Beck v. Kansas University Psychiatry Foundation

671 F. Supp. 1563, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4669
District Court, D. Kansas·Decided May 20, 1987·No. Civ. A. Nos. 83-2094-S, 83-2095-S·Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

SAFFELS, District Judge.

Various defendants in this action have filed motions for summary judgment.

I.DEFENDANTS MCMANUS AND ATKINS

Defendants McManus and Atkins have filed a motion for summary judgment, claiming that the actions taken by Bradley Boan in murdering the plaintiffs’ decedents on March 20, 1981, cannot be characterized as actions taken under color of state law by the defendants Patrick McManus and Robert Atkins. The defendants further contend that the actions of McManus and Atkins are not the sort of abusive government conduct that the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment was designed to prevent. The defendants contend that the staff of the Department of Corrections (DOC) fulfilled their function, and any claim that the Department of Corrections did not provide the Kansas Adult Authority (KAA) with all relevant materials should fail. The defendants further claim they are entitled to the defense of qualified immunity. The defendants also claim that this action is barred by the eleventh amendment. In addition, the defendants contend that all of Janice Beck’s, as representative of Marc Beck’s estate, state law causes of action should be barred by the exclusivity of workmen’s compensation.

A moving party is entitled to summary judgment only when the evidence indicates that no genuine issue of material fact exists. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Maughan v. SW Servicing, Inc., 758 F.2d 1381, 1387 (10th Cir.1985). An issue of fact is “material” only when the dispute is over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2509-10, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The requirement of a “genuine” issue of fact means that the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party. Id. Thus, the mere existence of some alleged factual dispute between the parties will not defeat an otherwise properly supported motion for summary judgment. Id. The court must consider' factual inferences tending to show triable issues in the light most favorable to the existence of those issues. United States v. O’Block, 788 F.2d 1433, 1435 (10th Cir.1986). The court must also consider the record in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Bee v. Greaves, 744 F.2d 1387, 1396 (10th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1214, 105 S.Ct. 1187, 84 L.Ed.2d 334 (1985). The language of Rule 56(a) mandates the entry of summary judgment against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-54, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

For purposes of this summary judgment motion, the following facts are uncontro-verted:

1. In 1977, Bradley R. Boan plea-bargained to the crime of attempted aggravated assault in violation of K.S.A. §§ 21-3410 and 21-3301.

2. The victim of Boan’s attempted aggravated assault was Charles R. Stoffer. Charles Stoffer was a psychiatrist located at Kansas University Medical Center.

3. Boan was sentenced to the custody of the Secretary of Corrections to a term of not less than one, nor more than five years, with his sentence beginning on May 6, 1977.

[1566]*15664. Boan was received by the Department of Corrections on September 7, 1977.

5. Upon his arrival at the penitentiary, Boan began receiving incentive good time at the rate of three days per month until December 1978, when incentive good time was discontinued. He received a total credit of forty-eight days. An inmate’s conditional release date was determined by subtracting the amount of good time credit an inmate was entitled to from the inmate’s maximum sentence expiration. Bradley Boan’s maximum sentence expiration was May 6, 1982.

6. Two types of good time credit were available to Bradley R. Boan between 1977 and 1980 — legislative or statutory good time and incentive good time. An inmate coming into the Kansas State Penitentiary in 1977 under a one to five-year sentence was eligible for two years’ legislative good time credit. Boan received this two year statutory good time credit.

7. Incentive good time is awarded to an inmate by the Kansas State Penitentiary Unit Team. The award of incentive good time was based upon an inmate’s good behavior, work performance, and conduct. Thus, an inmate had to earn incentive good time. The record indicates that Boan was given not only legislative good time, but forty-eight days incentive good time, thus making Bradley Boan’s conditional release date March 18, 1980.

8. Upon the arrival of an inmate’s conditional release date, the inmate must be released from confinement. The Kansas Adult Authority has the authority, however, to impose sufficient conditions to protect society from the inmate. The law also allows for a conditional releasee, who breaks the law or violates the conditions of his conditional release, to be returned to prison to serve out his maximum sentence.

9. Bradley Boan had no disciplinary violations while in prison. He was, however, housed in the A & T Segregation at Kansas State Penitentiary from January 29, 1980, to January 31, 1980, for mental problems.

10. Bradley Boan was conditionally released on March 18, 1980. The certificate of conditional release was issued by the Kansas Adult Authority. The Kansas Adult Authority determines whether conditions should be imposed upon conditional releasees. The Kansas State Penitentiary, however, computes the conditional release date. It was the policy of the Kansas Adult Authority in 1980 to impose no conditions on conditional releasees. The institutional staff at the penitentiary and the Department of Corrections knew that it was KAA’s policy to impose no special conditions on conditional releasees. The only time the KAA considered placing conditions on a conditional releasee, including supervision, would have been when the imposition of such conditions was recommended to the KAA by the institutional staff of the penitentiary.

11. Every conditional releasee, including Bradley Boan, was required to meet two general conditions: (1) conduct himself in a law abiding manner, and (2) keep the Secretary of Corrections informed of his current address. Conditional releasees who did not obey the law, or whose release became incompatible with the best interests of society, were to be re-taken on a warrant issued by the Secretary of Corrections and re-imprisoned pending a revocation hearing by the KAA.

12. During Boan’s incarceration, numerous reports were made concerning his behavior, including his mental condition.

13. The Kansas Adult Authority had complete access to all records maintained by the Department of Corrections, including material from the inmate’s file at the penitentiary, and at the central office of the Department of Corrections in Topeka.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Beck v. Kansas University Psychiatry Foundation, 671 F. Supp. 1563, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4669 (D. Kan. 1987).

671 F. Supp. 1563 (Beck v. Kansas University Psychiatry Foundation) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Rosado v. Wyman
397 U.S. 397 (Supreme Court, 1970)
Hagans v. Lavine
415 U.S. 528 (Supreme Court, 1974)
Baker v. McCollan
443 U.S. 137 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Martinez v. California
444 U.S. 277 (Supreme Court, 1980)
Daniels v. Williams
474 U.S. 327 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Davidson v. Cannon
474 U.S. 344 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Leeanne Wright v. The City of Ozark
715 F.2d 1513 (Eleventh Circuit, 1983)
Zelma Jones v. George M. Phyfer
761 F.2d 642 (Eleventh Circuit, 1985)
Hopkins v. State
702 P.2d 311 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1985)
Rajala v. Doresky
661 P.2d 1251 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1983)
Hensley v. Carl Graham Glass
597 P.2d 641 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1979)
Springston v. IML Freight, Inc.
704 P.2d 394 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 1985)
Beck v. Kansas Adult Authority
735 P.2d 222 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1987)