Kedra v. City Of Philadelphia

454 F.Supp. 652 (1978)

Facts

Kedra (P) and her eight children and a son in law sued various police officials of Philadelphia for violations of civil rights statutes; Sections 1983,1985,1986. P alleged that two of her children were arrested without probable cause. P alleged that the children were handcuffed, struck about the head, face, stomach, abdomen, arms, and legs with fists and physical objects, were harassed and threatened with further physical violence by Ds and that serious injuries were sustained as a result of the beatings. The list of alleged illegal activities goes on and on and on. Ps alleged that the police conducted an unlawful search of her home and that Ds engaged in a systematic pattern of harassment, threats, and coercion. The alleged incidents took place over a fifteen-month period of time. Ds contended that there was improper joinder of Ps under Rule 20(a) in that P's claims did not arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences. Ds filed a motion to dismiss on several grounds one of which was that the pendent state claims raise jurisdictional issues.