Willette v. Michel

District Court, E.D. Wisconsin·Decided September 26, 2024·No. 2:21-cv-00917·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN

THEODORE R. WILLETTE,

Plaintiff,

v. Case No. 21-cv-917-bhl

HEIDI MICHEL, et al.,

Defendants.

DECISION AND ORDER

More than three years ago, Plaintiff Theodore Willette, through counsel, brought this lawsuit alleging that thirteen named individuals, along with six unnamed Jane Doe Defendants, violated his civil rights while he was a pre-trial detainee at the Brown County Jail. Dkt. No. 1. The Court screened the original complaint on August 20, 2021 and allowed Willette, who suffers from mental health issues, to proceed on a Fourteenth Amendment conditions-of-confinement claim related to his treatment at the jail. Dkt. No. 2. A few months later, on January 20, 2022, the Court entered a scheduling order, setting deadlines for Willette to identify the “Jane Doe” Defendants (April 29, 2022) and for the parties to complete fact discovery (October 31, 2022) and file dispositive motions (February 17, 2023). Dkt. No. 10. In response to requests from the parties, the Court has (patiently) approved five separate amendments to the schedule. Dkt. Nos. 29, 84, 90, 95, & 137. Willette has also amended his claims twice. Dkt. Nos. 24 & 30. The operative pleading, Willette’s second amended complaint, now asserts a Fourteenth Amendment conditions- of-confinement claim, a Fourteenth Amendment excessive force claim, a corollary “official capacity” claim, and a claim under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Dkt. No. 30, ¶¶43- 56. Willette is represented by counsel, but that has unfortunately not resulted in a more orderly or efficient process for this litigation. The second amended complaint is confusing and at times

reads more like a brief than a pleading. The Court and Defendants are left with considerable work just to figure out the legal claims being alleged. Counsel has also shown a significant disregard for procedure. For example, shortly after the complaint was filed, he filed nearly a dozen sets of discovery requests on the docket, contrary to the instructions in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5(d)(1)(A). Dkt. Nos. 11-21. And, when counsel filed the second amended complaint, he did not attempt to obtain Defendants’ consent or the Court’s permission as required by Rule 15, a failure the Court excused in the interest of moving the case forward. Dkt. No. 39. Counsel also struggled to serve the Second Amended Complaint, Dkt. Nos. 57 & 64, and those failures ultimately led the Court to dismiss two of the originally named Defendants. Dkt. No. 87. Willette’s expert disclosures were also “woefully deficient” under Rule 26, even after he was allowed multiple

chances at amendment. Dkt. No. 110. Counsel even failed to appear for an October 11, 2023 telephone hearing set by the Court to address a host of pending discovery motions. Dkt. No. 122. Notwithstanding these obstacles, the parties completed discovery and two groups of Defendants1 have filed motions for summary judgment. Dkt. Nos. 149 & 163. These groups label themselves: (1) the “County Defendants”— Sheriff Todd Delain, Jail Administrator Heidi Michel, Corporal (Cpl.) Nicole Hambly, Lieutenant (Lt.) Jolly, Cpl. Karla Kuchta, Cpl. Dustin Dimmer,

1 Several other Defendants have already been dismissed. Two were dismissed for lack of timely service. Dkt. No. 87. Two others were dismissed by stipulation. Dkt. No. 146. The Court will now also dismiss Defendant “Dr. J. D,” whom Willette has named but never identified despite ample chances. See Civ. L. R. 41(c) (E.D. Wis.). The Court will also dismiss Defendant Mallory S. (apparently Mallory Short), who has not been served even more than two years after being named as a defendant. See Dkt. No. 74; see also Civ. L. R. 41(a). Correctional Officer (CO) Blayne Lanser, CO Michael Laux, CO Wade Delorit, CO Jason Free, CO Christopher Kujava, and CO Zachary Olsen; and (2) the “Medical Defendants”—Nurses Ava Gonzelez and Emily Blozinski, and Mental Health Coordinator (MHC) Przybelski. The motions are now fully briefed, although as discussed below, Willette’s counsel’s summary judgment

practice reflects a continued serious disregard for procedure. Also pending are cross-motions for sanctions. Dkt. Nos. 130 & 191. For the reasons below, Defendants’ motions for summary judgment will be granted and the case dismissed. The cross-motions for sanctions will be denied. I. Defendants’ Motions for Summary Judgment Willette’s remaining claims are: (1) a Fourteenth Amendment conditions-of-confinement claim arising from his placement in a “safety cell” at the jail, along with denial of certain items, such as toilet paper, water, and hygiene materials, while in the safety cell; (2) a Fourteenth Amendment excessive force claim relating to his placement in a “restraint chair” on December 8, 2019 and January 2, 2020, along with the use of a “secure shower” on December 16, 2019 and January 5, 2020; (3) an “official capacity” claim in connection with the jail’s policies and

procedures involving use of a safety cell, restraint chair, and secure shower; and; (4) a PREA claim in connection with the manner in which his secure showers were conducted. 2 Dkt. No. 30, ¶¶38,

2 In addition to these claims, Willette also mentions supervisory liability for the lieutenants; the failure to receive a “due process hearing” before being placed in a safety cell; nurses allegedly not giving him his prescription medications at the time he arrived at the jail; and Nurse Jensen allegedly sexually assaulting him during his secure showers by scrubbing his body with a sponge without his consent. See Dkt. No. 30, ¶53; see also Dkt. Nos. 173 & 174. None of these passing complaints are identified as separate claims and all are without merit, even if they had been properly pleaded. For example, there is no supervisory liability under Section 1983, see Burks v. Raemisch, 555 F.3d 592, 593- 94 (7th Cir. 2009), and the lieutenants have already been voluntarily dismissed from this case. See Dkt. No. 146; see also Dkt. No. 173, ¶118. There is no requirement that the County provide a due process hearing before placement in a safety cell because an inmate is not being deprived of a “liberty” interest as a disciplinary measure—rather it is for protection. Sandin v. Conner, 515 U.S. 472, 484 (1995) (noting that “inmates have no liberty interest in avoiding transfer to discretionary segregation—that is, segregation imposed for administrative, protective, or investigative purposes.”). Further, all nurses have already been dismissed from this case. See Dkt. No. 87; see also Dkt. No. 174, ¶120. And Nurse Jensen has never been a defendant in this case. See Dkt. Nos. 1, 24, & 30. 40-42, & 47. Both the County Defendants and the Medical Defendants seek summary judgment on all claims. Dkt. Nos. 149 & 163. Willette’s response to the motions leaves much to be desired. Even after being granted an extension, counsel filed the response materials two days late. Dkt. Nos. 173-177. They were

followed the next day by a “Motion for Supplemental” that accuses Defense counsel of unspecified “potential bad faith, harassment and misconduct.” Dkt. No. 179. Counsel offered no support for these serious accusations. The response materials also included a “Declaration of Authentication” signed by Counsel in which he generically and sweepingly purports to authenticate all the exhibits submitted with the opposition. Dkt. No. 180. Most problematically, however, the opposition filings failed to comply with Willette’s basic obligations as a party opposing summary judgment.

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