Hammond v. Gordon County

316 F. Supp. 2d 1262, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27410, 2002 WL 32366177
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedApril 29, 2002
DocketCIV.A.4:00-CV0387HLM
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 316 F. Supp. 2d 1262 (Hammond v. Gordon County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hammond v. Gordon County, 316 F. Supp. 2d 1262, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27410, 2002 WL 32366177 (N.D. Ga. 2002).

Opinion

ORDER

MURPHY, District Judge.

This is a civil rights action filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C.A. §' 1983. The case is before the Court on the Joint Motion by Defendants Gordon County, Christian, Trammel, Crider, Highfield, Gravitt, Bridwell, Jones, *1266 Roberts, and Davis to Disallow Plaintiffs’ Use of Expert Witness [31], Defendant Gordon County’s Motion for Summary Judgment [41], the Motion for Summary Judgment Filed by Defendants Crider, Gravitt, Johnson, Jones, Roberts, and Davis [43], Defendant Bridwell’s Motion for Summary Judgment [45], Defendant Highfield’s Motion for Summary Judgment [46], Defendant Trammel’s Motion for Summary Judgment [47], Defendant Christian’s Motion for Summary Judgment [48], and Defendants’ Objections to the Affidavit of David M. Bogard [63].

I. Motion to Disallow Plaintiffs’ Use of Expert Witness and Objections to the Affidavit of David M. Bogard

On November 1, 2001, Defendants filed a Motion to Disallow Plaintiffs’ Use of Expert Witness. 1 Defendants argue that Plaintiffs failed to produce the expert report of David M. Bogard in a timely fashion, and that the report contains inadmissible legal conclusions. When Plaintiffs filed the Affidavit of David M. Bogard in response to Defendants’ Motions for Summary Judgment, Defendants objected to the Affidavit, citing the arguments that Defendants raised in their Motion to Disallow Plaintiffs’ Use of Expert Witness.

Plaintiffs did not formally disclose their plans to use Mr. Bogard as an expert witness until April 9, 2001, when Plaintiffs amended their responses to the mandatory disclosures to identify Mr. Bogard and to provide his expert report. By that time, the discovery period had almost concluded, leaving Defendants without sufficient time to depose Mr. Bogard and to retain their own expert. The Court finds that Plaintiffs’ delay in disclosing Mr. Bogard and in producing Mr. Bogard’s expert report violated Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2)(B) and Local Rule 26.3, and that this delay prejudiced Defendants. The Court therefore will not permit Plaintiffs to use Mr. Bogard’s Affidavit or expert testimony in connection with Defendants’ pending Motions for Summary Judgment. 2 The Court may consider allowing Plaintiffs to use Mr. Bogard’s testimony at trial, conditioned upon a forty-five day extension of discovery to allow Defendants to depose Mr. Bogard and to retain their own expert. 3

II. Background

Keeping in mind that when deciding a motion for summary judgment, the Court “must view the evidence and all factual inferences in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion,” the Court provides the following statement of facts. Reynolds v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., 989 F.2d 465, 469 (11th Cir.1993). This statement does not represent actual findings of fact; rather, it is intended simply to place the Court’s legal analysis within the context of a specific case or controver *1267 sy. Swint v. City of Wadley, 51 F.3d 988, 992 (11th Cir.1995) (“[W]hat we state as ‘facts’ in this [order] for purpqses of reviewing the ruling[ ] on the summary judgment motion[ ] may not be the actual facts. They are, however, the facts for present purposes, and we set them out below.”).

A. The Parties

Plaintiff Hammond resides in Silver Creek, Georgia. (Dep. of Tiffany Hammond at 5.) During the time period relevant to this lawsuit, Plaintiff Hammond was an inmate residing in the Gordon County Jail (the “Jail”). (Comply 2.)

Plaintiff Trotter is a resident of Calhoun, Georgia. (Dep. of Jeannie Trotter at 6.) From late 1998 to April 13, 1999, Plaintiff Trotter was an inmate residing in the Jail. (Id. at 132.)

Plaintiff Crowder is a resident of Calhoun, Georgia. (Dep. of Tamatha Crowder Hayes at 4.) During the time period relevant to this action, Plaintiff Crowder was an inmate residing in the Jail. (Comply 3.)

Plaintiff Quarles resides in Calhoun, Georgia. (Dep. of Virginia Darlene Quarles at 4.) Plaintiff Quarles was an inmate residing in the Jail from February 1999 to August 1999. (Id. at 5.)

Defendant Gordon County, Georgia (“Defendant Gordon County”) is a political subdivision of the State of Georgia. (ComplJ7.) As part of its activities, Defendant Gordon County maintains the Jail.

Defendant Roberts resides in Calhoun, Georgia. (Dep. of William Sidney Roberts at 6.) During the time period relevant to this action, Defendant Roberts served as the sheriff of Defendant Gordon County. (Aff. of William Sidney Roberts ¶ 2; Roberts Dep. at 18.)

Defendant Davis currently serves as the sheriff of Defendant Gordon County. (Order of Mar. 22, 2001.) On March 22, 2001, the Court entered an Order substituting Defendant Davis, in his official capacity, for Defendant Roberts, in his official capacity. (Id.)

Defendant Crider is an employee of the Gordon County Sheriffs Office (“GCSO”). (Aff. of Brian Crider ¶ 2.) During the time period relevant to this action, Defendant Crider worked as a deputy jailer at the Jail. (Id.)

Defendant Gravitt is an employee of the GCSO. (Aff. of Mike Gravitt ¶ 2.) During the time period relevant to this action, Defendant Gravitt worked as a sergeant at the Jail. (Dep. of Robert Lee Johnson at 76-77.)

Defendant Jones was an employee of the GCSO. (Aff. of Michael Jones ¶2.) From January 1999 to October 2000, Defendant Jones served as the administrator for the Jail. (Dep. of Michael Jones at 7-8, 11-12.) Defendant Jones’ duties included ensuring the safety and security of inmates at the Jail. (Id. at 14.)

Defendant Johnson resides in Calhoun, Georgia, and is an employee of the GCSO. (Aff. of Robert Johnson ¶ 2; Dep. of Robert Lee Johnson at 6.) During the time period relevant to this action, Defendant Johnson worked as a deputy jailer at the Jail. (Johnson Dep. at 6.)

Defendant Bridwell resides in Calhoun, Georgia. (Dep. of Tricia Casey Bridwell at 6.) During the time period relevant to this action, Defendant Bridwell served as a deputy jailer at the Jail. (Id. at 19.)

Defendant Christian resides in Carters-ville, Georgia. (Dep. of Walter Z. Christian at 5.) Defendant Christian worked for the GCSO as a deputy jailer at the Jail from November 1998 to April 1999. (Id. at 8.)

Defendant Highfield resides in Cave Spring, Georgia. (Dep. of Mark Allen Highfield at 21.) During the time period relevant tot his action, Defendant High- *1268 field served as a deputy jailer at the Jail. (Id. at 45.)

Defendant Trammel is a resident of Calhoun, Georgia. (Dep. of Kenyon Trammel at 6.) During the time period relevant to this action, Defendant Trammel worked as a deputy jailer or as a sergeant at the Jail.

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

Related

BRISTOL v. BUTTS COUNTY GA
M.D. Georgia, 2024
United States v. Juan Price
Ninth Circuit, 2020
Johns v. CSX Transportation, Inc.
210 F. Supp. 3d 1357 (M.D. Georgia, 2016)
Fields v. Atlanta Independent School System
916 F. Supp. 2d 1348 (N.D. Georgia, 2013)
Boyd v. Nichols
616 F. Supp. 2d 1331 (M.D. Georgia, 2009)
Price v. Facility Management Group, Inc.
403 F. Supp. 2d 1246 (N.D. Georgia, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
316 F. Supp. 2d 1262, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27410, 2002 WL 32366177, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hammond-v-gordon-county-gand-2002.