Zann v. Whidby

904 F. Supp. 2d 1229, 2012 WL 5263153, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152589
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedOctober 24, 2012
DocketNo. 2:11-cv-919-JHH
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 904 F. Supp. 2d 1229 (Zann v. Whidby) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zann v. Whidby, 904 F. Supp. 2d 1229, 2012 WL 5263153, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152589 (N.D. Ala. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

JAMES H. HANCOCK, Senior District Judge.

The court has before it the July 18, 2012 Motion (Doc. #25) for Summary Judgment filed by Defendant Deputy Daniel R. Whidby. Pursuant to the court’s July 19, 2012 order (Doc. #27), the Motion was deemed submitted, without oral argument, to the court for decision on August 16, 2012. After consideration of the briefs and evidence before the court, the Motion (Doc. #25) is due to be granted in part and denied in part for the reasons stated herein.

I. Procedural History

Plaintiff Herman Joseph Zann III commenced this action on March 10, 2011 by filing in this court a Complaint (Doc. # 1) against Defendants Deputy Daniel R. Whidby and the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department alleging the following: negligent supervision (Count One); negligent training (Count Two); negligent retention (Count Three); use of excessive force (Count Four); false arrest (Count Five); violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1985 (Count Six); state law assault and battery (Count Seven); negligence (Count Nine1); and tort of outrage (Count Ten) against the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, Deputy Daniel Whidby (individually and in his capacity as an officer of the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department), and fictitious defendants A-E.2 According to the Complaint, the claims are “secured by the provisions of 42 U.S.C. § 1983” and include supplemental state law torts. (See Compl. ¶ 6.) Plaintiff Zann seeks damages allegedly suffered as a result of Defendants’ alleged “willful and malicious conduct.” (See Compl. generally; see also Doc. # 15 at 2.)

On June 14, 2011, Defendant Jefferson County Sheriffs Department filed a Motion (Doc. # 9) to Dismiss all the claims against it, as the Department is not a legal entity subject to suit or liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Dean v. Barber, 951 F.2d 1210, 1214 (11th Cir.1992), or under Alabama law, King v. Colbert County, 620 So.2d 623, 626 (Ala.1993). The court entered an order (Doc. # 10), stating that it intended to dismiss the claims against Defendant Jefferson County Sheriffs Department with prejudice unless Plaintiff showed good cause why it should not. The court never heard from Plaintiff regarding this order, and the court dismissed with prejudice (Doc. # 12) Defendant Jefferson County Sheriffs Department on June 27, 2011.

On July 5, 2011, the remaining Defendant, Deputy Daniel R. Whidby, filed a Motion (Doc. # 13) to Dismiss, In Part. That Motion sought to dismiss (1) all claims asserted against Defendant Whidby in his official capacity; (2) any supervisory liability claims; (3) all state law claims; and (4) all claims for injunctive relief. (Id.), After considering the arguments of the parties, the court granted (Doc. # 17) the Motion (Doc. # 13) to Dismiss, In Part, with the only claims remaining in the action being the federal claims asserted [1234]*1234against Defendant Whidby in his individual capacity.

On July 18, 2012, Defendant Whidby filed the instant Motion (Doc. # 25) to Dismiss. The Motion contends that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that all of Plaintiffs claims fail as a matter of law. (Id), Simultaneously filed with the Motions for Summary Judgment, the Defendant also filed a separate brief and evidence3 (Doc. #26) in support of his Motion for Summary Judgment. On July 9, 2012, Plaintiff filed a brief and evidence4 (Doc. # 28) in Opposition to the Motion for Summary Judgment. On August 16, 2012, Defendant filed a brief (Doc. # 29) in reply to Plaintiffs Opposition. All briefs and evidence have been considered by the court in deciding the instant Motion.

II. Standards for Evaluating a Summary Judgment Motion

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c), summary judgment is proper “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Chapman v. AI Transport, 229 F.3d 1012, 1023 (11th Cir.2000). The party asking for summary judgment always bears the initial responsibility of informing the court of the basis for its motion and identifying those portions of the pleadings or filings which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. See id. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548. Once the moving party has met its burden, Rule 56(e) requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by its own affidavits, or by the depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. See id. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548.

The substantive law will identify which facts are material and which are irrelevant. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). All reasonable doubts about the facts and all justifiable inferences are resolved in favor of the nonmovant. See Fitzpatrick v. City of Atlanta, 2 F.3d 1112, 1115 (11th Cir.1993). A dispute is genuine “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. If the evidence is merely colorable, or is not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted. See id. at 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

The method used by the party moving for summary judgment to discharge its initial burden depends on whether that party bears the burden of proof on the issue at trial. See Fitzpatrick, 2 F.3d at 1115-17 (citing United States v. Four Parcels of Real Property, 941 F.2d 1428 (11th Cir.1991) (en banc)). If the moving party bears the burden of proof at trial, then it can only meet its initial burden on summary judgment by coming forward with positive evidence demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact; i.e. facts that would entitle it to a directed verdict if not controverted at trial. See [1235]*1235Fitzpatrick, 2 F.3d at 1115. Once the moving party makes such a showing, the burden shifts to the non-moving party to produce significant, probative evidence demonstrating a genuine issue for trial.

If the moving party does not bear the burden of proof at trial, it can satisfy its initial burden on summary judgment in either of two ways. First, the moving party may produce affirmative evidence negating a material fact, thus demonstrating that the non-moving party will be unable to prove its case at trial. Once the moving party satisfies its burden using this method, the non-moving party must respond with positive evidence sufficient to resist a motion for directed verdict at trial.

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Bluebook (online)
904 F. Supp. 2d 1229, 2012 WL 5263153, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152589, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zann-v-whidby-alnd-2012.