Plaintiff's Motions For Sanctions Against City in Joseph Frugoli Case
Plaintiff's Motions For Sanctions Against City in Joseph Frugoli Case
Plaintiff's Motions For Sanctions Against City in Joseph Frugoli Case
LAW GROUP, and FAUSTO T. MANZERO, by and through his attorneys, COONEY &
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CONWAY, move this Court, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26 and 37, for an order imposing
sanctions against Defendant City of Chicago and their counsel for failing to respond and produce
Register (CR) number 194190, from an incident that occurred on August 8, 1992. In support
BACKGROUND
1. This is a 1983 case against the City of Chicago and Chicago Police Officer
Joseph Frugoli. Plaintiffs allege that the City failed to investigate, discipline or terminate Frugoli
for his misconduct in the past, which emboldened him to continue his behavior and drive
intoxicated on April 10, 2009, resulting in the deaths of Andrew Cazares and Fausto Manzera.
Request for Production of Documents. (See Exhibit A). In response to this request, the City
agrees to produce Defendant Frugolis employee complaint history and the Complaint Register
investigative files listed on this history, upon entry of an appropriate protective order. Id.
City correspondence on August 5, 2014, requesting the complete complaint history for
Defendant Frugoli. The letter stated, Whether Frugoli was disciplined for his prior crimes goes
to the heart of this claim, and that the Citys shielding of Frugoli from discipline emboldened
him to commit the crime that is the subject of this case. We ask that you produce Frugolis
4. The City acknowledged, in a letter dated August 29, 2014, written pursuant to
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The City has agreed to produce Defendant Frugolis complete employee complaint
history and all CR investigative files listed on that history. The employee complaint
history of any Chicago police officer indicates whether the allegations against that
officer for each complaint listed on that history were sustained (which is the only
finding for which discipline can be recommended), and the CR file itself will
indicate the finding and, if applicable, the recommended discipline. (See Exhibit
C, p. 2).
There was no mention of CR Number 194190 from 1992 in Frugolis purportedly complete
employee complaint history. Defendant City produced a total of 18 CRs prior to the fatal April
10, 2009 collision. Curiously and inexplicably, two of the CRs, dated February 29, 1992 and
May 18, 1992, respectively, pre-dated CR 194190. None of the CRs produced during discovery
purported to involve alcohol-related offenses. None of the CRs produced during discovery
reflected offenses that were sustained against Defendant Frugoli resulting in any discipline.
for various Complaint Categories maintained by the Chicago Police Department. (See Exhibit
D). The City responded to questions (d), (e) and (f), asserting that Defendant City in
response to this request indicates that Defendant Frugolis complaint register files were
6. There were four years of discovery in this matter regarding Plaintiffs Monell
claim against Defendant City of Chicago, which included expert disclosures on this specific issue
JURY TRIAL
7. The jury trial of this matter commenced on November 27, 2017, with Plaintiffs
eliciting testimony from their police practices expert, Lou Reiter, on November 28 and 29, 2017.
Mr. Reiter testified before the jury regarding Defendant Frugolis 18 prior CRs, none of which
resulted in any discipline. Moreover, Mr. Reiter discussed the Chicago Police Departments
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allegation that the officer was intoxicated. Mr. Reiter testified while the administrative
breathalyzer is available, it is not done on a routine basis as part of CPDs investigation into
intoxicated employees.
for the first time in sworn testimony that he had been disciplined and received a five-day
suspension for a CR in 1992 for an alleged battery offense. This was the first time, since the
filing of this case in 2013, where there was any mention or disclosure of a disciplinary finding
existed in their possession. This Court instructed Defendant City to look further. At 12:47p.m.
on December 4, 2017, Defendant City provided Plaintiffs with 116 pages detailing the 1992
missing CR that resulted in Defendant Frugolis five-day suspension. On the eve of Plaintiffs
resting their case-in-chief, Plaintiffs were given CR 194190 from the August 8, 1992 incident.
incident involving Defendant Frugoli on August 8, 1992. Specifically, that, on August 8, 1992 at
approximately 1:20 a.m., while off-duty, Defendant Frugoli and two of his friends were involved
in an altercation in a bar, First Base Tavern, located at 3201 S. Normal. (OPS Summary Report
10/28/92, p.3). Defendant Frugoli was alleged to have punched two bar patrons, grabbed one by
the throat, threw them onto a pool table, hit them with pool sticks, threw bar glasses and broke
two bar stools. Id. at 1, 3, 4. When asked by the bartender to leave the bar, Defendant Frugoli
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11. As Defendant Frugoli walked out with his friends, CPD Sgt. Doris Byrd pulled up
in her marked squad car in response to the altercation. Id. at 3. Sgt. Byrd told Defendant Frugoli
to hold it and that she wanted to talk with him. Id. Defendant Frugoli took off in his car and
fled. With her lights flashing, Sgt. Byrd pursued Defendant Frugoli who refused to stop
12. Defendant Frugoli identified himself to Sgt. Byrd as a Chicago Police Officer. Id.
Sgt. Byrd ordered Defendant Frugoli to drive himself back to the scene where he was identified
as one of the offenders. Id.; (OPS Statement 10/26/92, Attachment #39). Sgt. Byrd then had
Defendant Frugoli drive himself to the 9th District Police Station where he was arrested, advised
13. Sgt. Byrd testified that she believed Defendant Frugoli had been drinking but he
was not intoxicated. (OPS Statement 9/29/92, Attachment #32). Defendant Frugoli later,
himself, admitted that he had been drinking that night but was not intoxicated. (OPS
14. Two civilian witnesses also testified about Defendant Frugolis alcohol
consumption and intoxication. Defendant Frugolis friend, Michael Byrnes, who was also
involved in the altercation, admitted that he and Defendant Frugoli had consumed [a] couple of
drinks. (OPS Statement 9/15/92, Attachment #30). In response to being asked whether
Defendant Frugoli was intoxicated, Aldo Mandile, the owner of First Base Tavern, testified,
Not really, he didnt look it. From his actions he had to be but he walked straight and drove
15. However, at no time was Defendant Frugoli subjected to field sobriety tests or
administered a breathalyzer either at the scene or at the 9th District. (Complaint Review Panel
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Hearing of CR 194190, 9/26/94, p.4). Sgt. Byrd turned the investigation of this incident over to
Watch Commander Lt Heller and Acting Deputy Superintendent Donald Hilbring at the 9th
District. (OPS Summary Report 10/28/92, p. 4). Acting Deputy Superintendent Hilbring
presented Defendant Frugoli with the charges of Criminal Damage to Property and Simple
Battery. Id. at 5.
16. Eight CPD Officers responded to the scene (Officers Scott Salvin #8825, Angelo
Rodriquez Star #14155, A. Stinites Star #9711, Gary Heracek Star #12265, A. Pietrowski Star
#7786, Marianne Franklin Star #7157, Carolyn Humphrey Star #9645, and Alice Velazquez Star
#11138). None of them interviewed or investigated Defendant Frugoli. By the time they
17. When OPS did the investigation into CR 194190 resulting from the 8/8/92
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Rule 9 contained the following additional text: COMMENT: Rules 8 and 9 prohibit the use of any
excessive force by any member. These rules prohibit all brutality, and physical or verbal maltreatment of
any citizen while on or off duty, including any unjustified altercation of any kind.
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See FN 1.
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Officer Joseph Frugoli engaged in unjustified physical altercation in that he was involved
in a fight with the patrons of the tavern.
18. At the time of his arrest, there was no investigation conducted regarding
those circumstances. As a result, CR 194190 did not address any allegations involving alcohol
use. The sustained violations of Article V of the Police Board of Chicagos Rules of Conduct
pertained to Rules 1, 3 and 9. They did not address Rule 15 of Article V which prohibits
ARGUMENT
At this juncture, the Court must award sanctions because Plaintiffs have been seriously
prejudiced. The newly disclosed CR goes directly to the elements the Plaintiffs need to provide
to prevail. Specifically, that prior to the April 10, 2009 fatal collision, the City of Chicago had
maintained a code of silence where officers were treated differently than ordinary
citizens; or
failed to adequately investigate officer misconduct; or
failed to adequately discipline officers for their misconduct; or
failed to terminate officers for their misconduct.
This evidence is also related to the causation element: That one or more of the policies described
above caused Joseph Frugoli to drink and drive on April 10, 2009, leading to the injuries and
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death of Andrew Cazares and Fausto Manzera. Finally, this evidence goes to Defendant City of
Chicagos knowledge that it was highly predicable that officers would drink and drive which
could injure or kill other motorists without adequate investigation, discipline, or termination of
its officers because it was highly predictable even without a pattern of similar constitutional
violations.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(e)(1)(A) states that a party who has responded to an
interrogatory, request for production, or request for admission must supplement or correct its
disclosure or response . . . in a timely manner if the party learns that in some material respect the
disclosure or response is incomplete or incorrect. Moreover, the federal discovery rules place
a duty on a party to turn over not only proper materials of which he is aware, but also those of
which he reasonably ought to have been aware. Ritchie Risk-Linked Strategies Trading
(Ireland), Ltd., 280 F.R.D. 147, 156 (S.D.N.Y. 2012) (quoting Arthur v. Atkinson Freight Lines
Under Rules 26(e) and 37(c), federal courts may level appropriate sanctions against a
party, and their attorneys, that fail to timely produce, supplement, or correct its discovery
responses. Colyer v. City of Chicago, No. 12-C-0485, 2016 WL 25710, at *14 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 1,
2016). Rule 26(g), states that an attorneys signature on discovery responses, certifies that the
lawyer made a reasonable effort to assure that the client has provided all of the information and
documents available to him that are responsive to the discovery demand. Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(g).
Sanctions such as striking the answer or entering a default judgment can be imposed when
disobedience has been willful, in bad faith, or otherwise culpable. See Profile Gear Corp. v.
Foundry Allied Industries, Inc., 937 F.2d 351 (7th Cir. 1991).
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Here, Defendant City of Chicago, through its counsel, failed to make a reasonable effort
to assure that they had provided all information and produced all documents requested and
available regarding Defendant Frugolis internal investigations. Plaintiffs discovery request was
narrowly tailored for [a]ny and all Complaint Register files, Log Numbers, Summary
Joseph Frugoli for any reason whatsoever. (See Ex. A, p. 3). This request is clear and direct and
not limited in any way which that suggest that Plaintiffs would not be entitled to this CR. Given
the broad mandate of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure regarding discovery and the nature of
this case, the facts underlying the 1992 CR, and the wording of the Request to Produce, Plaintiffs
Defendant Citys rationale on why CR 194190 was not produced is unpersuasive and
seemingly disingenuous. Defendant suggests that sometime in the early 2000s there was a
change in computer system, and this CR was not transferred onto the new system.
This does not explain why the City was able to produce all of Frugolis CRs from the
1990s, which included two CRs from February and May of 1992, but not the CR from August
1992. This is not the first time Defendant City has failed to turn over damaging discovery in a
timely fashion. See Turner v. City of Chicago, No. 15 CV 06741, 2017 WL 552876, at *1 (N.D.
Ill. Feb. 10, 2017) (where Defendant, City of Chicago, failed to produce all CR files and internal
investigation relating to defendant officer, where IPRA produced what was purported to be the
entire CR and investigative file on said officer, constituting a significant discovery violation);
LaPorta v. City of Chicago, No. 14 C 9665, 2016 WL 4429746, at *3 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 22, 2016)
(where City of Chicago failed to disclose an incident where defendant officer misused his
firearm in 2014, where 2015 discovery requests centered around misconduct and misuse of
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firearm by defendant officer); Colyer v. City of Chicago, No. 12-C-0485, 2016 WL 25710, at *2
(N.D. Ill. Jan. 1, 2016) (where City of Chicago knew discoverable items may be available and
intentionally withheld information from Plaintiffs and did not comply with discovery rules by
failing to make a reasonably inquiry when searching for a recording and related documents).
Defendant Frugolis CR 194190 establishes the Code of Silence is alive and well in the
Chicago Police Department and has been since the infancy of Frugolis employment as a police
officer in 1992. CR 194190 contains information that Defendant Frugoli had been drinking and
driving at 2:00 a.m. and fled the scene in his vehicle. No Standardized Field Sobriety Testing or
concerning the information regarding Defendant Frugolis alcohol consumption and driving.
Like the circumstances investigated in CR 194190, both traffic crashes in January 2008
involving Defendant Frugoli occurred in the early morning hours where there was no arrest,
investigation, or discipline regarding Frugolis alcohol consumption and driving. After the
January 27, 2008 crash, Sergeant Smith allowed Frugoli to leave the crash scene by driving him
to his residence. Defendant Frugolis propensity to flee and avoid responsibility was at its
climax on April 10, 2009 when an intoxicated Frugoli left leaving the scene of the crash that
killed two boys, and subsequently no Chicago Police officers observed any signs of intoxication
or impairment. These incidents exemplify the two sets of rules enforced by the Chicago Police
Department: one set of rules imposed for ordinary citizens, and the rules for Chicago police
officers. Had a civilian been involved in the same situation as Defendant Frugoli was in August
of 1992, that civilian would never have been permitted to drive back to the scene and then to the
station and most certainly would have been subjected to field sobriety testing and/or a
breathalyzer.
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This 1992 incident set in motion, at the early stages of Defendant Frugolis career as a
Chicago Police officer, the tragic consequences of the fatal collision on April 10, 2009. The
way the Chicago Police Department handled CR 194190 gave Frugoli the impunity to act
without fear of consequence for his actions. These 3 crashes, all of which occurred in the early
morning hours, illustrate the progression of Defendant Frugolis empowerment from not being
held accountable by the CPD. The consequences to his victims escalated in severity over the
course of those years, from battery, to hospitalizing an on-duty police officer to the fiery crash
resulting in the deaths of Andrew Cazares and Fausto Manzera. The fact that CR 194190 was
discovered after a search of the Citys database in the middle of trial is inexplicable and
unjustified.
Rule 37(c) states that if a party violates Rule 26(e), the Court may order sanctions,
unless the failure was substantially justified or is harmless. The Court may impose sanctions,
which include, but are not limited to informing the jury of the partys failure to disclose
evidence, prohibit the disobedient party from supporting or opposing designated claims or
defenses, or rendering a default judgment against the disobedient part. See Fed. R. Civ. P.
37(b)(2)(A), 37(c)(1)(B). If Plaintiffs received this CR during the course of discovery, there
would have been additional depositions and discovery which could have materially impacted the
This Court must consider what effect the challenged conduct has on the course of the
litigation. Here, Defendant Citys failure to disclose a relevant, pertinent CR has harmed and
severely prejudiced Plaintiffs case. Defendants theory of the case, as presented to the jury in
opening statements, is that the City of Chicago consistently disciplines and investigates officers
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who are accused being intoxicated and driving. In the middle of trial, Plaintiffs were given CR
194190 pertaining to Defendant Frugoli where there was no discipline or investigation about his
alcohol consumption and driving in the 1992 incident. This contradicting information confuses
Plaintiffs expert Lou Reiter testified that Defendant Frugoli had 18 CRs entered against
him, none of which were sustained. He opined that this was evidence that the Chicago Police
Department does not investigate CRs sufficiently, and consequently officers are emboldened to
commit misconduct, knowing that they are not going to be charged with infractions of laws or
rules even if there is a CR against him or her. CR 194190 concerns Frugolis alcohol use and
him operating a vehicle, matters germane the subject of this lawsuit. In CR 194190, Frugoli was
driving after drinking, and the Chicago Police Department did not perform a breathalyzer. Had
CR 194190 been timely produced, Mr. Reiter likely would have discussed how there was no
investigation or discipline in CR 194190 about Frugolis alcohol use while operating his vehicle;
this was yet another example of the Chicago Police Departments failure to investigate
misconduct by an officer, putting the Department on notice in 1992 that Frugoli was a problem
drinker.
The issue was compounded when Plaintiffs counsel adversely examined Defendant
Frugoli on the 18 CRs that resulted in no discipline, only to be contradicted in front of the jury
that Frugoli was punished for a CR in 1992. Certainly Plaintiffs counsel would have conducted
his examination of Frugoli in such a way as to avoid having the adverse witness flaunt his
knowledge of a CR report and subsequent discipline that Plaintiffs attorneys were not in
possession of.
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and a problematic trend, and to hold officers, specifically in this case Defendant Frugoli, and the
Chicago Police Department accountable when misconduct occurs. If Plaintiffs were given this
information years ago, Plaintiffs could have investigated the possibility if CR 194190 should
have subjected Defendant Frugoli to an intervention by some program used to detect early
identification of officers who are accumulating several complaints or other incidents warranting
some form of supervisory alert. We now know that Defendant Frugoli, within two years of
joining the Chicago Police Department on August 27, 1990, received four CRs in a nine-month
timespan in 1992. This specific CR which Defendant City of Chicago failed to tender in
discovery precisely relates to Plaintiffs theory of the case; Defendant Frugoli admits to
consuming alcohol the night in question and operating his vehicle when he fled from the
further investigation, discipline or effort to terminate Frugoli concerning his alcohol use and
operation of this car during the incident. There is no documentation that Defendant Frugoli had
Moreover, Defendant Frugoli received a fifteen-day suspension for the August 8, 1992
CR. That suspension was later reduced to a ten-day suspension following a grievance. Because
Plaintiffs were unaware of this CR, they were prejudiced in that they were unable to conduct
discovery and investigate the adequacy of the discipline imposed. The Chicago Police
Department has no clear standards to decide the appropriate level of discipline, and oftentimes
the discipline imposed is summarily reduced. As the Police Accountability Task Force noted,
when an officer is found to have engaged in serious misconduct has almost no disruption to time
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in duty and sends a signal to the rank and file generally that the disciplinary system lacks rigor
and bite. (See PATF Report, p. 91). Plaintiffs were unable to explore this theory over the
several years discovery was conducted on the Monell issue in this case.
Based on the conduct of Defendant City, Plaintiffs are entitled to one or more of the
following remedies. Plaintiffs request that this Court issue a mistrial, since evidence that goes to
the heart of their case was just produced. Plaintiffs have suffered irreparable prejudice, and
cannot recover in the eyes of the jury. In the alternative, Plaintiffs request one of the following:
A. Default Judgment
Rule 37 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure specifically authorizes courts to issue a
default judgment against a party who fails to obey a discovery order, Fed.R.Civ.P.
37(b)(2)(B)(vi). In addition, the inherent power of federal courts to manage their own affairs so
as to achieve the orderly and expeditious disposition of cases encompasses the ability to
fashion an appropriate sanction for conduct which abuses the judicial process, as well as the
power to punish for contempt. Chambers v. NASCO, Inc., 501 U.S. 32, 4345, 111 S.Ct. 2123,
Maynard v. Nygren, 332 F.3d 462, 468 (7th Cir.2003), it is warranted when there is a clear
discovery sanction against a party who has shown bad faith, willfulness, or fault. Id. at 467.
Similarly, fault suggests objectively unreasonable behavior rather than a mere mistake or
slight error in judgment. Long v. Steepro, 213 F.3d 983, 987 (7th Cir. 2000). In the Seventh
Circuit, a district court must determine by a preponderance of the evidence that at least one of
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these blameworthy findings applies in order to impose the most severe sanctions. See Ramirez v.
T&H Lemont, Inc., 845 F.3d 772, 777 (7th Cir. 2016).
Plaintiffs move this Court to enter a default judgment against Defendant City for
withholding damaging evidence that goes to the heart of Plaintiffs case. Plaintiffs experts have
already concluded their reports and testimony, and cannot rebut this new evidence produced in
violation of discovery rules and procedures. As it only took the City an extra day and a half to
find the missing file, it clearly could have been uncovered and produced in a timely manner.
This evidences clear bad faith and misconduct on the part of the City, and a default judgment is
Defendant City should be barred from presenting their defense witnesses, including
expert Jeffrey Noble. Federal Rule 37 allows for the disobedient party to be prohibited from
supporting or opposing designated claims or defenses. The City should be disallowed from
presenting its witnesses and experts that proffer and support the idea that the Chicago Police
including when the driver is a member of the Chicago Police Department; the Chicago Police
investigations of Chicago Police Officers (including off duty officers) who are accused of
driving while intoxicated and adequately disciplines those officers in cases when this accusation
is sustained; that the City is not deliberately indifferent by failing to properly investigate and
discipline Chicago police officers who drive while intoxicated; that there is no code of silence.
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See Defendant Citys Rule 26(a) disclosures. As the withheld CR goes to all of these defenses
and witness statements/testimony, the City should be barred from advancing them.
LAW GROUP, and FAUSTO T. MANZERO, by and through his attorneys, COONEY &
CONWAY, move this Court, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26 and 37, for an order imposing
sanctions against Defendant City of Chicago and their counsel for failing to respond and produce
Register (CR) number 194190, from an incident that occurred on August 8, 1992 and for any
Respectfully submitted,
_____________________
Michael J. Sorich #6279838
CAVANAGH LAW GROUP
161 N. Clark St., Suite 2070
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 425-1900
[email protected]
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