Fillmore v. Eichkorn

891 F. Supp. 1482, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7822, 1995 WL 335008
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedMay 18, 1995
Docket93-4211-RDR
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 891 F. Supp. 1482 (Fillmore v. Eichkorn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fillmore v. Eichkorn, 891 F. Supp. 1482, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7822, 1995 WL 335008 (D. Kan. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

ROGERS, Senior District Judge.

This is an action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 with pendent state law claims. Plaintiff is suing three Kansas Highway Patrol (“KHP”) troopers who participated in plaintiffs arrest on September 25, 1992. These defendants are: Trooper John Eichkorn; Trooper Karl Koenig; and Trooper Damon Carlton. Plaintiff is also suing many correctional officers and officials of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections (“SCDOC”) in connection with plaintiffs detention following his arrest. These defendants are: Scott Greeno; Richard Hamilton; Todd Rogers; Timothy James; Brian Cole; Kenneth Akins; David Seymour; Merrill McCue; Kenneth Sloop; Tammy Reedy; Rhonda Redmon; Earl Hindman and Thomas Merkel. 1 Defendants Hindman and Merkel are sued in their official capacities. The other SCDOC defendants are sued in their individual capacities.

This case is now before the court upon three motions for summary judgment. Plaintiff has filed a motion for summary judgment. The defendant troopers have filed a motion for summary judgment. The SCDOC defendants have also filed a motion for summary judgment. The court has considered all three motions and the materials submitted in support of the motions. After full consideration, the court believes summary judgment should be granted against plaintiffs federal law claims, and the court should decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over plaintiffs state law claims.

Plaintiff’s Claims

Plaintiffs complaint makes the following claims against the defendant KHP troopers: unlawful seizure of plaintiff in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments; unlawful arrest in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments; unlawful retalia *1486 tion or punishment for exercising plaintiffs right to silence in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment; unlawful search in violation of Section 15 of the Bill of Rights of the Kansas Constitution; unlawful seizure in violation of Section 15 of the Bill of Rights of the Kansas Constitution; and malicious prosecution.

Plaintiffs complaint claims that defendant SCDOC officers and officials unlawfully punished him in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment in the following manner: by confining plaintiff in a detox cell when he was not intoxicated; denying plaintiff toilet paper and toilet facilities; denying plaintiffs requests for distilled water to drink and 100% cotton clothing to wear in accordance with plaintiffs religious beliefs; using excessive force to disrobe plaintiff; denying plaintiff a Holy Bible; denying plaintiff writing material; denying plaintiff the right to make a telephone call; denying plaintiff a chair, mattress, blanket or pillow; denying plaintiffs request for a psychological counselor; confining plaintiff in cells with the lights left on at full intensity day and night; confining plaintiff in cells with television surveillance; ogling plaintiff while he was naked in his cell; and maintaining plaintiffs confinement for more than 48 hours without a probable cause hearing. Plaintiff further claims that several of the above-described actions violated his right to privacy, his rights under the First Amendment, state statute, and Section 15 of the Bill of Rights of the Kansas Constitution. Procedural Standards

Plaintiff has brought this case pro se. Accordingly, the court has not strictly applied the standards of practice against his pleadings. See Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1110 (10th Cir.1991). This does not excuse plaintiff, who is not a novice at litigation, from the burden of coming forward with evidence to support his claims as required by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the local rules of this court. Dees v. Vendel, 856 F.Supp. 1531, 1536 (D.Kan.1994) citing Pueblo Neighborhood Health Centers, Inc. v. Losavio, 847 F.2d 642, 649 (10th Cir.1988); Local Rule 206 (material facts deemed admitted unless specifically controverted). In assessing the factual support for plaintiffs claims, the court has considered all the material supplied for all three summary judgment motions, including the affidavits filed by plaintiff. 2

The general guidelines for analyzing summary judgment motions were reviewed by the Tenth Circuit in Martin v. Nannie and the Newborns, Inc., 3 F.3d 1410, 1414 (10th Cir.1993):

Summary judgment is appropriate “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, 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); accord Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247, 91 L.Ed.2d 202, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2509 (1986); Russillo v. Scarborough, 935 F.2d 1167, 1170 (10th Cir.1991). The moving party bears the initial burden of showing that there is an absence of any issues of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 91 L.Ed.2d 265, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552 (1986); Hicks v. City of Watonga, 942 F.2d 737, 743 (10th Cir.1991). If the moving party meets this burden, the non-moving party then has the burden to come forward with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial as to elements essential to the non-moving party’s case. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586-87, 89 L.Ed.2d 538, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1355-56 (1986); Bacchus Indus., Inc. v. Arvin Indus., Inc., 939 F.2d 887, 891 (10th Cir.1991). To sustain this burden, the non-moving party cannot rest on the mere allegations in the pleadings. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e); Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553; Applied Genetics Int’l v. First Affiliated Sec., Inc., 912 F.2d 1238, 1241 (10th Cir.1990).

Plaintiffs Claims against KHP Troopers Eichkom, Carlton & Koenig

The following uncontroverted facts are pertinent to these claims. On the evening of *1487 September 25, 1992, Trooper Eichkorn was on duty and stopped a pickup truck which plaintiff was driving on U.S. Highway 75 south of Topeka, Kansas. Eichkorn’s duties included enforcing the traffic and vehicle laws of the State of Kansas. In the course of these duties, Trooper Eichkorn and other troopers have frequently stopped vehicles with defective taillights.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
891 F. Supp. 1482, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7822, 1995 WL 335008, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fillmore-v-eichkorn-ksd-1995.