Washington v. DEPT. OF CORRS.

915 P.2d 359
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 16, 1996
Docket85295
StatusPublished

This text of 915 P.2d 359 (Washington v. DEPT. OF CORRS.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Washington v. DEPT. OF CORRS., 915 P.2d 359 (Okla. 1996).

Opinion

915 P.2d 359 (1996)

Michael C. WASHINGTON, Petitioner/Appellant,
v.
STATE ex rel. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, et al., Respondents/Appellees.

No. 85295.

Supreme Court of Oklahoma.

April 16, 1996.

Michael C. Washington, McAlester, pro se.

Linda L. Samuel-Jaha, Assistant Attorney General, Oklahoma City, for Appellees.

*360 KAUGER, Vice Chief Justice:

The only issue presented on certiorari is whether the trial court erred when it dismissed the appellant's lawsuit pursuant to the appellees' motion to dismiss/motion for summary judgment without giving the appellant an opportunity to respond to the motion. We find that it did.

FACTS

This cause concerns a lawsuit brought by the appellant, Michael C. Washington, (Washington/appellant), an inmate at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma, against the appellees, the Department of Corrections and several prison officials (prison officials/appellees), pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (1994).[1] In January of 1995, Washington filed a petition in the District Court of Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, seeking injunctive and monetary relief for alleged constitutional violations by various prison officials.[2]

The substance of Washington's claims are that: 1) he was subjected to unconstitutional strip-searches; 2) prison officials revised disciplinary procedures which resulted in an ex post facto violation; and 3) a number of prison officials and guards violated his civil rights through a defective disciplinary proceeding which deprived him of good-time credits and the possibility of parole. On February 23, 1995, the appellees filed a motion to dismiss/motion for summary judgment, arguing that Washington's cause should be dismissed under 12 O.S.1991 § 2012(B)(6) because he had failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted.[3]

On March 2, 1995, the trial court dismissed Washington's lawsuit, finding that his *361 lawsuit was frivolous and totally without merit.[4] Apparently unaware of the trial court's dismissal, the appellant filed a motion for an enlargement of time on March 8, 1995, requesting that the trial court grant him an additional thirty days after March 5, 1995, to respond to the appellees' motion to dismiss/motion for summary judgment. The trial court, by a court minute which was filed with the county clerk on March 10, 1995, found that Washington's request for an extension of time was moot because his lawsuit had already been dismissed.

Washington appealed the March 2, 1995, dismissal order, arguing that the trial court erred in dismissing his cause without permitting him to respond to the appellees' motion to dismiss/motion for summary judgment. The Court of Appeals affirmed without specifically addressing the issue of whether the trial court erred when it dismissed the appellant's lawsuit pursuant to the appellees' motion without giving the appellant an opportunity to respond. We granted certiorari on February 27, 1996, to determine whether the trial court erred when it dismissed the appellant's lawsuit.[5]

TITLE 12 O.S.1991 § 2012 AND RULE 13, 12 O.S.1991, CH. 2 APP., RULES FOR THE DISTRICT COURTS, REQUIRE THAT THE APPELLANT BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO THE APPELLEES' MOTION UNDER THE FACTS PRESENTED.

On certiorari, Washington argues that the trial court erred when it dismissed his lawsuit without first giving him an opportunity to respond to the appellees' motion to dismiss/motion for summary judgment. The appellees' motion asserts that Washington's cause should either be dismissed because his amended petition failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted or that they were entitled to summary judgment.

Our review of the trial court's dismissal for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, involves a de novo consideration as to whether the petition is legally sufficient.[6] In considering the sufficiency of a petition, the accepted rule is that a petition should not be dismissed for failure to state a cause of action unless it appears beyond any doubt that the plaintiff cannot prove facts in support of the claim entitling relief.[7] However, 12 O.S.1991 § 2012, mandates that: 1) when a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted includes matters outside the pleadings and those matters are not excluded by the court, the motion shall be treated as one for summary judgment; and 2) all of the parties shall be given a reasonable opportunity to present all material made pertinent to such a motion by the rules for summary judgment.[8]

The prison officials filed a motion seeking dismissal for failure to state a claim or in the alternative, summary judgment in their favor. In support of the motion they attached a brief which included various evidentiary *362 materials which were outside of the pleadings and which cited legal authority in support of their position.[9] These matters were not excluded by the trial court.[10] Consequently, under 12 O.S.1991 § 2012, the summary judgment procedure must be used.[11]

Rule 13, 12 O.S.1991, Ch. 2 app., Rules for the District Courts, in clear and mandatory language requires that a party opposing a motion for summary judgment be allowed at least 15 days to respond to the motion and to provide evidentiary materials which would support a denial of the motion.[12] Instead, the trial court entered its order dismissing the appellant's cause seven days after the appellees' filed their motion. It is clear from Washington's motion for an extension of time that he intended to oppose the prison officials' motion. The trial court erred when it failed to give Washington a reasonable opportunity to respond as required by 12 O.S.1991 § 2012 and Rule 13, 12 O.S.1991, Ch. 2 app., Rules for the District Courts.[13]

Even assuming arguendo, that the trial court excluded all of the matters which were outside of the pleading, and that it considered the appellees' motion as one for dismissal, we find that the appellant's cause was dismissed prematurely because not all of his claims appear to be frivolous on their face or without merit.[14] Accordingly, the trial *363 court's order is reversed and the cause is remanded with directions to allow the appellant a reasonable opportunity in which to respond to the appellees' motion to dismiss/motion for summary judgment and to present proof of his allegations.

CONCLUSION

Title 12 O.S.1991 § 2012, mandates that: 1) when a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted includes matters outside the pleadings and those matters are not excluded by the court, the motion shall be treated as one for summary judgment; and 2) all parties shall be given a reasonable opportunity to present all material made pertinent to such a motion by the rules for summary judgment.[15] Rule 13, 12 O.S.1991, Ch. 2 app., Rules for the District Courts, in clear and mandatory language requires that a party opposing a motion for summary judgment be allowed at least 15 days to respond to the motion and to provide evidentiary materials which would support a denial of the motion.[16]

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Bluebook (online)
915 P.2d 359, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/washington-v-dept-of-corrs-okla-1996.