Jones v. Department of the Air Force

947 F. Supp. 1507, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18007
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedNovember 26, 1996
DocketNo. 95-B-1715
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 947 F. Supp. 1507 (Jones v. Department of the Air Force) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Department of the Air Force, 947 F. Supp. 1507, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18007 (D. Colo. 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BABCOCK, District Judge.

Defendants, Department of the Air Force (Air Force) and the Department of Defense (DOD) (collectively, defendants), move, pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56, for summary judgment on the claims of plaintiff, Senior Airman Sidney L. Jones, USAF (Jones). Jurisdiction is proper under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1361, 12 U.S.C. § 3416, and 5 U.S.C. § 552a(g)(5) and 706(2)(A) and (C). Based on my consideration of the motion and briefs filed and counsel’s argument, I will grant the motion.

I.

The following facts are not in dispute. Senior Airman Jones was an active duty member of the United States Air Force stationed at Falcon Air Force Base, Colorado. Jones was discharged from the Air Force on April 19, 1996, under “other than honorable conditions.” Between August, 1994 and November, 1994, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) investigated Jones for allegedly uttering worthless checks by “dishonorable failure” to maintain funds in his checking accounts. Jones wrote checks that “bounced” at various Army and Air Force post exchanges and base non-commissioned officers (NCO) clubs. 2nd C/O ¶4.

During the AFOSI investigation, AFOSI Special Agent Brunk (SA Brunk) inspected Jones’ medical and mental health records. SA Brunk published the information contained in these records by, including them in the Report of Investigation (ROI) he prepared and distributed.

On two occasions, the AFOSI gained access to Jones’ financial records by use of a “formal written request” pursuant- to the Right to Financial Privacy Act (RFPA), 12 U.S.C. § 3401 et seq. Jones was given Notice of Access to Financial Records, dated September 14, 1994, pursuant to the RFPA, 12 U.S.C. § 3408(4)(A), informing him that the AFOSI was' seeking information by means of “formal written requests” from Provident Bank of Marylánd and Tower Federal Credit Union. Jones did not file any challenge ' to the government’s actions in seeking access to his financial records. On October 3,1994, the AFOSI filed RFPA certificates of compliance with Provident Bank of Maryland and Tower Federal Credit Union. The AFOSI obtained access to Jones’ financial records at these two institutions on October 4 and 5,1994.

On March 21, 1995, the AFOSI mailed Jones a second RFPA Notice of Access to Financial Records informing him that the AFOSI was seeking, by means of “formal written requests,” four particular checks from Tower Federal Credit Union, Fort Eus-tis Federal Credit Union, and Kessler Federal Credit Union. On April 26, 1995, SA Brunk hand-delivered to Jones the RFPA Notice of -Access to Financial' Records informing him of the AFOSI’s áctións in seeking the four cheeks from the three federal credit unions. Once again, Jones did not challenge the government’s actions in seeking access to his financial records. After the AFOSI filed RFPA certificates of compliance, the AFOSI obtained certified copies of the four cheeks from the financial institutions on May 15 and 16,1995.

On March 20, 1995, charges for a general court-martial viere preferred against Jones. The next day, an Article 32 investigative hearing of Jones was convened. On July 19, 1995, a Special Court-Martial convened at which Jones entered a conditional guilty plea. He was to be sentenced to three months confinement,- hard labor without confinement for one month, a reprimand; and a reduction to the grade of Airman First Class from the rank of Senior Airman. On February 1, 1996, an Air Force administrative discharge board held a hearing and recommended that Jones receive an “other than honorable discharge.” Jones was discharged on other than honorable grounds on April 19, 1996.

[1510]*1510II.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

The very purpose of a summary judgment motion is to assess whether trial is necessary. White v. York Int’l Corp., 45 F.3d 357, 360 (10th Cir.1995). Fed.R.Civ.P. 56 provides that summary judgment shall be granted if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions, or affidavits show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e). The non-moving party has the burden of showing that there are issues of material fact to be determined. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). A party seeking summary judgment bears the initial responsibility of informing the district court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of the pleadings, depositions, interrogatories, and admissions on file together with affidavits, if any, which it believes demonstrate the absence of genuine issues for trial. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. at 2552-53; Mares v. ConAgra Poultry Co., Inc., 971 F.2d 492, 494 (10th Cir.1992). Once a properly supported summary judgment motion is made, the opposing party may not rest on the allegations contained in his complaint, but must respond with specific facts showing the existence of a genuine factual issue to be tried. Otteson v. U.S., 622 F.2d 516, 519 (10th Cir.1980); Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e). These specific facts may be shown “by any of the kinds of evidentiary materials listed in Rule 56(c), except the pleadings themselves.” Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553.

III.

Defendants seek summary judgment on Jones’ claims that:

Claim one—the Air Force obtained access to his financial information in violation of 12 U.S.C. § 3402 by submitting a formal •written request to which they were not entitled pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 3408 (Air Force only);
Claim two—he is entitled to a declaration pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2201, against the DOD that regulations 32 C.F.R. part 294

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Bluebook (online)
947 F. Supp. 1507, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18007, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-department-of-the-air-force-cod-1996.