Woodward v. Daugherty

845 F. Supp. 2d 681, 2012 WL 628227, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25047
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. North Carolina
DecidedFebruary 28, 2012
DocketNo. 5:11-cv-8-RJC
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 845 F. Supp. 2d 681 (Woodward v. Daugherty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Woodward v. Daugherty, 845 F. Supp. 2d 681, 2012 WL 628227, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25047 (W.D.N.C. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER

ROBERT J. CONRAD, Chief Judge.

THIS MATTER comes before the Court on Defendants’ Motions for Summary Judgment, (Doc. Nos. 47 & 72). In accordance with Roseboro v. Garrison, 528 F.2d 309 (4th Cir.1975), Plaintiff was advised of the necessity of filing responses to both motions and of the manner in which evidence could be submitted to the Court. See (Doc. Nos. 52; 79). On July 28, 2011, and on November 24, 2011, Plaintiff filed his Responses. (Doc. Nos. 57; 81).

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In this action brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants were deliberately indifferent to serious medical conditions suffered by Plaintiff during Plaintiffs periods of incarceration at the Lincoln County, North Carolina jail facility. It is undisputed that Plaintiff was housed in the jail from August 6, 2009, to September 15, 2009, and then again from November 5, 2009, to November 17, 2009. During his stay from August 6, 2009, to September 15, 2009, Plaintiff contends that he never received any treatment for his diabetes, cholesterol, or triglycerides. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Hoyle “refused to let him declare a medical emergency” on September 13, 2009, leading Plaintiff to “suffer ... from severe pain from a kidney stone.” (Doc. No. 1 at 18). Plaintiff returned to the jail on November 5, 2009, and stayed until November 17, 2009. He alleges that he was treated for “absolutely nothing” during this time period and that on November 17, 2009, Hoyle again “refused to let him declare a medical emergency.” (Id. at 12).

In two separate motions, Defendants have moved for summary judgment on the [683]*683grounds that Plaintiff failed to exhaust his administrative remedies as required by the Prison Litigation Reform Act and that there is no evidence that any defendant was deliberately indifferent to any medical needs of Plaintiff.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Rule 56(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides:

A party may move for summary judgment, identifying each claim or defense — or the part of each claim or defense — on which summary judgment is sought. The court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The court should state on the record the reasons for granting or denying the motion.

Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). The rule goes on to provide procedures for responding to a motion for summary judgment:

(c) Procedures.
(1) Supporting Factual Positions. A party asserting that a fact cannot be or is genuinely disputed must support the assertion by:
(A) citing to particular parts of 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; or
(B) showing that the materials cited do not establish the absence or presence of a genuine dispute, or that an adverse party cannot produce admissible evidence to support the fact.
(2) Objection That a Fact Is Not Supported by Admissible Evidence. A party may object that the material cited to support or dispute a fact cannot be presented in a form that would be admissible in evidence.
(3) Materials Not Cited. The court need consider only the cited materials, but it may consider other materials in the record.
(4) Affidavits or Declarations. An affidavit or declaration used to support or oppose a motion must be made on personal knowledge, set out facts that would be admissible in evidence, and show that the affiant or declarant is competent to testify on the matters stated.

Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c).

On a motion for summary judgment, the moving party has the burden of production to show that there are no genuine issues of fact for trial. Once the moving party has met that burden, the non-moving party has the burden of persuasion to establish that there is a genuine issue for trial.

When the moving party has carried its burden under Rule 56(c), its opponent must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts. Rather, the nonmoving party must come forward with “specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Where the record taken as a whole could not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the nonmoving party, there is no “genuine issue for trial.”

Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586-87, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986) (citations omitted) (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56).

III. DISCUSSION

The Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“PLRA”) mandates that “no action shall be brought with respect to prison conditions under § 1983 of this title, or any other Federal law, by a prisoner [684]*684... until such administrative remedies as are available are exhausted.” 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). In Porter v. Nussle, the Supreme Court held that the PLRA’s exhaustion requirement “applies to all inmate suits about prison life.... ” 534 U.S. 516, 532, 122 S.Ct. 983, 152 L.Ed.2d 12 (2002). In Woodford v. Ngo, the Supreme Court stated that “[p]risoners must exhaust all ‘available’ remedies, not just those that meet federal standards.” 548 U.S. 81, 85, 126 S.Ct. 2378, 165 L.Ed.2d 368 (2006). The Court further explained that proper exhaustion of administrative remedies “means using all steps that the agency holds out, and doing so properly (so that the agency addresses the issues on the merits).” Id. at 90, 126 S.Ct. 2378. Thus, exhaustion is mandatory, and unexhausted claims may not be litigated in federal court. Jones v. Bock, 549 U.S. 199, 211, 127 S.Ct. 910, 166 L.Ed.2d 798 (2007). Consequently, a prisoner does not comply with the mandatory requirements of 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) by exhausting his remedies during the course of litigation; exhaustion must occur before the filing of the lawsuit, or the case must be dismissed. See Moore v. Bennette,

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Bluebook (online)
845 F. Supp. 2d 681, 2012 WL 628227, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25047, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/woodward-v-daugherty-ncwd-2012.