F I L E D United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS APR 26 2000
TENTH CIRCUIT PATRICK FISHER Clerk
FRANCISCO GONZALEZ- LIRANZA,
Plaintiff-Appellant, No. 99-2302 (D.C. No. CIV-98-997-JP) v. (New Mexico) JOHNNY NARANJO, Sgt.,
Defendant-Appellee.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before SEYMOUR, Chief Judge, EBEL and BRISCOE, Circuit Judges.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The cause is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
* This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. The court generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3. Mr. Gonzalez was injured when he was attacked by other inmates while a
pretrial detainee in the Bernalillo County Detention Center. He filed a pro se
civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging constitutional violations
against Sargeant Naranjo, who was a correctional officer at the facility, as well as
against the facility administrator and the facility itself. In his verified complaint,
Mr. Gonzalez alleged that he asked Sargeant Naranjo to move him out of the
section in which he was housed because he was having problems with other
inmates and feared for his safety. He alleged that Sargeant Naranjo took no
action other than to respond that if Mr. Gonzalez did not want problems he should
have stayed in Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez further alleged that about one hour later, as
another officer advised him to check into protective detention, he was attacked by
fifteen or twenty other inmates and beaten with broom and mop handles. He
suffered a serious eye injury, and alleges that as a result he cannot see out of that
eye and has severe headaches. He alleged that his constitutional rights were
violated when Sargeant Naranjo failed to take prompt measures to ensure his
safety after having notice that he was in danger.
The district court sua sponte dismissed the claims against all defendants
except Sargeant Naranjo, 1 who moved for summary judgment. The court ordered
the preparation of a Martinez report, see Martinez v. Aaron, 570 F.2d 317 (10th
1 Mr. Gonzalez does not pursue these claims on appeal.
-2- 2 Cir. 1978) (en banc).
Mr. Gonzalez argued in the district court that he was denied an appropriate
opportunity to respond to Sargeant Naranjo’s motion for summary judgment and
the Martinez report. 2 We agree. The motion for summary judgment and
accompanying memorandum were filed March 12, 1999. The order for a Martinez
report was entered March 15. Two weeks later, Mr. Gonzalez’ copy of the March
15 order was returned undelivered and the court determined that it did not have
Mr. Gonzalez’ current address. The court then entered a show cause order
requiring Mr. Gonzalez to show why the action should not be dismissed for
failure to comply with local rules.
The record further reflects that Mr. Gonzalez subsequently sent a
handwritten note to the court stating that after he had heard nothing from the
court or defense counsel, he became concerned and called the pro se clerk at the
court to verify receipt of his change of address. The clerk informed him that no
change of address had been received and further informed him that a show cause
order had been entered. Although the district court thereafter vacated the show
2 Although Mr. Gonzalez did not formally brief this issue on appeal, he attempted to supplement the record by submitting to this court affidavits from eyewitnesses supporting his version of the facts. Because “[a] pro se litigant’s pleadings are to be construed liberally and held to a less stringent standard than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers,” Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1110 (10th Cir. 1991), we conclude that Mr. Gonzalez has impliedly raised this issue for our review.
-3- 3 cause order, the record does not reflect that Mr. Gonzalez ever received the
motion for summary judgment, the memorandum in support, or the order directing
the preparation of the Martinez report. These items are critical because they
informed Mr. Gonzalez of the arguments he would have to be prepared to meet,
and informed him that the report would be used in deciding whether to grant
summary judgment and that he should therefore submit whatever materials he
wished to support his claim. Despite the fact that in his objections to the
Martinez report Mr. Gonzalez pointed out that he had never received a copy of the
summary judgment materials and would file a response after he had been served,
the magistrate judge accepted the version of events set out in the report as
undisputed and recommended that summary judgment be granted. In so doing, the
magistrate judge faulted Mr. Gonzalez for failing to present factual evidence to
controvert the summary judgment motion he had, in fact, never received. Mr.
Gonzalez objected to the magistrate’s report and again pointed out that he had
never received defendant’s material and therefore had not been given the chance
to properly respond. The district court adopted the report and granted summary
judgment without addressing Mr. Gonzalez’s failure to receive the materials.
We conclude the district court erred in adopting the report and granting
summary judgment before Mr. Gonzalez had received the summary judgment
materials and the Martinez report and had been allowed to respond to them. See
-4- 4 Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1111 (10th Cir. 1991); Jaxon v. Circle K Corp.,
773 F.2d 1138, 1140 (10th Cir. 1985).
The rights of pro se litigants require careful protection where highly technical requirements are involved, especially when enforcing those requirements might result in a loss of the opportunity to prosecute or defend a lawsuit on the merits.
District courts must take care to insure that pro se litigants are provided with proper notice regarding the complex procedural issues involved in summary judgment proceedings.
Jaxon, 773 F.2d at 1140 (quoting Garaux v. Pulley, 739 F.2d 437, 439 (9th Cir.
1984)). Here Mr. Gonzalez repeatedly called the court’s attention to the fact that
he had not received defendant’s filings. Moreover, Mr. Gonzalez clearly
understood the need to submit a response to defendant’s material and repeatedly
requested the opportunity to do so after he had been provided that material. The
grant of summary judgment under these circumstances was improper.
Moreover, it appears to us that summary judgment may have been
inappropriate in any event due to the existing conflict in the material before the
district court. Characterizing the Martinez report as presenting “undisputed
Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI
F I L E D United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS APR 26 2000
TENTH CIRCUIT PATRICK FISHER Clerk
FRANCISCO GONZALEZ- LIRANZA,
Plaintiff-Appellant, No. 99-2302 (D.C. No. CIV-98-997-JP) v. (New Mexico) JOHNNY NARANJO, Sgt.,
Defendant-Appellee.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before SEYMOUR, Chief Judge, EBEL and BRISCOE, Circuit Judges.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The cause is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
* This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. The court generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3. Mr. Gonzalez was injured when he was attacked by other inmates while a
pretrial detainee in the Bernalillo County Detention Center. He filed a pro se
civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging constitutional violations
against Sargeant Naranjo, who was a correctional officer at the facility, as well as
against the facility administrator and the facility itself. In his verified complaint,
Mr. Gonzalez alleged that he asked Sargeant Naranjo to move him out of the
section in which he was housed because he was having problems with other
inmates and feared for his safety. He alleged that Sargeant Naranjo took no
action other than to respond that if Mr. Gonzalez did not want problems he should
have stayed in Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez further alleged that about one hour later, as
another officer advised him to check into protective detention, he was attacked by
fifteen or twenty other inmates and beaten with broom and mop handles. He
suffered a serious eye injury, and alleges that as a result he cannot see out of that
eye and has severe headaches. He alleged that his constitutional rights were
violated when Sargeant Naranjo failed to take prompt measures to ensure his
safety after having notice that he was in danger.
The district court sua sponte dismissed the claims against all defendants
except Sargeant Naranjo, 1 who moved for summary judgment. The court ordered
the preparation of a Martinez report, see Martinez v. Aaron, 570 F.2d 317 (10th
1 Mr. Gonzalez does not pursue these claims on appeal.
-2- 2 Cir. 1978) (en banc).
Mr. Gonzalez argued in the district court that he was denied an appropriate
opportunity to respond to Sargeant Naranjo’s motion for summary judgment and
the Martinez report. 2 We agree. The motion for summary judgment and
accompanying memorandum were filed March 12, 1999. The order for a Martinez
report was entered March 15. Two weeks later, Mr. Gonzalez’ copy of the March
15 order was returned undelivered and the court determined that it did not have
Mr. Gonzalez’ current address. The court then entered a show cause order
requiring Mr. Gonzalez to show why the action should not be dismissed for
failure to comply with local rules.
The record further reflects that Mr. Gonzalez subsequently sent a
handwritten note to the court stating that after he had heard nothing from the
court or defense counsel, he became concerned and called the pro se clerk at the
court to verify receipt of his change of address. The clerk informed him that no
change of address had been received and further informed him that a show cause
order had been entered. Although the district court thereafter vacated the show
2 Although Mr. Gonzalez did not formally brief this issue on appeal, he attempted to supplement the record by submitting to this court affidavits from eyewitnesses supporting his version of the facts. Because “[a] pro se litigant’s pleadings are to be construed liberally and held to a less stringent standard than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers,” Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1110 (10th Cir. 1991), we conclude that Mr. Gonzalez has impliedly raised this issue for our review.
-3- 3 cause order, the record does not reflect that Mr. Gonzalez ever received the
motion for summary judgment, the memorandum in support, or the order directing
the preparation of the Martinez report. These items are critical because they
informed Mr. Gonzalez of the arguments he would have to be prepared to meet,
and informed him that the report would be used in deciding whether to grant
summary judgment and that he should therefore submit whatever materials he
wished to support his claim. Despite the fact that in his objections to the
Martinez report Mr. Gonzalez pointed out that he had never received a copy of the
summary judgment materials and would file a response after he had been served,
the magistrate judge accepted the version of events set out in the report as
undisputed and recommended that summary judgment be granted. In so doing, the
magistrate judge faulted Mr. Gonzalez for failing to present factual evidence to
controvert the summary judgment motion he had, in fact, never received. Mr.
Gonzalez objected to the magistrate’s report and again pointed out that he had
never received defendant’s material and therefore had not been given the chance
to properly respond. The district court adopted the report and granted summary
judgment without addressing Mr. Gonzalez’s failure to receive the materials.
We conclude the district court erred in adopting the report and granting
summary judgment before Mr. Gonzalez had received the summary judgment
materials and the Martinez report and had been allowed to respond to them. See
-4- 4 Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1111 (10th Cir. 1991); Jaxon v. Circle K Corp.,
773 F.2d 1138, 1140 (10th Cir. 1985).
The rights of pro se litigants require careful protection where highly technical requirements are involved, especially when enforcing those requirements might result in a loss of the opportunity to prosecute or defend a lawsuit on the merits.
District courts must take care to insure that pro se litigants are provided with proper notice regarding the complex procedural issues involved in summary judgment proceedings.
Jaxon, 773 F.2d at 1140 (quoting Garaux v. Pulley, 739 F.2d 437, 439 (9th Cir.
1984)). Here Mr. Gonzalez repeatedly called the court’s attention to the fact that
he had not received defendant’s filings. Moreover, Mr. Gonzalez clearly
understood the need to submit a response to defendant’s material and repeatedly
requested the opportunity to do so after he had been provided that material. The
grant of summary judgment under these circumstances was improper.
Moreover, it appears to us that summary judgment may have been
inappropriate in any event due to the existing conflict in the material before the
district court. Characterizing the Martinez report as presenting “undisputed
facts,” the magistrate judge stated that “[o]ther than only Plaintiff’s bald assertion
in the complaint, there is no evidence that Plaintiff asked to be moved.” Rec.,
vol. I, doc. 25 at 2, 5. In so doing, the magistrate judge disregarded our cases
addressing the function of a Martinez report in summary judgment proceedings.
The evidence must, of course, be viewed most favorably to the nonmoving
-5- 5 party. Hall, 935 F.2d at 1111. When, as here, a plaintiff’s complaint is based on
facts within his personal knowledge and has been sworn under penalty of perjury,
it is to be treated as an affidavit. 3 Id. We have held on numerous occasions that
if the facts described in a Martinez report conflict with those set out in such a
verified complaint, summary judgment may not be granted because such a conflict
creates an issue of fact. See, e.g., Green v. Branson, 108 F.3d 1296, 1302 (10th
Cir. 1997); Hayes v. Marriott, 70 F.3d 1144, 1146 (10th Cir. 1995); Mosier v.
Maynard, 937 F.2d 1521, 1524 (10th Cir. 1991); Hall, 935 F.2d at 1111. The
conflict here concerns the material issue of whether Sargeant Naranjo knew that
Mr. Gonzalez’ physical safety was threatened and failed to take appropriate
action. Our review of Mr. Gonzalez’ complaint and the material contained in the
Martinez report convinces us that a factual dispute exists on this critical issue and
that summary judgment was therefore not proper.
We REVERSE the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of
Sargeant Naranjo and REMAND with instructions to proceed on Mr. Gonzalez’s
section 1983 claim. We remind Mr. Gonzalez that he is required to continue his
3 We recognize that allegations in a complaint will not create a fact issue if they are conclusory. See Hall, 935 F.2d at 1111. The allegations in Mr. Gonzalez’ complaint, however, are specific.
-6- 6 partial payments of the costs and fees associated with this suit until the fees owed
to the district court and to this court are fully paid.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT
Stephanie K. Seymour Chief Judge
-7- 7