Funches v. Hermeyer

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedAugust 21, 2024
Docket3:20-cv-50088
StatusUnknown

This text of Funches v. Hermeyer (Funches v. Hermeyer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Funches v. Hermeyer, (N.D. Ill. 2024).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS EASTERN DIVISION PEREZ C. FUNCHES, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) No. 3:20 C 50088 ) JASON HERMEYER and ) Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer CHRISTOPHER MELVIN, ) ) Defendants. )

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

In February 2020, after he was released from Dixon Correctional Center, Plaintiff Perez Funches brought this suit against more than a dozen individuals for constitutional violations that he alleges occurred during his incarceration. Judge Reinhard of this court dismissed a number of claims and defendants at initial screening. (Order [32] at 5.) What is left of the case are two claims against two Defendants: a First Amendment retaliation claim against Defendants Jason Hermeyer and Christopher Melvin, and an Eighth Amendment sexual assault claim against Hermeyer alone. Defendants now move for summary judgment [89]. For the reasons explained below, the motion is granted. BACKGROUND I. Local Rule 56.1 The court notes, first, Plaintiff Funches’s noncompliance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 and Local Rule 56.1. Local Rule 56.1 requires that the party moving for summary judgment file “a supporting memorandum of law” and “a statement of material facts” that attaches any cited evidentiary material. N.D. ILL. L.R. 56.1(a)(1)–(2). The nonmovant may then respond by filing his own memorandum of law and his own statement of facts that admits or disputes the facts asserted by the moving party. N.D. ILL. L.R. 56.1(b)(2), (e)(1)–(2). Consistent with these rules, Defendants filed, along with their motion for summary judgment, a supporting memorandum of law [91] and a statement of undisputed material facts [90]. Defendants also served on Funches a Local Rule 56.2 Notice [93], explaining the requirements for a pro se litigant opposing summary judgment. See N.D. ILL. L.R. 56.2. Despite that Notice and several extensions of time to respond, Funches has never filed either a responsive memorandum of law or a responsive statement of facts.1 His failure to follow the Local Rules “has consequences.” Daniels v. Janca, No. 17 C 906, 2019 WL 2772525, at *1 (N.D. Ill. July 2, 2019). Specifically, Funches’s non-response to Defendants’ statement of facts means that those statements “may be deemed admitted.” N.D. ILL. L.R. 56.1(e)(3). In other words, the court has the discretion to accept as true the facts set forth in Defendants’ statement to the extent those facts are “supported by admissible and docketed evidence.” Daniels, 2019 WL 2772525, at *2 (quoting Kreg Therapeutics, Inc. v. VitalGo, Inc., 919 F.3d 405, 411 (7th Cir. 2019) (court may accept movant’s statement of facts as undisputed where nonmovant fails to comply with Local Rule)); see also Zoretic v. Darge, 832 F.3d 639, 641 (7th Cir. 2016) (“[D]istrict courts are [not] obliged in our adversary system to scour the record looking for factual disputes.” (quoting Greer v. Bd. of Educ., 267 F.3d 723, 727 (7th Cir. 2001))); Stevo v. Frasor, 662 F.3d 880, 886–87 (7th Cir. 2011) (“[W]hether to apply the [local] rule strictly or to overlook any transgression is one left to the district court’s discretion.” (quoting Little v. Cox’s Supermarkets, 71 F.3d 637, 641 (7th Cir. 1995))); Shaffer v. Am. Med. Ass’n, 662 F.3d 439, 442 (7th Cir. 2011) (facts not contained in Rule 56.1 statements may be disregarded). Similarly, Funches’s failure to file a responsive memorandum of law means that he has waived any counterarguments he might have

1 The original briefing schedule set a date of December 7, 2023 for Funches’s response [94]. When he failed to meet that deadline, Magistrate Judge Schneider sua sponte extended that deadline to January 17, 2024 [95]. Shortly before that date, Funches moved for a further extension, which Magistrate Judge Schneider granted, setting a new response date of March 11, 2024 [97, 98]. Judge Schneider later granted two further extensions—to April 22, 2024 and May 28, 2024—but cautioned that the fourth extension would be “final” [99, 100, 102, 103]. made to Defendants’ motion. See Bradley v. Village of University Park, 59 F.4th 887, 897–98 (7th Cir. 2023) (party waives counterarguments by failing to respond). This does not mean, however, that Defendants are automatically entitled to summary judgment. Even where the nonmovant fails to comply with Local Rule 56.1(b)(2) and fails to offer any counterarguments, the movant “must still demonstrate that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Keeton v. Morningstar, Inc., 667 F.3d 877, 884 (7th Cir. 2012). Thus, while the only facts under consideration are those asserted by Defendants, the court still views those facts, and draws all reasonable inferences therefrom, in Funches’s favor. See id. II. Material Facts Funches was in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections (“IDOC”) from 1993 to 2019, and was at all relevant times to this case incarcerated at Dixon Correctional Center (“Dixon”). (Defs.’ L.R. 56.1 Statement [90] ¶¶ 1–2.) As part of a program called Illinois Correctional Industries, Dixon operates an Optical Lab—an eyeglass manufacturing facility— where incarcerated prisoners are employed. (Id. ¶ 7.) During the timeframe relevant to this case, Funches worked in the Frames Department of the Optical Lab; Defendant Melvin served as the Optical Lab’s Superintendent, overseeing daily operations, staffing patterns, security measures, and production schedules; and Defendant Hermeyer worked at the Lab as an Industries Supervisor, checking inventories and conducting pat-downs of prisoners as they exited the Lab. (Id. ¶¶ 4–6, 8–9, 34.) In 2018, prisoners working through Illinois Correctional Industries, including at the Lab, could earn credits toward early release under Illinois law. (Id. ¶¶ 16–20 (citing 730 ILCS 5/3-6- 3(a)) and Ill. Admin. Code. tit. 20, § 107.520(d) (effective Feb. 1, 2013).) The number of credits a prisoner could earn was based, in part, on how many hours and days he worked and whether the work was considered “full-time,” meaning at least four hours per day for five days per week. (Id. ¶¶ 19–20.) Until late 2017, the Lab operated five days per week, and prisoners could “on most occasions” work at least four hours each of the five days. (Id. ¶ 21.) Beginning in late 2017, however, the Lab saw a decline in demand for the eyewear products it manufactured, so Illinois Correctional Industries instructed the Lab to reduce operations to just four days per week. (Id. ¶¶ 22–23.) As a result, Funches and other similarly situated prisoners suffered a decrease in the hours they worked at the Lab. (Id. ¶ 26.) In January 2018, Funches “signed an Earned Good Conduct Credit Determination for work in the Correctional Industry Program at Dixon Correctional Center with a goal period of 90 days.” (Id. ¶ 27.) On April 1, Melvin “approved a recommendation that [Funches] receive 75 days of earned program sentence credit”—15 days fewer than Funches had expected. (Id. ¶ 28; Funches Dep., Defs.’ Ex. 1 [90-1], 186:6–8.) The next day, Funches signed another Earned Good Conduct Credit Determination, again with a goal of 90 days. (Defs.’ L.R. 56.1 Statement ¶ 29.) Ten days later, on April 12, Funches confronted Hermeyer about the decision to change from a five-day to a four-day operating schedule and the effect this change had on Funches’s credits toward early release. (Id. ¶ 30; April 27 Grievance, Defs.’ Ex.

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Funches v. Hermeyer, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/funches-v-hermeyer-ilnd-2024.