Benton v. Hobbs et al

Filing 34

ORDER adopting in part 31 Proposed Findings and Recommended Disposition as this Court's findings and disposition; granting 25 motion for summary judgment. Signed by Judge J. Leon Holmes on 3/20/2015. (ks)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS
PINE BLUFF DIVISION
RICO BENTON, ADC #97236
v.

PLAINTIFF
NO. 5:14CV00287 JLH

RAY HOBBS, et al.

DEFENDANTS
ORDER

The Court has reviewed the Proposed Findings and Recommended Disposition submitted
by United States Magistrate Judge H. David Young and the objections filed by Rico Benton. After
carefully considering the objections and making a de novo review of the record in this case, the
Court concludes that the Proposed Findings and Recommended Disposition should be adopted in
part as this Court’s findings and disposition. The Court does not adopt the portion of the Proposed
Findings and Recommended Disposition concluding that Benton’s claims are precluded by his
action before the Arkansas Claims Commission. See Smith v. Johnson, No. 13-2491, 2015 WL
1020808, at *3-4 (8th Cir. March 10, 2015). Assuming that Benton exhausted his claims against
Ray Hobbs, William Straughn, Maurice Williams, Kathleen Lowery, and Connie Jenkins, he has
presented no evidence that any of these defendants was deliberately indifferent to a substantial risk
of harm that he faced. At most, he has shown that one or more of them may have been negligent,
but negligence is not actionable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
The defendants’ motion for summary judgment is GRANTED. Document #25. A judgment
will be entered separately.
IT IS SO ORDERED this 20th day of March, 2015.

J. LEON HOLMES
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE