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Date: 04-04-2023

Case Style:

Danny Burton v. Ronald Sanders, et al.

Case Number: 21-cv-10746

Judge: Paul D. Borman

Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Wayne County)

Plaintiff's Attorney:




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Defendant's Attorney: Avi Kamionski, Christopher J. Raitt, Gregory B. Paddison, Jerry L. Ashford, Kristine Baker, Mayer Engelsberg, Meagna Dreher, Philip J. Hiltner, Shneur Zalman Nathan

Description: Detroit, Michigan civil rights lawyers represented Plaintiff who sued defendants claiming that they violated his civil rights with the result he was wrongfully convicted of a murder he did not commit.


This action arises out of Danny Burton's September 14, 1987 conviction for First-Degree Murder and Felony Firearm associated with the death of Leonard Ruffin. Burton was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but that conviction was subsequently vacated on December 6, 2019, due in large part to recantation of multiple witnesses' trial testimony. On July 20, 2020, Burton brought an action against Ronald Sanders, the City of Detroit, and the Detroit Police Department pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1988 for violation of his constitutional rights under the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments. Burton v. Chambers, et al., Case No. 20-cv-11948 (E.D. Mich.).


Danny Burton was convicted on September 14, 1987, “after a five-day jury trial in the Wayne County Circuit Court on a charge of first-degree Murder, MCL 750.316, and Felony Firearm, MCL 750.227(B), ... and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole” for the murder of Leonard Ruffin. (ECF No. 1, Complaint ¶¶ 9, 10.) According to Plaintiffs' Complaint, “[t]he case against Mr. Burton was built primarily upon witness statements of individuals who resided in or were present at the home where the shooting [of Mr. Ruffin] occurred, ” and “the key witnesses who testified at Mr. Burton's trial subsequently provided affidavits recanting their trial testimony and stating that they gave false statements at trial because of threats and intimidation by Defendant [Ronald] Sanders, ” a Detective with the Detroit Police Department. (Id. ¶¶ 6, 11-12.) Because of that, Mr. Burton's conviction was subsequently vacated on December 6, 2019. (Id. ¶ 13.)...

Outcome: 03/22/2023 TEXT-ONLY re 68 MOTION for Leave to Cite Supplemental Authority filed by Ronald Sanders.Disposition: Defendant having filed a notice withdrawing his motion for order to show cause, his motion for leave to file supplemental authority related to that motion [ECF No. 68] is DENIED AS MOOT. Entered by Magistrate Judge David R. Grand. (EBut) (Entered: 03/22/2023)
For all of the reasons set forth above, the Court GRANTS Defendants Ronald Sanders and the City of Detroit's joint motion to dismiss Plaintiffs' section 1983

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claim against them in Count I (ECF No. 21), and that claim is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.

The Court further DECLINES TO EXERCISE SUPPLEMENTAL JURISDICTION over Plaintiffs' remaining state law intentional infliction of emotional distress claim in Count II, and that claim is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.

IT IS SO ORDERED.
Chambers v. Sanders (E.D. Mich. 2022)

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