Etuk v. New York City Police Department
- Figueredo
- 1:24-cv-04989
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Etuk v. New York City Police Department, Judge Figueredo directed steps to serve newly added defendants in the plaintiff’s fee-free case.
Akaniyene William Etuk; the nine newly named individual defendants—Abdoulaye Bah, Muhammad Molla, David Pabon, Peter Esposito, Ely Gonzalez, Ana Garcia, Melba Cespedes, Christian Cacace, and Anajess Alvarez; the New York City Police Department; the New York City Law Department; and the Clerk of Court.
What happened
Etuk v. New York City Police Department concerns Akaniyene William Etuk’s amended complaint, which added nine individual defendants. The opinion says Etuk was representing himself and had permission to proceed without prepaying court fees.
The court directed the Clerk of Court to electronically notify the New York City Police Department and the New York City Law Department so service could be arranged for the newly named defendants. The court also requested that those defendants waive formal service of the summons.
Judge Valerie Figueredo ordered these service-related steps on April 21, 2025. The order does not decide the claims in the amended complaint.
The detailed version
- Etuk v. New York City Police Department · No. 1:24-cv-04989
- Figueredo
- Apr. 21, 2025
Background
Akaniyene William Etuk, proceeding without a lawyer, filed an amended complaint adding Abdoulaye Bah, Muhammad Molla, David Pabon, Peter Esposito, Ely Gonzalez, Ana Garcia, Melba Cespedes, Christian Cacace, and Anajess Alvarez as defendants. The opinion states that Etuk had been granted permission to proceed without prepaying court fees. In that situation, the court explained, he could rely on the court to carry out service of the legal papers.
Service Direction
To allow service on the newly named defendants, the Clerk of Court was directed to electronically notify the New York City Police Department and the New York City Law Department. The opinion identifies the defendants’ alleged workplaces within the New York Police Department, including the Transit Bureau, Patrol Borough, 46th Precinct, Quartermaster Section, Headquarters Security, and Human Resources Division. The court requested that the individual defendants waive service of the summons.
Disposition
Judge Valerie Figueredo entered the order directing these service-related actions. The order does not rule on the substance of Etuk’s claims or state whether any defendant is liable.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.