Brooks v. Oak Ridge

Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit·Decided July 21, 2000·No. 99-5516·Published

Opinion

5(&200(1'(' )25 )8//7(;7 38%/,&$7,21 3XUVXDQW WR 6L[WK &LUFXLW 5XOH 

(/(&7521,& &,7$7,21  )(' $SS 3 WK &LU )LOH 1DPH DS

81,7('67$7(6&28572)$33($/6 )257+(6,;7+&,5&8,7 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

52%(57 %522.6 ; 3ODLQWLII$SSHOODQW    1R Y  !  &,7< 2) 2$. 5,'*(  'HIHQGDQW$SSHOOHH  1 $SSHDOIURPWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV'LVWULFW&RXUW IRUWKH(DVWHUQ'LVWULFWRI7HQQHVVHHDW.QR[YLOOH 1RnsDPHV+sDUYLV'LVWULFWsXGJH $UJXHG0DUFK 'HFLGHGDQG)LOHGsXO\ %HIRUH1255,60225(DQG&2/(&LUFXLWsXGJHV BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB &2816(/ $5*8('  s 0LNHO 'L[RQ .QR[YLOOH 7HQQHVVHH IRU $SSHOODQW  sRKQ & 'XII\ :$7621 +2//2: 5((9(6.QR[YLOOH7HQQHVVHHIRU$SSHOOHH21%5,() s0LNHO'L[RQ.QR[YLOOH7HQQHVVHHIRU$SSHOODQWsRKQ& 'XII\ :$7621 +2//2:  5((9(6 .QR[YLOOH 7HQQHVVHHIRU$SSHOOHH

  %URRNVY&LW\RI2DN5LGJH 1R

0225(sGHOLYHUHGWKHRSLQLRQRIWKHFRXUWLQZKLFK &2/(sMRLQHG1255,6s S GHOLYHUHGDVHSDUDWH RSLQLRQFRQFXUULQJLQWKHUHVXOW BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 23,1,21 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB .$5(1 1(/621 0225( &LUFXLW sXGJH  3ODLQWLII DSSHOODQW5REHUW%URRNVDFLWL]HQRI2DN5LGJH7HQQHVVHH EURXJKWVXLWDJDLQVWWKHGHIHQGDQWDSSHOOHHWKH&LW\RI2DN 5LGJH m2DN 5LGJHl  DOOHJLQJ WKDW WKH m)ULHQGVKLS %HOOl HUHFWHGLQDSXEOLFSDUNRQWKHILIWLHWKDQQLYHUVDU\RIWKHFLW\jV IRXQGLQJLVD%XGGKLVWV\PEROZKRVHSUHVHQFHUHVXOWVLQDQ HQGRUVHPHQW RI WKH %XGGKLVW UHOLJLRQ LQ YLRODWLRQ RI WKH (VWDEOLVKPHQW &ODXVHV RI WKH 86 DQG 7HQQHVVHH &RQVWLWXWLRQV 86 & $%DPHQG,7 & $%DUW, †7KHGLVWULFWFRXUW JUDQWHGVXPPDU\MXGJPHQWWR2DN 5LGJH)LQGLQJQRFRQVWLWXWLRQDOYLRODWLRQLQWKHFLW\jVXVHRI WKH)ULHQGVKLS%HOOZH$)),50 ,%$&.*5281' ,QRUGHUWRFHOHEUDWHWKHILIWLHWKDQQLYHUVDU\RIWKH&LW\RI 2DN 5LGJH WKH 2DN 5LGJH &RPPXQLW\ )RXQGDWLRQ m)RXQGDWLRQl DSULYDWHQRQSURILWFRUSRUDWLRQFRQVWLWXWHG E\ 2DN 5LGJH FLWL]HQV VROLFLWHG SURSRVDOV IRU D FRPPHPRUDWLYHSURMHFWDQGXOWLPDWHO\FKRVHWKHGLVSOD\DW LVVXH LQ WKLV FDVH  7KH GHVLJQ IRU WKH FRPPHPRUDWLYH m)ULHQGVKLS%HOOlZDVVXEPLWWHGDQGGHYHORSHGE\WZR2DN 5LGJHFLWL]HQVQHLWKHURIZKRPZDVD%XGGKLVW'HVFULEHG LQ WKH )RXQGDWLRQjV EURFKXUH DV KRQRULQJ WKH 2DN 5LGJH FLWL]HQVZKRZRUNHGRQWKH0DQKDWWDQ3URMHFWGXULQJ:RUOG :DU,,GHPRQVWUDWLQJWKHKLVWRULFDOOLQNEHWZHHQ2DN5LGJH DQG sDSDQ DQG H[SUHVVLQJ KRSH IRU IXWXUH SHDFH DQG 1R %URRNVY&LW\RI2DN5LGJH 

IULHQGVKLSDPRQJQDWLRQVWKHODUJHEURQ]H)ULHQGVKLS%HOO EHDUV D VWURQJ UHVHPEODQFH WR WKH EHOOV WKDW DUH IRXQG LQ %XGGKLVW WHPSOHV  :HLJKLQJ IRXU WRQV WKH EHOO PHDVXUHV DSSUR[LPDWHO\VL[DQGRQHKDOIIHHWWDOODQGIRXUDQGRQHKDOI IHHWLQGLDPHWHU2QWKHH[WHULRURIWKHEHOODUHNQREVDQG WZRODUJHSDQHOVEHDULQJLPDJHVDVVRFLDWHGZLWKsDSDQDQG 7HQQHVVHHLQFOXGLQJWKHRIILFLDOIORZHUVELUGVDQGWUHHVRI HDFK7KHVXUIDFHRIWKHEHOOLVLQVFULEHGZLWKWKHIROORZLQJ ZRUGVm,QWHUQDWLRQDO)ULHQGVKLSlm3HDFHlm3HDUO+DUERU 'HFHPEHU   9s 'D\ 6HSWHPEHU  l DQG m+LURVKLPD$XJXVW1DJDVDNL$XJXVWls$ DW 3RVWPD$II  3KRWRJUDSKVRI%HOO 7KHEHOOLV DFFRPSDQLHG E\ D ODUJH ZRRGHQ VWULNHU DQG E\ D SODTXH FRQWDLQLQJWKHVHZRUGV )5,(1'6+,3%(// 7+,6 %521=( %(// :$6 '(6,*1(' ,1 2$. 5,'*($1'&$67,1s$3$1,1726(59($6 $6<0%2/2)7+(%21'62))5,(1'6+,3$1' 0878$/ 5(*$5' 7+$7 +$9( '(9(/23(' %(7:((1 2$. 5,'*( $1' s$3$1 29(5 7+( 3$67),)7<<($56)5,(1'6+,30$'(62 08&+ 025( 0($1,1*)8/ %(&$86( 2) 7+( 7(55,%/(&21)/,&72):25/':$5,,:+,&+ 2$.5,'*(3/$<('68&+$6,*1,),&$1752/( ,1(1',1*7+,6%(//)857+(56(59(6$6$ 6<0%2/ 2) 285 0878$/ /21*,1* $1' 3/('*(72:25.)25)5(('20:(//%(,1* s867,&($1'3($&()25$//7+(3(23/(2) 7+(:25/',17+(<($5672&20( 7KHIROORZLQJZRUGVDSSHDULQDVPDOOHUIRQW *,9(1727+(3(23/(2)2$.5,'*(217+( 2&&$6,21 2) 7+(,5 7+ %,57+'$< %< 7+(

 7KH FLW\ RI 2DN 5LGJH ZDV FUHDWHG LQ  ZKHQ 3UHVLGHQW 5RRVHYHOW GHVLJQDWHG WKH DUHD ZKHUH WKH WRZQ QRZ VLWV DV WKH VLWH RI WKH m0DQKDWWDQ 3URMHFWl ZKLFK UHVXOWHG LQ WKH EXLOGLQJ RI WKH WZR DWRPLF ERPEV WKDW ZHUH GHSOR\HG E\ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV LQ :RUOG :DU ,,  %URRNVY&LW\RI2DN5LGJH 1R 1R %URRNVY&LW\RI2DN5LGJH 

2$. 5,'*( &20081,7< )281'$7,21 $1' BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB )5,(1'6,17+(81,7('67$7(6s$3$1$1' 27+(51$7,216 &21&855(1&(  BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 2$.5,'*(7(11(66(( %2512):$5/,9,1*)253($&(*52:,1* $/$1(1255,6&LUFXLWsXGJHFRQFXUULQJ$OWKRXJK 7+528*+6&,(1&( , FRQFXU LQ WKH UHVXOW UHDFKHG E\ WKH PDMRULW\ , ZULWH VHSDUDWHO\ WR H[SUHVV P\ YLHZ WKDW SODLQWLII KDV IDLOHG WR s$DW 3KRWRJUDSKRI3ODTXH  HVWDEOLVK WKDW WKH 2DN 5LGJH EHOO LV LQ IDFW D %XGGKLVW UHOLJLRXVV\PERO7KHFRQIOLFWLQJHYLGHQFHLQWKHUHFRUGDOVR 7KHEHOOZKLFKZDVSDLGIRUWKURXJKFRQWULEXWLRQVUDLVHG VXSSRUWV D FRQFOXVLRQ WKDW WKH EHOO LV D sDSDQHVH FXOWXUDO E\WKH)RXQGDWLRQZDVFDVWLQ.\RWRsDSDQDQGVKLSSHGWR REMHFW RU WKDW DQ\ UHVHPEODQFH WR D %XGGKLVW EHOO LV QRW 2DN5LGJH$QXPEHURI2DN5LGJHFLWL]HQVDVVRFLDWHGZLWK VXEVWDQWLDOHQRXJKWRJLYHWKH2DN5LGJHEHOOLWVHOIUHOLJLRXV WKH EHOO SURMHFW WUDYHOHG WR sDSDQ LQ RUGHU WR REVHUYH WKH VLJQLILFDQFH,WKHUHIRUHGRXEWZKHWKHUD/HPRQDQDO\VLVLV FDVWLQJFHUHPRQ\LQFOXGLQJFLW\FRXQFLOPDQ(G1HSKHZ,Q HYHQQHFHVVDU\LQWKLVVLWXDWLRQ,QDQ\FDVHDVWKHPDMRULW\ KLVGHSRVLWLRQWHVWLPRQ\1HSKHZGHVFULEHGWKHFHUHPRQ\ RSLQLRQQRWHVWKH2DN5LGJHEHOOSDVVHVWKH/HPRQWHVWDQG WKHUHIRUHGRHVQRWYLRODWHWKH(VWDEOLVKPHQW&ODXVHHYHQLILW >7@KHUHZDVDnVRPHNLQGRIDSHUVRQDPRQNWKH\ ZHUHVKRZQWREHDUHOLJLRXVV\PERO VDLGLQNLQGRIDQRUDQJHFDSHZKRZDVFKDQWLQJDOORI WKH WLPH DQG DW FHUWDLQ SRLQWV ZKHQ WKH\ WKRXJKW WKH PHWDOFRQWHQWKDGEHHQVXLWDEO\DGMXVWHGWKH\XQGHUWRRN VRPHFHUHPRQLDOV\PEROLFJHVWXUHVRISXWWLQJLQDUWLIDFWV >VXFKDVPDQXVFULSWVGRJZRRGWZLJVDQGORWXVEORRPV@ LQWRWKHPROWHQPHWDO s$DW 1HSKHZ'HS 1HSKHZDOVRWHVWLILHGWKDWKHZDV WROG WKDW WKH FHUHPRQ\ ZDV D FXOWXUDO WUDGLWLRQ WKDW ZDV QHFHVVDU\WRLPSDUWmVRXOlWRWKHEHOO$WRQHSRLQWGXULQJWKH FHUHPRQ\KHZDVWROGWRSUD\WRZKDWHYHU*RGKHZLVKHG 2QFHWKHEHOODUULYHGLQ2DN5LGJHWKH)RXQGDWLRQDUUDQJHG IRU D 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 7HQQHVVHH SURIHVVRU DQG DUFKLWHFW WR GHVLJQ D SDYLOLRQ WR KRXVH LW  7KH SDYLOLRQ D WULDQJXODU VWUXFWXUHPDGHRIRDNZRRGDQGFRYHUHGE\DFRSSHUURRI LQFRUSRUDWHVERWK(DVWHUQDQG:HVWHUQDUFKLWHFWXUDOVW\OHVDQG

 1HSKHZjV DFFRXQW RI WKH FHUHPRQ\ ZDV FRQILUPHG E\ 3URIHVVRU 6WHYHQ +HLQH D VSHFLDOLVW LQ (DVW $VLDQ UHOLJLRQV ZKR YLHZHG D YLGHRWDSH RI WKH FHUHPRQ\ +HLQH DOVR DGGHG WKH RSLQLRQ WKDW WKH PDQXVFULSWV WRVVHG LQWR WKH PHWDO ZHUH SUD\HUV  %URRNVY&LW\RI2DN5LGJH 1R 1R %URRNVY&LW\RI2DN5LGJH 

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

Brooks v. Oak Ridge, (6th Cir. 2000).

Brooks v. Oak Ridge (Brooks v. Oak Ridge) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.