Guebara (ID 40223) v. Bascue

District Court, D. Kansas·Decided July 8, 2024·No. 5:19-cv-03025·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF KANSAS

PAUL GUEBARA,

Plaintiff,

v. Case No. 5:19-CV-3025-JAR

KEVEN BASCUE, et al.,

Defendants.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER Plaintiff Paul Guebara brought this action against various employees of the Finney County Jail (“FCJ”) and the Finney County Health Department (“FCHD”), asserting claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 relating to his medical care during his detention in the FCJ. On December 1, 2023, this Court granted Defendants Keven Bascue, Kyle Lawson, Jeff Orebaugh, Mark Welch,1 and Michelle Newsome’s Motion for Summary Judgment, as well as Defendants Hannah Britt,2 Harold Perkins, and the FCHD’s Motion for Summary Judgment.3 The Court also set aside the Clerk’s entry of default against Defendant Gretchen Dowdy, and gave Plaintiff notice of its intent to award summary judgment in her favor for the same reasons as Britt.4 On May 16, 2024, this Court denied Plaintiff’s Motion for Reconsideration and awarded summary

1 On the docket sheet, Defendant Welch’s name is spelled “Welsh,” which is how Plaintiff spelled it in his Complaint. The Court adopts the spelling “Welch” as this is the spelling Defendants used in their briefings and exhibits. See Doc. 217-6 (Welch Affidavit). 2 Hannah Britt was known by her maiden name at the time the events underlying this suit took place, therefore she is listed as “Hannah Douty” in Plaintiff’s Amended Complaint. Doc. 88. The Court uses her married name, Britt, in this Order. 3 Doc. 241. 4 Id. judgment in favor of Defendant Dowdy.5 That same day, the Court entered a final judgment closing the case.6 Within a week, Plaintiff filed a notice of appeal.7 This matter is before the Court on four motions filed by Plaintiff: (1) Motion for Additional Factual Findings (Doc. 256) pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 52; (2) Motion for Relief from Judgment (Doc. 259) pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 60; (3) Motion for Leave to Appeal In

Forma Pauperis (Doc. 264); and (4) Motion to the Court to Order the Clerk to Reimburse Filing Fee (Doc. 267). The motions are fully briefed, and the Court is prepared to rule. As described below, the Court denies Plaintiff’s motion for additional findings and his motion for relief from judgment. The Court denies Plaintiff’s motion for leave to appeal in forma pauperis (“IFP”) without prejudice to refiling. The Court grants Plaintiff’s motion for the reimbursement of filing fees to his sister. I. Motion for Additional Factual Findings Plaintiff asks the Court to make particular factual findings pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 52 “for the purpose of appeal.”8 Specifically, Plaintiff asserts that this Court failed to make certain

findings in its prior Orders granting summary judgment for Defendants, and that this failure has prevented the Court’s Orders from becoming final. Defendants argue that Rule 52 is inapplicable, and that Plaintiff’s motion should be construed as an improper, second motion for reconsideration under Rule 59. Defendants assert that Plaintiff is attempting to re-argue issues already decided. The Court agrees with Defendants and finds that Plaintiff’s motion must be denied.

5 Doc. 251. 6 Doc. 252. 7 Doc. 253. 8 Doc. 256 at 4. A. Rule 52 Rule 52 provides that, “[i]n an action tried on the facts without a jury or with an advisory jury, the court must find the facts specially and state its conclusions of law separately.”9 “Generally, this rule applies to findings of fact and conclusions of law entered after a non-jury trial.”10

Here, Plaintiff may not request additional factual findings because Rule 52 is inapplicable. Plaintiff’s action was not tried, but rather was disposed of on motions for summary judgment under Rule 56. Rule 52 specifically exempts motions under Rule 56 from its purview, stating that “[t]he court is not required to state findings or conclusions when ruling on a motion under Rule 12 or 56 . . . .”11 Thus, this Court was not required to set forth findings of fact and conclusions of law in its Orders granting summary judgment for Defendants, and Plaintiff’s request for additional factual findings is without merit.12 Plaintiff asserts that the Court’s judgment is not yet final because the Court has not made all requisite factual findings; thus, Plaintiff claims that the Court has denied Plaintiff the right to

appeal. Plaintiff is incorrect. The Court’s judgment and disposition of Plaintiff’s case are final and subject to appellate review.13 In fact, Plaintiff has already filed an appeal.14 The Court’s statement of uncontroverted facts in its December 1, 2023 Order, along with its legal reasoning

9 Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(a)(1). 10 Winkel v. Heimgartner, No. 14-3214-JTM, 2015 WL 5820965, at *1 (D. Kan. Oct. 5, 2015) (citing May v. Kansas, No. 13-3162-SAC, 2013 WL 6669093, at *1 (D. Kan. Dec. 18, 2013)). 11 Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(a)(3); see also Featherstone v. Barash, 345 F.2d 246, 249 n.3 (10th Cir. 1965). 12 See Parker v. Bd. of Pub. Utils. of Kansas City, No. 93-2262-GTV, 1994 WL 542130, at *1 (D. Kan. Sept. 14, 1994) (denying the plaintiff’s Rule 52 motion “because the Rule 52 requirements do not apply to the court’s grant of summary judgment.”); Stone v. Mukasey, No. 06-CV-00364, 2008 WL 5156441, at *2 n.4 (explaining that the plaintiff’s motion was “not appropriate” under Rule 52 because the court had decided the case “on a motion for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56, [and] did not make findings or conclusions.”). 13 See Doc. 252 (judgment). 14 Doc. 253 (notice of appeal). in both the December 1, 2023 Order and the May 16, 2024 Order, are sufficient to aid the Tenth Circuit in considering Plaintiff’s appeal. Thus, Plaintiff’s motion under Rule 52 is denied. B. Rule 59 Though Plaintiff moved for relief solely under Rule 52, Rule 52(b) provides that motions for additional factual findings “may accompany a motion for a new trial under Rule 59.”15 This

Court has occasionally construed motions under Rule 52 as motions to alter or amend judgment under Rule 59(e).16 Thus, out of an abundance of caution, the Court also considers Plaintiff’s motion under Rule 59. A motion to alter or amend under Fed. R. Civ. P. 59(e) gives the Court an opportunity “to rectify its own mistakes in the period immediately following” a ruling.17 Such a motion may be granted when “the court has misapprehended the facts, a party’s position, or the controlling law.”18 The moving party must be able to establish: (1) an intervening change in the controlling law; (2) the availability of new evidence that could not have been obtained previously through the exercise of due diligence; or (3) the need to correct clear error or prevent manifest injustice.19

Motions to alter or amend are “not appropriate to revisit issues already addressed or advance arguments that could have been raised in prior briefing.”20 Whether to grant a motion to reconsider is left to the Court’s discretion.21

15 Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(b). 16 See May, 2013 WL 6669093, at *1; Winkel, 2015 WL 5820965, at *1.

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