Boyce v. Eggers

513 F. Supp. 2d 139, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45799, 2007 WL 1827217
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedJune 25, 2007
DocketCivil Action 05-2431 (JBS)
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 513 F. Supp. 2d 139 (Boyce v. Eggers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boyce v. Eggers, 513 F. Supp. 2d 139, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45799, 2007 WL 1827217 (D.N.J. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION

JEROME B. SIMANDLE, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This matter is before the Court on the motion for summary judgment by Defendants Brian Conte, Brian Beppel and Borough of Mount Ephraim (“the moving defendants” or “the Mount Ephraim Defendants”), pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56. For the reasons explained below, the Court shall grant the motion.

II. BACKGROUND

This case arises out of Plaintiffs’ distribution of flyers to residents of Mount Ephraim and a criminal complaint filed against them by Jamey Eggers, a defendant who has not appeared in this action. Plaintiffs allege that the moving defendants encouraged Eggers to file a complaint against them in retaliation for Plaintiffs’ political activities, in violation of the First Amendment. The Mount Ephraim defendants filed this motion for summary judgment, arguing that they have no culpability for the complaint a private citizen filed.

II. SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

Summary judgment is appropriate when the materials of record “show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(c). A dispute is “genuine” if “the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party.” See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A fact is “material” only if it might affect the outcome of the suit under the applicable rule of law. Id. Disputes over irrelevant or unnecessary facts will not preclude a grant of summary judgment. Id.

In deciding whether there is a disputed issue of material fact, a court must view the evidence in favor of the non-moving party by extending any reasonable favorable inference to that party; in other words, “the nonmoving party’s evidence ‘is to be believed, and all justifiable inferences are to be drawn in [that party’s] favor.’ ” Hunt v. Cromartie, 526 U.S. 541, 552, 119 S.Ct. 1545, 143 L.Ed.2d 731 (1999) (quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)). The threshold inquiry is whether there are “any genuine factual issues that properly can be resolved only by a finder of fact because they may reasonably be resolved in favor of either party.” Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. at 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505; Brewer v. Quaker State Oil Ref. Corp., 72 F.3d 326, 329-30 (3d Cir.1995) (citation omitted). The moving party always bears the initial burden of showing that no genuine issue of material fact exists, regardless of which party would have the burden of persuasion at trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Country Floors v. P’ship of Gepner and Ford, 930 F.2d 1056, 1061-63 (3d Cir.1991). “The burden on the moving party may be discharged by ‘showing’ — that is, pointing out to the district court — that there is an absence of evidence to support the non-moving party’s case.” Id. at 325, 106 S.Ct. 2548.

“[T]he nonmoving party may not, in the face of a showing of a lack of a genuine issue, withstand summary judgment by resting on mere allegations or denials in *141 the pleadings; rather, that party must set forth ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial,’ else summary judgment, ‘if appropriate,’ will be entered.” U.S. v. Premises Known as 717 S. Woodward St., Allentown, Pa., 2 F.3d 529, 533 (3d Cir.1993) (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e)) (citations omitted).

Rule 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, 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. In such a situation, there can be “no genuine issue as to any material fact,” since a complete failure of proof concerning an essential element of the nonmoving party’s case necessarily renders all other facts immaterial.

Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548 (citation omitted).

III. QUALIFIED IMMUNITY

Defendants’ motion for summary judgment includes a claim that the individual officers (Beppel and Conte) are entitled to qualified immunity.

“Government officials performing discretionary functions generally are shielded from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.” Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 818, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 73 L.Ed.2d 396 (1982). The qualified immunity standard “gives ample room for mistaken judgments by protecting all but the plainly incompetent or those who knowingly violate the law.” Hunter v. Bryant, 502 U.S. 224, 229, 112 S.Ct. 534, 116 L.Ed.2d 589 (1991) (internal quotations omitted). In determining qualified immunity, we first ask whether “the facts alleged, viewed in the light most favorable to the party asserting the injury, show that the officer’s conduct violated a constitutional right.” Curley v. Klem, 298 F.3d 271, 277 (3d Cir.2002). If so, we then ask whether it “would be clear to a reasonable officer that his conduct was unlawful in the situation he confronted.” Id. (quoting Saucier v. Katz, 533 U.S. 194, 202, 121 S.Ct. 2151, 150 L.Ed.2d 272 (2001)).

Gilles v. Davis, 427 F.3d 197, 203-04 (3d Cir.2005). The first step of the qualified immunity analysis, therefore, is to determine whether the conduct alleged, when the facts are viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, states a claim for a violation of a constitutional right. Accordingly, the Court shall integrate its qualified immunity analysis into its discussion of each of Plaintiffs claims on which Defendants seek summary judgment, below.

IV. FACTS

The facts set forth here are admitted facts and other facts that will be viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving parties, the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs are Anna Boyce (“Boyce”) and Nicholas Sala-mone, Jr.

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

Related

SCARBO v. ATHENA
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2025
HOWARD v. TREELINE SPORTS
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2025
JENNINGS v. JENNINGS
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2025
HOWARD v. GIANT COMPANY
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2025
PEDRO v. HILTON WORLDWIDE, INC.
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2025
SHERO v. GALLAGHER
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2025
CROOM v. CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2023
FERRARA v. PIAZZA
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2022
THOMAS v. WADE
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2022
MCCRACKEN v. BLEI
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2022
TAYLOR
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2022
DANTZLER v. YOUNG
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2021
ROYAL v. MACY'S CORPORATION
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2021
RIVERA v. SCINICO
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2021
WHITAKER-JONES v. TULL
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2020
SAUNDERS v. BB&T BANK
E.D. Pennsylvania, 2020

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
513 F. Supp. 2d 139, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45799, 2007 WL 1827217, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boyce-v-eggers-njd-2007.