WILLIAM S. DUFFEY, Jr., District Judge.
This matter is before the Court on Defendants Rockdale County and Sheriff Eric Levett's (together, "Defendants") Motion for Summary Judgment [16].
On July 19, 2014, Plaintiff Marshallawn Hayes ("Plaintiff") filed this action in the State Court of Rockdale County, Georgia, seeking damages for alleged cruel and unusual punishment in violation of 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983, 1985, 1986, the U.S. Constitution, and state law. ([1.2]). Defendants timely removed the action. ([1]).
Rockdale County, Georgia, is a subdivision of the State of Georgia. (Defs.' Statement of Material Facts ("DSMF") ¶ 1; Pl.'s Statement of Material Facts ("PSMF") ¶ 1).
Eric Levett was first employed by the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office ("RCSO") in 2006. From 2006 through March 2012, Levett worked in the RCSO but never at the Rockdale County Jail (the "Jail"). Levett was not responsible for the operation of the Jail during this period. Levett was responsible for the Jail only after he became Sheriff on January 1, 2013. (DSMF ¶ 3, PSMF ¶ 3).
Plaintiff was arrested by the RCSO on June 25, 2012, and released on July 30, 2012. (DSMF ¶ 8, PSMF ¶ 8). On June 27, 2012, Plaintiff received a medical evaluation. The evaluation showed that Plaintiff had a previous injury to his left knee, and, to address the injury, fixation patellar wires were installed. (DSMF ¶ 9, PSMF ¶ 9). The evaluation deemed Plaintiff qualified to work. (
While incarcerated at the Jail, Plaintiff was assigned to a work detail that performed work to demolish an area in an old jail to prepare it for remodeling. (DSMF ¶ 10; PSMF ¶ 10). On July 21, 2012, at approximately 1:15 PM, Plaintiff injured his knee while on the work detail. (DSMF ¶ 11; PSMF ¶ 11). Within approximately ten (10) minutes of his injury, Deputy Epperson escorted Plaintiff to the clinic at the Jail. (DSMF ¶ 12; PSMF ¶ 12). At approximately 1:20 p.m., Plaintiff received a physical examination and was prescribed three days of Ibuprofen. (DSMF ¶ 13; PSMF ¶ 13). He thereafter was seen by the nurse for three days to obtain the medication. (
On July 23, 2012, Plaintiff again was examined by medical personnel at the Jail. (DSMF ¶ 14; PSMF ¶ 14). The examination showed there was no gross welling, but that there was a broken wire and a contusion at the left knee. (
Plaintiff asserts the following claims against Defendants: (1) denial of medical care constituting cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the U.S. Constitution, brought under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983, 1985, and 1986 ([1.2] ¶¶ 5, 19, 29, 32, 33); (2) denial of medical care constituting cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Georgia Constitution (
On April 27, 2015, Defendants filed their summary judgment motion. Defendants move for summary judgment on the following grounds: (1) Sheriff Levett is not liable on Plaintiff's claims because he was not in office at the time of Plaintiff's injuries; (2) Rockdale County is not liable on Plaintiff's federal claims because it is not responsible for enacting any policy that proximately caused the alleged harm; (3) Rockdale County is not liable on Plaintiff's federal claims for inadequate supervision and training; (4) Plaintiff does not have a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1986 for failing to prevent a conspiracy; (5) Plaintiff cannot show that Defendants are responsible for deliberate indifference to a serious medical need and thus Plaintiff cannot succeed on his constitutional claims; (6) Sheriff Levett is entitled to qualified immunity from Plaintiff's Section 1983 claim; (7) the Georgia Constitution does not provide Plaintiff a damages remedy; (8) Sheriff Levett cannot be held liable for negligence; (9) Rockdale County is protected by sovereign immunity; and (10) Plaintiff's punitive damages claims are barred.
Plaintiff argues that Defendants' summary judgment motion is barred because it was filed more than thirty days after the close of discovery. (Resp. [17] at 1-2). Plaintiff concedes that Sheriff Levett was not the county Sheriff at the time of the incident, but maintains that he is liable "due to the fact the Defendants and Rockdale County Jail left Plaintiff in his cell with wire protruding from his knee after he was injured." (
Summary judgment is appropriate where the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits 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.
"At the summary judgment stage, facts must be viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party only if there is a `genuine' dispute as to those facts."
Plaintiff argues that Defendants' summary judgment motion, filed on April 27, 2015, is untimely because it was filed one day late. (Resp. at 1-2). The Court disagrees. Discovery in this case closed on March 27, 2015. (January 16, 2015, Order [10]). Under the local rules, motions for summary judgment are due thirty (30) days after the close of discovery. L.R. 56.1(D), N.D.Ga. Thirty days after the close of discovery was Sunday, April 26, 2015. Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(1)(C) provides that, in computing time, if the last day is a Sunday, "the period continues to run until the end of the next day. . . ." Defendants' summary judgment motion, filed on April 27, 2015, was timely.
Defendants move for summary judgment on all of Plaintiff's claims against Sheriff Levett in his individual capacity, arguing that Sheriff Levett was not in office at the time of the alleged violation of Plaintiff's rights, was not responsible for the Jail, and thus could not have caused a violation of Plaintiff's rights. (Mot. at 5). A Section 1983 claim "requires proof of an affirmative causal connection between the actions taken by a particular person under color of state law and the constitutional deprivation."
Plaintiff here does not allege that Sheriff Levett personally caused Plaintiff's injury, and it is uncontested that Sheriff Levett was not responsible for the Jail before or during Plaintiff's injury. Plaintiff "readily concedes that Defendant Sheriff Levett was not the county Sheriff at the time of the incident," but "maintains that Sheriff Levett, as the government agent responsible for the Rockdale County Jail, is liable for the acts complained of in the Complaint due to the fact the Defendants and Rockdale County Jail left Plaintiff in his cell with wire protruding from his knee after he was injured." (Resp. at 3).
Although his argument is unclear, Plaintiff appears to argue Sheriff Levett should be held liable on Plaintiff's claims on a theory of respondeat superior. Plaintiff's argument fails. First, respondeat superior does not apply to claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
Defendant next moves for summary judgment on the ground that Rockdale County is protected by sovereign immunity from Plaintiff's state law claim for damages. (Mot. at 24). "Under the Georgia Constitution, the protection of sovereign immunity extends to the state and all of its departments, including counties, and thus protects county employees who are sued in their official capacities unless sovereign immunity has been waived."
Defendant next moves for summary judgment on Plaintiff's constitutional claims for cruel and unusual punishment stemming from denial of medical care.
To show a constitutional violation, the plaintiff must show that a failure to provide medical treatment amounted to cruel and unusual treatment in violation of the Eighth Amendment.
To amount to a constitutional violation, the conduct of prison officials must run counter to evolving standards of decency or involve the unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain.
Deliberate indifference can be shown in a variety of ways. As the Eleventh Circuit noted:
In response to Defendants' summary judgment motion, Plaintiff argues:
(Resp. at 4 (internal citations omitted, emphasis in original)).
Plaintiff appears to argue that the fact that he had a "wire protruding out of his knee and the Defendants did not put it back in," standing alone, establishes liability for a constitutional violation. The Court disagrees. Plaintiff cannot establish that his constitutional rights were violated. Even assuming that Plaintiff's injury presented a serious medical need, Plaintiff was provided a prompt physical examination, x-ray, diagnosis, pain medication, and a bandage. Several medical providers treated Plaintiff on three separate occasions over the course of six days between the injury on July 21, 2012, and Plaintiff's release on July 30, 2012. Even assuming this medical care was inadequate, mere negligence is insufficient to support a constitutional claim.
Further, even if Plaintiff could establish a constitutional violation — and the Court holds he cannot — a plaintiff seeking to hold a municipality liable under Section 1983 must "identify a municipal `policy' or `custom' that caused the plaintiff's injury."
As to Sheriff Levett, as explained above, the Court finds summary judgment is warranted on all of Plaintiff's claims against Sheriff Levett in his individual capacity. Plaintiff does not offer any evidence that Sheriff Levett was present at the Jail, was aware of Plaintiff's injury, or was otherwise involved, directly or indirectly, in Plaintiff's injury or medical treatment. Because Plaintiff fails to raise a triable issue of material fact, Defendants' motion for summary judgment is granted on Plaintiff's Section 1983 claim for cruel and unusual punishment.
Plaintiff fails to address any of Defendants' other grounds for summary judgment. These grounds are that: (1) Plaintiff has no claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1986 for failing to prevent a conspiracy; (2) the Georgia Constitution does not provide Plaintiff a damages remedy; (3) Sheriff Levett cannot be held liable for negligence under Section 1983 for a violation of federal law; and (4) Plaintiff's punitive damages claims are barred.
The Court deems Defendants' motion for summary judgment on these grounds unopposed.
For the foregoing reasons,
Ga. Const., Art. I, Sec. II, Par. IX(d). This section, however, applies only to state employees sued in their individual capacity, not counties sued in their official capacity.
With respect to Plaintiff's state law negligence claim against Sheriff Levett, even if qualified immunity did not apply, the Court finds summary judgment is warranted. Sheriff Levett cannot be held liable for negligence in this case, because, as explained above, there is no evidence he was involved in any way in Plaintiff's injury or medical care, and respondeat superior does not apply. Plaintiff has not even attempted to establish the existence of a legal duty owed by Sheriff Levett, a breach of this duty, or a causal connection between the breach and Plaintiff's injury.