Grimes v. Dist. of Columbia

308 F. Supp. 3d 93
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedMarch 30, 2018
DocketCivil Case No. 08–2024 (RJL)
StatusPublished

This text of 308 F. Supp. 3d 93 (Grimes v. Dist. of Columbia) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Grimes v. Dist. of Columbia, 308 F. Supp. 3d 93 (D.C. Cir. 2018).

Opinion

RICHARD J. LEON, United States District Judge

Decedent Karl Grimes ("K.G.") was a juvenile offender in Defendant District of Columbia's custody ("District"). On or about August 29, 2005, K.G. was committed to the Oak Hill Juvenile Detention Facility ("Oak Hill"). See Compl. ¶¶ 10, 17 ("Compl.") [Dkt. #1]. Decedent's mother Patricia Grimes ("Grimes" or "plaintiff") filed this suit alleging that on or about November 23, 2005, K.G. was attacked by several Oak Hill residents, resulting in his death. Id. ¶¶ 11, 15. According to plaintiff, the attack occurred because "the facility was under-staffed and/or improperly-staffed to accomplish the detention of young males in a reasonably safe environment." Id. ¶ 12. The District of Columbia "knew of the unsafe conditions at the Oak Hill Facility," but, "through deliberate indifference, did nothing." Id. ¶ 18. Plaintiff alleges that the District's "deliberate indifference" to these conditions violated decedent's Eighth Amendment rights. Id. ¶ 21. Plaintiff also alleges negligent hiring, training, and supervising on the part of the District.1 Id. ¶ 26.

Before this Court is the District's Renewed Motion for Summary Judgment. [Dkt. # 101]. For the reasons that follow, the Motion is GRANTED.

BACKGROUND

The District's Renewed Motion for Summary Judgment follows a very lengthy and somewhat convoluted path of judicial proceedings, with multiple modifications to the discovery schedule and multiple trips to our Court of Appeals.

I. Proceedings Following November 6, 2009 Scheduling Order

On November 6, 2009, the Court issued its Scheduling Order. [Dkt. # 34]. That Order specified that Rule 26(a)(1) Initial Disclosures would be due on November 30, 2009; Written Discovery Requests on December 30, 2009; Proponent's Rule 26(b)(4) Expert Statement on January 18, 2010; and Opponents' Rule 26(b)(4) Expert Statement on March 18, 2010. Id. Per the Scheduling Order, Discovery would close on May 31, 2010, and Dispositive Motions would be due July 15, 2010. Id.

*96To say the least, Discovery was slow-going. Neither plaintiff nor the District filed a Rule 26(a)(1) Statement. Only Dimensions Health Corporation, d/b/a Prince George's Hospital Center ("PGHC"), no longer a party to this case, filed a Rule 26(a)(1) Statement.2 [Dkt. # 36]. On January 7, 2010, Defendants District of Columbia and PGHC jointly filed a Motion for Entry of Protective Order. [Dkt. # 37]. Then, on January 15, 2010, more than two months after the Rule 26(a) Initial Disclosures deadline, and not having received Initial Disclosures from plaintiff, PGHC filed a Motion to Compel and for Sanctions. [Dkt. #38]. PGHC sought an order to compel plaintiff's Rule 26(a) Statement, noting that Defendant PGHC had been prejudiced by plaintiff's failure to observe the Court's timeline, since Initial Disclosures "serve[ ] as a building block for the remainder of discovery." Id. ¶ 6. "Without this information, Defendant [PGHC] is severely limited in its ability to pursue discovery and prepare its defense." Id. Indeed, PGHC noted, in light of the discovery deadline of May 31, 2010, "there is a very limited period of time remaining for [PGHC] to pursue discovery in this matter." Id. ¶ 7.3

PGHC's Motion to Compel and for Sanctions spurred plaintiff to action. Little more than one week later, plaintiff filed a Motion for Extension of Time to Complete Discovery. [Dkt. # 40]. The Motion contained no explanation, however, as to why plaintiff had failed to file the Rule 26(a)(1) Initial Disclosures, as required by the Scheduling Order. Id. Instead, plaintiff represented to the Court that due to the lack of protective order, neither defendant had responded to discovery. Id.4 Plaintiff advised that, without defendants' responses, she could not file the expert report due on March 18, 2010. Id. For this reason, plaintiff asked that the deadlines specified in the Scheduling Order each be moved back 60 days. Id. In plaintiff's view, 60 days "would provide ample time to complete discovery in this rather complex case." Id. ¶ 4. The District of Columbia consented to the Motion, but PGHC opposed. Id.

Shortly thereafter, on January 27, 2010, the District of Columbia moved for an extension of time to complete discovery, requesting 30 days from the issuance of the Protective Order to respond to the interrogatories and requests for production of documents served by plaintiff. [Dkt. #41]. On February 4, 2010, the Court issued the Protective Order. [Dkt. # 43]. This set out procedures for the use of *97"juvenile social service records, medical records, investigative reports, [Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services] records, psychiatric and/or psychological records, educational records, financial records, or other personal and private information, documents and things" over the course of the litigation.5 Id. ¶ 1.

Other than PGHC's Rule 26(b)(4) expert designations [Dkt. # 48], the docket reflects no discovery activity over the next two months.6 On March 30, 2010, PGHC filed a Motion to Dismiss. [Dkt. # 49]. PGHC's motion relied on both plaintiffs and the District's failure to identify and proffer experts under the timeline set out in the Scheduling Order. This is because "[i]n order to prove a prima facie case of medical malpractice, a plaintiff must produce expert testimony." Mem. in Supp. of Mot. to Dismiss at 3 (citing Nichols v. Greater Se. Cmty. Hosp. , 382 F.Supp.2d 109 (D.D.C. 2005) ) [Dkt. # 49-1].

The Court ruled on these four sets of motions-PGHC's Motion to Compel and for Sanctions; Plaintiff's Motion for Extension of Time to Complete Discovery; the District's Motion for Additional Time to Respond to Discovery and to Serve Written Discovery; and PGHC's Motion to Dismiss-on June 21, 2010. PGHC's Motion to Dismiss and Motion to Compel and for Sanctions were denied; and Plaintiff's and the District's respective motions were granted nunc pro tunc.

II. Proceedings Following Amended Scheduling Order

Pursuant to this round of orders, the deadlines in the Scheduling Order were, nunc pro tunc , each moved back 60 days. Under the amended Scheduling Order, the Initial 26(a)(1) Disclosures deadline was January 30, 2010; Written Discovery Requests were due on March 1, 2010; Proponent's Rule 26(b)(4) Expert Statement was due March 20, 2010; Opponents Rule 26(b)(4) Expert Statement was due May 20, 2010; Discovery would close on July 29, 2010; and Dispositive Motions were due on September 12, 2010. In addition, the District received, nunc pro tunc , 30 days from the entry of the Protective Order (February 4, 2010) to "respond to the interrogatories and requests for production of documents served by plaintiff and co-defendant [PGHC]." See Def.'s Mot. for Add'l Time to Respond to Disc. and to Serve Written Disc. (Jan. 27, 2010) [Dkt. #41].

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Gaujacq v. EDF, Inc.
601 F.3d 565 (D.C. Circuit, 2010)
Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Servs.
436 U.S. 658 (Supreme Court, 1978)
Hudson v. Palmer
468 U.S. 517 (Supreme Court, 1984)
City of Oklahoma v. Tuttle
471 U.S. 808 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
City of Canton v. Harris
489 U.S. 378 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Collins v. City of Harker Heights
503 U.S. 115 (Supreme Court, 1992)
Gutierrez v. Hackett
131 F. App'x 621 (Tenth Circuit, 2005)
Baker v. District of Columbia
326 F.3d 1302 (D.C. Circuit, 2003)
Watts v. Securities & Exchange Commission
482 F.3d 501 (D.C. Circuit, 2007)
Ikossi v. Department of Navy
516 F.3d 1037 (D.C. Circuit, 2008)
In Re Fannie Mae Securities Litigation
552 F.3d 814 (D.C. Circuit, 2009)
Bush v. District of Columbia
595 F.3d 384 (D.C. Circuit, 2010)
Milissa Garside v. Osco Drug, Inc.
895 F.2d 46 (First Circuit, 1990)
Arnold D. Berkeley v. Home Insurance Company
68 F.3d 1409 (D.C. Circuit, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
308 F. Supp. 3d 93, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grimes-v-dist-of-columbia-cadc-2018.