No. 25-5881

John Fakla v. Matthew Geist, Middlesex Borough Police Chief, Individually and in His Official Capacity, et al.

Lower Court: Third Circuit
Docketed: 2025-10-15
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
IFP
Tags: civil-rights favorable-termination heck-doctrine judicial-procedure malicious-prosecution section-1983
Key Terms:
AdministrativeLaw SocialSecurity DueProcess Jurisdiction JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2025-12-12
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the district court and court of appeals erred by applying Heck v. Humphrey to bar petitioner's § 1983 malicious prosecution claim, despite the Supreme Court's decision in Thompson v. Clark holding that favorable termination occurs whenever charges end without a conviction

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

1. Whether the district court and court of appeals erred by applying Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477 (1994), to bar petitioner ’s § 1983 malicious prosecution claim, despite this Court ’s decision in Thompson v. Clark, 142 « S. Ct. 1332 (2022), holding that favorable termination occurs whenever ® charges end without a conviction. 2. Whether the district court ’s sua sponte imposition of a June 17, 2020 cutoff date for all claims —before petitioner ’s indictment was dismissed with prejudice in 2021 —conflicts with this Court ’s accrual doctrine and deprived petitioner of the ability to litigate nearly a decade of misconduct. 3. Whether the ex parte denial of sanctions and termination of discovery — without notice, briefing, or adjudication under Rule 37—violated due process and the Judicial Canons, and whether the court of appeals erred in ratifying that deprivation as “waived. ” 4. Whether the district court ’s sua sponte conversion to summary judgment while discovery remained outstanding, and its dismissal of the Middlesex Borough Police Department without findings under Monell v. Department of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658 (1978), violated Rules 16, 37, and 56(d), and deprived petitioner of a jury determination on probable cause and malice. 5. Whether systemic misuse of psychiatric evaluations to prolong prosecutions and suppress civil claims —recognized by a New Jersey court in 2025 as requiring a Temporary Restraining Order —raises issues of exceptional national importance warranting this Court ’s intervention.

Docket Entries

2025-12-15
Petition DENIED.
2025-12-08
Reply of petitioner John Fakla filed. (Distributed)
2025-11-26
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/12/2025.
2025-11-12
Brief of Matthew Geist, et al. in opposition submitted.
2025-11-12
Brief of respondents Matthew Geist, et al. in opposition filed.
2025-10-08
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due November 14, 2025)

Attorneys

John Fakla
John Fakla — Petitioner
John Fakla — Petitioner
Matthew Geist, et al.
Donald A. KleinWeiner Law Group LLP, Respondent
Donald A. KleinWeiner Law Group LLP, Respondent