Bowen v. County of Westchester
Plaintiffs Indira Bowen and her children alleged Fourth Amendment rights violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the New York Constitution, along with common law torts, against the County of Westchester, the Town of Greenburgh, and John Doe officers. The claims arose from an October 7, 2004 search of their home by Greenburgh police and Westchester probation officers, who were executing a search order for probationer Roylin Fairclough. Plaintiffs contended the search order was based on inaccurate information regarding Fairclough's residence and that Greenburgh officers used excessive force. The court granted summary judgment for both municipal defendants, finding no underlying constitutional violation by the probation officer nor any municipal policy or custom causing the alleged deprivations. Additionally, the court found no evidence of excessive force linked to Greenburgh's policy and ordered the plaintiffs to show cause for why the claims against the unidentified John Doe defendants should not be dismissed for failure to prosecute.