, Cooley Manion Jones LLP, Boston, MA, for Elaine Barrett, Movant.

Frank C. Corso Law, Office of Frank C. Corso, Boston, MA, for Edward Bennett, Consolidated Plaintiff.

Albert F. Cullen, Jr., Andover, MA, for The Estate of Edward Brian Halloran, Consolidated Plaintiff.

Jeffrey A. Denner, Denner Sayeg, LLP, Boston, MA, for Christopher McIntyre, Emily McIntyre, Plaintiffs.

Ann M. Donovan, Law Office of Ann M. Donovan, Newton, MA, for Marion Hussey, Consolidated Plaintiff.

James P. Duggan, Boston, MA, for Kathleen Ellen Phelps, Mary Jane Callahan, Patrick Shawn Callahan, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

Michael K. Fee, Ropes & Gray LLP, Boston, MA, for Dennis F. Creedon, Richard F. Bates, Consolidated Defendants.

Catherine J. Finnegan, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for USA, Defendant.

Brian P Fitzsimmons, Hanley, Hassett & Fitzsimmons, LLC, Milton, MA, for James Ahearn, Defendant.

George L. Garfinkle, George L. Garfinkle, Attorney at Law, Brookline, MA, for Christopher McIntyre, Emily McIntyre, Plaintiffs.

Peter E. Gelhaar, Donnelly, Conroy & Gelhaar, LLP, Boston, MA, for Thomas J. Daly, Consolidated Defendant.

Robert A. George, Sr. Robert A. George & Associates, PC, Boston, MA, for Michael T. Donahue, Patricia Donahue, Shawn Donahue, Thomas Donahue, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

Kevin M. Glynn, Cooley Manion Jones LLP, Boston, MA, for Elaine Barrett, Movant.

Steven M. Gordon, Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., Concord, NH, for Christopher McIntyre, Emily McIntyre, The Estate of Edward Brian Halloran, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

Paul J. Griffin, Milton, MA, for Olga Davis, Consolidated Plaintiff.

Edward T. Hinchey, Sloane & Walsh, Boston, MA, for Michael T. Donahue, Patricia Donahue, Shawn Donahue, Thomas Donahue, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

K.W., Watsontown, PA, for Kevin J. Weeks, Defendant.

Andrew D. Kaplan, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for USA, Defendant.

Margaret Krawiec, U.S. Department of Justice, Torts Branch, Civil Division, Washington, DC, for Federal Bureau of Investigation, Consolidated Defendant.

Michael A. Laurano, Boston, MA, for Brian Castucci, Denise Castucci, Lisa Castucci Inello, Richard J. Castucci, Jr., Sandra Castucci, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

Mary McElroy Leach, Civil Division, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Washington, DC, for USA, Defendant.

Frank A. Libby, Jr., Kelly, Libby & Hoopes, PC, Boston, MA, for David B. Wheeler, Lawrence A. Wheeler, Mark Wheeler, Pamela (Wheeler) Norberg, Patricia J.(Wheeler) Langholz, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

Edward J. Lonergan, Boston, MA, for John J. Connolly, Defendant.

Douglas I. Louison, Merrick, Louison & Costello, Boston, MA, for Roderick Kennedy, Defendant.

A. Douglas Matthews, Fall River, MA, for Robert Fitzpatrick, Defendant.

Dean A. Mazzone, Attorney General's Office, Boston, MA, for Attorney General of Massachusetts, District Attorneys for the Suffolk, Norfolk, and Middlesex Districts of Massachusetts, Interested Party.

James P. McDonald, Attorney at Law, Boston, MA, for Brian Castucci, Denise Castucci, Lisa Castucci Inello, Richard J. Castucci, Jr., Sandra Castucci, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

Christopher T. Meier, Meier Law Group, P.C., Acton, MA, for Michael T. Donahue, Patricia Donahue, Shawn Donahue, Thomas Donahue, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

Richard Montague, Department of Justice, Torts Branch, Civil Division, Washington, DC, for USA, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lawrence Sarhatt, Consolidated Defendants.

E. Peter Mullane, Mullane, Michel & McInnes, Cambridge, MA, for John J. Connolly, Defendant.

Stephen Neyman, Attorney at Law, Boston, MA, for Kathleen Ellen Phelps, Mary Jane Callahan, Patrick Shawn Callahan, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

E. Peter Parker, Boston, MA, for H. Paul Rico, Defendant.

Peter J. Perroni, Nolan/Perroni, LLP, Lowell, MA, for Edward Bennett, Consolidated Plaintiff.

Stephen C. Pfaff, Merrick, Louison & Costello, Boston, MA, for Roderick Kennedy, Dennis F. Creedon, James Ahearn, James Greenleaf, James Ring, Lawrence Sarhatt, Richard F. Bates, Robert Fitzpatrick, Thomas J. Daly, Consolidated Defendants.

Edward M. Reilly, Law Offices of Edward M. Reilly, Abington, MA, for Anna M. Litif, Lee Litif Luanne Litif, Consolidated Plaintiffs.

Christine M. Roach, Roach & Carpenter, P.C., Boston, MA, for James Greenleaf, Defendant.

Alan D. Rose, Jr., Rose & Associates, Boston, MA, for James Ring, Defendant.

Alan D. Rose, Sr, Rose & Associates, Boston, MA, for James Ring, Defendant.

Peter Schlossman, U.S. Department of Justice, Torts Branch, Civil Division, Washington, DC, for USA, Defendant.

Christopher M Sheehan, Milton, MA, for Olga Davis, Consolidated Plaintiff.

James W. Simpson, Jr., Merrick, Louison & Costello, Boston, MA, for Roderick Kennedy, Defendant.

Robert S. Sinsheimer, Sinsheimer & Associates, Boston, MA, for Olga Davis, Consolidated Plaintiff.

Susan E. Sivacek, Sinsheimer & Associates, Boston, MA, for Olga Davis, Consolidated Plaintiff.

Thomas C. Tretter, Healey, Deshaies & Gagliardi, PC, Amesbury, MA, for Roderick Kennedy, Defendant.

Tory A. Weigand, Morrison, Mahoney & Miller, LLP, Springfield, MA, for Lawrence Sarhatt, Consolidated Defendant.

Jaren D. Wilcockson, Goodwin Procter, LLP, Boston, MA, for Dedham Institution for Savings, Trustee.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER ON MOTIONS OF DEFENDANTS AHEARN, CONNOLLY, FITZPATRICK, GREENLEAF, KENNEDY, MORRIS, AND RING FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS BASED ON QUALIFIED IMMUNITY

LINDSAY, District Judge.

                TABLE OF CONTENTS
                  I.  INTRODUCTION .....................................................................94
                  II.  FACTS ...........................................................................95
                      A.  The Agents ...................................................................96
                      B.  The Use of Informants by the FBI as Alleged in the Complaint..................97
                      C.  The Development of Bulger and Flemmi as Informants as Alleged in the
                            Complaint ..................................................................97
                      D.  Allegations that the Agents Shielded Bulger and Flemmi from
                            Investigation and Prosecution ..............................................98
                      E.  The Murder of McIntyre in 1984 as Alleged in the Complaint....................99
                      F.  The Alleged Liability of the Agents ..........................................99
                  III.  DISCUSSION ....................................................................100
                      A.  Standard for Consideration of the Motions ...................................100
                      B.  Qualified Immunity ..........................................................100
                      C.  Fourth Amendment ............................................................101
                      D.  Substantive Due Process Rights of McIntyre ..................................105
                          1.  Conspiracy Claims .......................................................105
                          2.  The Substantive Due Process Claim Against Connolly ......................107
                              a.  General Principles of Substantive Due Process .......................107
                              b.  Conscience-Shocking Conduct: The Touchstone of Arbitrary
                                    Executive Conduct .................................................108
                              c.  Violation of a Fundamental Right ....................................109
                                   i.  Murder of McIntyre as Private Violence .........................110
                                       (a) Governmental Restraint of Victim ...........................110
                                       (b) State-Created Danger .......................................113
                                  ii.  Murder of McIntyre as Government Action ........................115
                                       (a) Attributing Conduct of the Informants to the
                                             Government ...............................................116
                                       (b) Governmental Participation in Private Conduct ..............117
                

                          3.  Violation by Connolly of the Clearly Established Substantive Due
                                Process Rights of McIntyre ............................................122
                          4.  Violation by Other Agents of the Clearly Established Substantive
                                Due Process Rights of McIntyre ........................................126
                      E.  Access to the Courts ........................................................133
                 IV.  CONCLUSION ......................................................................134
                

I. INTRODUCTION

This is an action brought by Emily and Christopher McIntyre (the "pl...