Wilson v. M.D.O.C.

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedJanuary 25, 2023
Docket4:21-cv-00067
StatusUnknown

This text of Wilson v. M.D.O.C. (Wilson v. M.D.O.C.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilson v. M.D.O.C., (N.D. Miss. 2023).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI GREENVILLE DIVISION

RANDY WILSON PLAINTIFF

v. No. 4:21CV67-GHD-RP

M.D.O.C., ET AL. DEFENDANTS

MEMORANDUM OPINION

This matter comes before the court on the pro se prisoner complaint of Randy Wilson, who challenges the conditions of his confinement under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. For the purposes of the Prison Litigation Reform Act, the court notes that the plaintiff was incarcerated when he filed this suit. The plaintiff has brought the instant case under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, which provides a federal cause of action against “[e]very person” who under color of state authority causes the “deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws.” 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants failed to protect him from assault by other inmates. The defendants have moved for summary judgment; the plaintiff has not responded, and the deadline to do so has expired. For the reasons set forth below, the motion by the defendants for summary judgment will be granted, and the instant case will be dismissed with prejudice on the merits, and, in the alternative, without prejudice for failure to exhaust administrative remedies. Summary Judgment Standard Summary judgment is appropriate if the “materials in the record, including depositions, documents, electronically stored information, affidavits or declarations, stipulations (including those made for purposes of the motion only), admissions, interrogatory answers, or other materials” show that “there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a) and (c)(1). “The moving party must show that if the evidentiary material of record were reduced to admissible evidence in court, it would be insufficient to permit the nonmoving party to carry its burden.” Beck v. Texas State Bd. of Dental Examiners, 204 F.3d 629, 633 (5th Cir. 2000) (citing Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 (1986), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 1066 (1988)). After a proper motion for summary judgment is made, the burden shifts to the non-movant to set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S. Ct. 2505, 2511, 91 L. Ed. 2d 202 (1986); Beck, 204 F.3d at 633; Allen v. Rapides Parish School Bd., 204 F.3d 619, 621 (5th Cir. 2000); Ragas v. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, 136 F.3d 455, 458 (5th Cir. 1998).

Substantive law determines what is material. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249. “Only disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment. Factual disputes that are irrelevant or unnecessary will not be counted.” Id., at 248. If the non-movant sets forth specific facts in support of allegations essential to his claim, a genuine issue is presented. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 327. “Where the record, taken as a whole, could not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the non-moving party, there is no genuine issue for trial.” Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 89 L. Ed. 2d 538 (1986); Federal Savings and Loan, Inc. v. Krajl, 968 F.2d 500, 503 (5th Cir. 1992). The facts are reviewed drawing all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-moving party. Allen, 204 F.3d at 621; PYCA Industries, Inc. v. Harrison County Waste Water Management Dist., 177 F.3d 351, 161 (5th Cir. 1999); Banc One Capital Partners Corp. v. Kneipper, 67 F.3d 1187, 1198

(5th Cir. 1995). However, this is so only when there is “an actual controversy, that is, when both parties have submitted evidence of contradictory facts.” Little v. Liquid Air Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1075 (5th Cir. 1994); see Edwards v. Your Credit, Inc., 148 F.3d 427, 432 (5th Cir. 1998). In the absence of proof, the court does not “assume that the nonmoving party could or would prove the necessary facts.” Little, 37 F.3d at 1075 (emphasis omitted). Undisputed Material Facts1 In 20162 Randy Wilson was drugged by other inmates; then inmate James Carter beat him, sexually assaulted him, and forced him to make a video of himself throwing a doll in a carrier against a wall. Doc. 1 at 6-7. Carter then “made [him] to do nasty things to more people” so that he would not be killed. Id. Carter then shot him twice and stabbed him in the neck.3 Id. Someone took a video of the 2016 events and shared it with other inmates. Wilson was attacked multiple times afterwards, and he believes the attacks are because the other inmates become enraged after seeing the video. One

such attack occurred on March 13, 2021, (some five years after the 2016 video was recorded) by an inmate nicknamed “Money G;” Wilson suffered two broken arms as a result. CM/ECF Doc. 1 at 3, 5. During his stay in the hospital following the March 13 attack, Wilson sent a letter to Superintendent

1 For the purposes of this memorandum opinion and final judgment only, the court assumes that the plaintiff’s allegations are true, unless they are squarely contradicted by documentary evidence in the record. 2 It does not appear that the plaintiff seeks relief in this case based upon the events of 2016, but has included them to give context to the 2021 events. However, even he were seeking such relief, those claims would be barred by the applicable statute of limitations. A federal court borrows the forum state’s general or residual personal injury limitations period. Owens v. Okure, 488 U.S. 235, 249 (1989); Gartrell v. Gaylor, 981 F.2d 254 (5th Cir. 1993). In Mississippi, that statute is MISS. CODE ANN. § 15-1-49, which allows a litigant only three years to file such an action, and the statute begins to run “at the moment the plaintiff becomes aware he has suffered an injury or has sufficient information to know he has been injured.” Russel v. Board of Trustees of Firemen, etc., 968 F.2d 489 (5th Cir. 1992), cert. denied, 113 S. Ct. 1266 (1993) (citations omitted). Clearly, the plaintiff would have been aware of the alleged injuries when they occurred in 2016; as such, the limitations period expired three years later in 2019. The instant case was filed in 2021, after the expiration of that period. 3 The record contains no evidence that this incident occurred. Wilson’s institutional record shows that he was housed at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (“CMCF”) in Rankin County in May and September 2016; See Ex. “A,” Plaintiff’s Institutional Record at MDOC-WILSON-000002. There is, however, no evidence in his inmate file – or his medical records – of any such incident. See Ex.

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Related

Little v. Liquid Air Corp.
37 F.3d 1069 (Fifth Circuit, 1994)
Woods v. Edwards
51 F.3d 577 (Fifth Circuit, 1995)
Banc One Capital Partners Corp. v. Kneipper
67 F.3d 1187 (Fifth Circuit, 1995)
Ragas v. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.
136 F.3d 455 (Fifth Circuit, 1998)
Allen v. Rapides Parish School Board
204 F.3d 619 (Fifth Circuit, 2000)
Lewis v. Lynn
236 F.3d 766 (Fifth Circuit, 2001)
Days v. Johnson
322 F.3d 863 (Fifth Circuit, 2003)
Johnson v. Ford
261 F. App'x 752 (Fifth Circuit, 2008)
Robinson v. Wheeler
338 F. App'x 437 (Fifth Circuit, 2009)
Dillon v. Rogers
596 F.3d 260 (Fifth Circuit, 2010)
Ex Parte Young
209 U.S. 123 (Supreme Court, 1908)
Quern v. Jordan
440 U.S. 332 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Kentucky v. Graham
473 U.S. 159 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Green v. Mansour
474 U.S. 64 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Owens v. Okure
488 U.S. 235 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Board of Trustees of Univ. of Ala. v. Garrett
531 U.S. 356 (Supreme Court, 2001)
Booth v. Churner
532 U.S. 731 (Supreme Court, 2001)

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Bluebook (online)
Wilson v. M.D.O.C., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-mdoc-msnd-2023.