Barone v. Hatcher

984 F. Supp. 1304, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18746, 1997 WL 726071
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedOctober 30, 1997
DocketCV-N-95-029-ECR
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 984 F. Supp. 1304 (Barone v. Hatcher) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barone v. Hatcher, 984 F. Supp. 1304, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18746, 1997 WL 726071 (D. Nev. 1997).

Opinion

*1306 ORDER

EDWARD C. REED, Jr., District Judge.

Presently before the Court is the Report and Recommendation (“Report”) (# 76) of the Magistrate Judge in this civil rights ease. Plaintiff Anthony Barone, appearing herein pro se, has objected (#79), and Defendants have responded (# 80). For the reasons outlined below, the Report is AFFIRMED AND ADOPTED.

BACKGROUND

In May 1994 Plaintiff, who was incarcerated at the Southern Desert Correctional Center, allegedly stole about $100 from the account of another inmate. After a hearing, Plaintiff was sentenced to disciplinary segregation. The hearing allegedly suffered from a number of procedural irregularities, as to which Plaintiff has sued. In addition, Plaintiff alleges that he was deprived of his First Amendment right to access to the courts as a result of being placed in disciplinary segregation.

Plaintiff originally filed this action in February 1995. Compl. (#3). He has twice amended his Complaint; the present Second Amended Complaint was filed in February 1996. Amended Compl. (#50). This Complaint names Mssrs. Hatcher, Sannicks, Bayer, Harwood, and O’Neil as Defendants, and asserts three constitutional causes of action—violation of due process (count II), conspiracy to violate due process (count I), and denial of access to the courts (count III).

All Defendants are represented by the State of Nevada, although we previously dismissed Defendant O’Neil from this action pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(m). Order (# 70); Amended Answer (# 67). We also struck the parties’ original summary judgment motions and permitted further briefing. Order (# 64). Accordingly, Defendants (# 68) and Plaintiff (# 66) filed cross motions for summary judgment, with associated oppositions (# 72, # 74), and Defendants’ reply (#75). The Magistrate Judge filed her Report (# 76) recommending granting summary judgment to Plaintiff on one issue and to Defendants on all other issues. Plaintiff objected (#79), Defendants responded (#80), and the objections are now ripe.

DISCUSSION

I. Summary Judgment Standard

The purpose of summary judgment is to avoid unnecessary trials when there is no dispute as to the facts before the court. Northwest Motorcycle Ass’n v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 18 F.3d 1468, 1471 (9th Cir.1994). The moving party is entitled to summary judgment where, viewing the evidence and the inferences arising therefrom in favor of the nonmovant, there are no genuine issues of material fact in dispute and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Bagdadi v. Nazar, 84 F.3d 1194, 1197 (9th Cir.1996). Judgment as a matter of law is appropriate where there is no legally sufficient evidentia-ry basis for a reasonable jury to find for the nonmoving party. Fed.R.Civ.P. 50(a). Where reasonable minds could differ on the material facts at issue, however, summary judgment is not appropriate. Warren v. City of Carlsbad, 58 F.3d 439, 441 (9th Cir.1995), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 116 S.Ct. 1261, 134 L.Ed.2d 209 (1996).

The moving party bears the burden of informing the court of the basis for its motion, together with evidence demonstrating the absence of any genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-53, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Once the moving party has met its burden, the party opposing the motion may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleadings but must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Although the parties may submit evidence in an inadmissible form—namely, depositions, admissions, interrogatory answers, and affidavits—only evidence which might be admissible at trial may be considered by a trial court in ruling on a motion for summary judgment. Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(c); Beyene v. Coleman Security Services, Inc., 854 F.2d 1179, 1181 (9th Cir. 1988).

In evaluating the appropriateness of summary judgment, three steps are necessary: (1) determining whether a fact is material; (2) determining whether there is a genuine *1307 issue for the trier of fact, as determined by the documents submitted to the court; and (3) considering that evidence in light of the appropriate standard of proof. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. at 2510. As to materiality, only disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment. Factual disputes which are irrelevant or unnecessary will not be considered. Id. Where there is a complete failure of proof concerning an essential element of the nonmoving party’s ease, all other facts are rendered immaterial, and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. at 2552-53. Summary judgment is not a disfavored procedural shortcut, but an integral part of the federal rules as a whole. Id.

II. The Claims

We first note that neither side has objected to the Magistrate Judge’s analytical breakdown of Plaintiffs claims. We have compared the Report to Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint, determined that the Magistrate Judge’s analysis is correct, and enumerate the claims as follows:

1. Count II—Due Process
a. Failure to provide adequate notice of hearing
b. Refusal to permit witnesses to be called
e. Failure to provide a statement of evidence relied on
d. Supervisory liability
2. Count I—Conspiracy
a. 42 U.S.C. § 1983
b. 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3)
3. Count III—Denial of access to the courts

A.Conspiracy

Plaintiff has offered no evidence of a conspiracy.

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Bluebook (online)
984 F. Supp. 1304, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18746, 1997 WL 726071, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barone-v-hatcher-nvd-1997.