Garside v. Webster

733 F. Supp. 1142, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16535, 1989 WL 200754
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedDecember 18, 1989
DocketC-1-84-1178
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 733 F. Supp. 1142 (Garside v. Webster) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Garside v. Webster, 733 F. Supp. 1142, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16535, 1989 WL 200754 (S.D. Ohio 1989).

Opinion

ORDER

HERMAN J. WEBER, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court pursuant to the federal defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment (doc. no. 73), plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment (doc. no. 82) and the declarations, memoranda and other materials filed by the parties pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56.

This Court has jurisdiction of this matter under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), 5 U.S.C. § 552 and § 552a.

In a previous Order (doc. no. 64), this Court requested the federal defendants file a Vaughn index and concluded generally that to determine the issues in this case, the Court had to decide whether defendants have properly applied the FOIA exemptions to the documents they have withheld from the plaintiff and whether the defendants have discharged in good faith their responsibilities to plaintiff pursuant to FOIA.

*1144 This Court has issued a preliminary injunction enjoining the federal defendants from destroying any documents which are the subject of this litigation (doc. no. 33).

The Court has reviewed the arguments made by the parties and has applied the principles of controlling law to the facts presented. The legal standard for consideration and disposition of issues on summary judgment is well settled.

Summary Judgment is proper “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 a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R. Civ.P. 56(c). The evidence presented on a motion for summary judgment is construed in favor of the party opposing the motion who is given the benefit of all favorable inferences that can be drawn therefrom. United States v. Diebold, Inc., 369 U.S. 654, 82 S.Ct. 993, 8 L.Ed.2d 176 (1962). “The mere existence of some alleged factual dispute between the parties will not defeat an otherwise properly supported motion for summary judgment; the requirement is that there be no genuine issue of material fact.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986) (original emphasis).

Summary judgment should not be granted unless it is clear that a trial is unnecessary. The threshold inquiry to determine whether there is a need for trial 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.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2511, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). There is no issue for trial unless there is sufficient evidence favoring the non-moving party for a jury to return a verdict for that party. Id.

The fact that the weight of the evidence favors the moving party does not authorize a court to grant summary judgment. Poller v. Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., 368 U.S. 464, 472, 82 S.Ct. 486, 490, 7 L.Ed.2d 458 (1962). “[T]he issue of material fact required by Rule 56(c) ... to entitle a party to proceed to trial is not required to be resolved conclusively in favor of the party asserting its existence; rather, all that is required is that sufficient evidence supporting the claimed factual dispute be shown to require a jury or a judge to resolve the parties’ differing versions of the truth at trial.” First National Bank v. Cities Service Co., 391 U.S. 253, 288-89, 88 S.Ct. 1575, 1592, 20 L.Ed.2d 569 (1968).

Moreover, although summary judgment must be used with extreme caution since it operates to deny a litigant his day in court, Smith v. Hudson, 600 F.2d 60, 63 (6th Cir.), cert. dismissed, 444 U.S. 986, 100 S.Ct. 495, 62 L.Ed.2d 415 (1979), the United States Supreme Court has recently stated that the “summary judgment procedure is properly regarded not as a disfavored procedural shortcut, but rather than as an integral part of the Federal Rules as a whole, which are designed to secure the just, speedy and inexpensive determination of every action.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2555, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

According to the Supreme Court, the standard for granting summary judgment mirrors the standard for a directed verdict, and thus summary judgment is appropriate if the moving party establishes that there is insufficient evidence favoring the non-moving party for a jury to return a verdict for that party. Id. 106 S.Ct. at 2553; Anderson, 106 S.Ct. at 2511.

Accordingly, summary judgment is clearly proper “against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to the party’s case and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Catrett, 106 S.Ct. at 2553. Significantly, the Supreme Court also instructs that “the plain language of Rule 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion” against a party who fails to make that showing with significantly probative evidence. Id.; Anderson, 106 S.Ct. at 2511. Rule 56(e) requires plaintiff to go beyond the pleadings and by his own affidavits, *1145 designate “specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Id.

Further, there is no express or implied requirement in Fed.R.Civ.P. 56 that the moving party support its motion with affidavits or similar materials negating the opponent’s claim. Id. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a) and (b) provide that parties may move for summary judgment “with or without supporting affidavits.” Accordingly, where the non-moving party will bear the burden of proof at trial on a dispositive issue, summary judgment may be appropriate based solely on the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file.

Pursuant to FOIA, 5 U.S.C. §§ 552 and 552a

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Bluebook (online)
733 F. Supp. 1142, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16535, 1989 WL 200754, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garside-v-webster-ohsd-1989.