Cuellar v. City of San Antonio

821 S.W.2d 250, 1991 Tex. App. LEXIS 3168, 1991 WL 272201
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 9, 1991
Docket04-91-00062-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 821 S.W.2d 250 (Cuellar v. City of San Antonio) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cuellar v. City of San Antonio, 821 S.W.2d 250, 1991 Tex. App. LEXIS 3168, 1991 WL 272201 (Tex. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinions

OPINION

CHAPA, Justice.

Appellants, Adolfo Cuellar, Sr., Alicia Cuellar, and Norma Jean Olivares, as next [252]*252friend for Angelica Calderon, appeal a summary judgment granted in favor of appel-lee, the City of San Antonio. The cause of action arose as a result of allegations that San Antonio police officer Stephen Smith shot and killed Adolfo Cuellar Jr., without justification or excuse, while Cuellar was in his front yard.

The issue is whether the trial court committed reversible error in granting the summary judgment.

The party moving for summary judgment has the burden of showing that no genuine issue of material fact exists and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Nixon v. Mr. Property Management Co., 690 S.W.2d 546, 548 (Tex.1985); Swilley v. Hughes, 488 S.W.2d 64, 67 (Tex.1972); TEX.R.CIV.P. 166a(c). In deciding whether a disputed material fact issue precludes summary judgment, the reviewing court will take as true all evidence favoring the nonmovant. Nixon, 690 S.W.2d at 549; Montgomery v. Kennedy, 669 S.W.2d 309, 311 (Tex.1984). Every reasonable inference from the evidence will be indulged in favor of the nonmovant, and any doubts will be resolved in his favor. Nixon, 690 S.W.2d at 549; Montgomery, 669 S.W.2d at 311.

In reviewing summary judgment evidence, it is well established that sworn pleadings and denials to requests for admissions are not summary judgment evidence in Texas. Americana Motel, Inc. v. Johnson, 610 S.W.2d 143 (Tex.1980); Hidalgo v. Surety Sav. and Loan Ass’n, 462 S.W.2d 540, 545 (Tex.1971). As such, a motion for summary judgment is a pleading and may not be considered as summary judgment evidence, Kendall v. Whataburger, Inc., 759 S.W.2d 751, 754 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1988, no writ), nor is a response to summary judgment competent summary judgment evidence. Rhodes v. Interfirst Bank Fort Worth, N.A., 719 S.W.2d 263, 264 (Tex.App.—Fort Worth 1986, no writ). However, affidavits, depositions, interrogatories, and admissions are proper summary judgment evidence when referred to or incorporated in the motion for summary judgment, Stewart v. U.S. Leasing Corp., 702 S.W.2d 288, 290 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1985, no writ), citing First Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass’n v. Bustamante, 609 S.W.2d 845, 849 (Tex.Civ.App.—San Antonio 1980, no writ), but the trial court may not receive extrinsic evidence, either oral or documentary, at the hearing on the motion for summary judgment. State v. Easley, 404 S.W.2d 296, 297 (Tex.1966); Citizens State Bank of Dickinson v. Shapiro, 575 S.W.2d 375 (Tex.Civ.App.—Tyler 1978, writ ref’d n.r.e.). Statements contained in a brief also do not constitute summary judgment proof. Nationwide Fin. Corp. v. English, 604 S.W.2d 458, 463 (Tex.Civ.App.—Tyler 1980, dism’d as moot).

If the judgment granting the motion for summary judgment does not specify upon which ground it is based, the appellant must show that all of the independent grounds alleged are insufficient to support the judgment in order to obtain reversal. Rogers v. Ricane Enter., Inc., 772 S.W.2d 76, 79 (Tex.1989); Tilotta v. Goodall, 752 S.W.2d 160, 161 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1988, writ denied).

Supporting and opposing affidavits must be made on personal knowledge and set forth facts which would be admissible in evidence. TEX.R.CIV.P. 166a(f). Statements in an affidavit which are mere conclusions or which represent the affiant’s opinion are insufficient. See Wise v. Dallas Southwest Media Corp., 596 S.W.2d 533, 536 (Tex.Civ.App.—Beaumont 1979, writ ref d n.r.e.). The affidavit must set forth facts, not legal conclusions. Beta Supply, Inc. v. G.E.A. Power Cooling Sys., Inc., 748 S.W.2d 541, 542 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1988, writ denied); Harbour Heights Dev., Inc. v. Seaback, 596 S.W.2d 296, 297 (Tex.Civ.App.—Houston [14th Dist] 1980, no writ). Hearsay statements contained in an affidavit are not sufficient controverting evidence. Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Penn, 363 S.W.2d 230, 233 (Tex.1962); Lopez v. Hink, 757 S.W.2d 449, 451 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1988, no writ); Butler v. Hide-A-Way Lake Club, Inc., 730 S.W.2d 405, [253]*253411 (Tex.App.—Eastland 1987, writ ref’d n.r.e.).

In the present case, appellants filed a cause of action against the appellee pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983 contending “that Stephen Richard Smith, as an employee or agent of the Defendant City of San Antonio, operating under color of statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, deprived the Plaintiffs’ Decedent [appellant] of rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Federal Constitution or Federal Law” when Adolfo Cuellar was shot and killed by Smith. Appellants’ further contended that the appellee, acting though its agent Smith, proximately caused the death of Cuellar as follows:

1. The Defendant City of San Antonio failed to adequately psychologically train and/or psychologically evaluate Stephen Richard Smith for fitness as a Police Officer, or, in the alternative, were grossly negligent in the psychological training and psychological evaluation of Stephen Richard Smith;
2. Defendant City of San Antonio, acting by and through its Principals or Vice Principals had actual knowledge of the unfitness of Stephen Richard Smith as a Police Officer prior to the death of Adolfo Cuellar, Jr. No action, or insufficient action, was taken in face of the knowledge of the facts made known to the Defendant City of San Antonio. The actions of Stephen Richard Smith, and others, in regard to the deprivation of rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Federal Constitution, particularly the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee to be secure from the deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, amounted to a policy of the Defendant.

Appellee filed a motion for summary judgment, contending that it was entitled to judgment as a matter of law because 1) “if Stephen Smith was the sniper who intentionally killed Adolfo Cuellar, Jr.

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Bluebook (online)
821 S.W.2d 250, 1991 Tex. App. LEXIS 3168, 1991 WL 272201, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cuellar-v-city-of-san-antonio-texapp-1991.