Hubbard v. Payne et al

Filing 40

OPINION AND ORDER granting 31 Motion for Summary Judgment. The clerk is DIRECTED to enter judgment in favor of all defendants and against the plaintiff. Signed by Senior Judge James T Moody on 3/24/2015. (rmc)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA
SOUTH BEND DIVISION
CHARLES HUBBARD,
Plaintiff,
v.
MR. PAYNE, et al.,
Defendants.

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CAUSE NO. 3:14-CV-598 JM

OPINION and ORDER
Charles Hubbard, a pro se prisoner, is proceeding against Sgt. Derek in his
individual capacity for compensatory damages for attacking him while he was having a
seizure in violation of the Eighth Amendment. He is also proceeding against Nurse
Derek and Captain Payne in their individual capacities for compensatory damages for
their failure to intervene to stop Sgt. Derek from attacking him while he was having a
seizure. It has not been possible to serve either Sgt. Derek or Nurse Derek because the
Indiana Department of Correction could not identify any employees by the names of
Derek (or Derck). (DE ## 16 & 17.) Nevertheless, Mr. Payne filed a motion for summary
judgment presenting two arguments: first, that Hubbard did not exhaust his
administrative remedies as required by 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a), and second, that the
complaint was filed beyond the applicable statute of limitations.
Summary judgment must be granted when “there is no genuine dispute as to any
material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” FEDERAL RULE
OF CIVIL PROCEDURE 56(a).

A genuine issue of material fact exists when “the evidence is

such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Anderson v.
Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986). Not every dispute between the parties makes
summary judgment inappropriate; “[o]nly disputes over facts that might affect the
outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of
summary judgment.” Id. To determine whether a genuine issue of material fact exists,
the court must construe all facts in the light most favorable to the non-moving party
and draw all reasonable inferences in that party’s favor. Ogden v. Atterholt, 606 F.3d 355,
358 (7th Cir. 2010). A party opposing a properly supported summary judgment motion
may not rely merely on allegations or denials in his or her own pleading, but rather
must “marshal and present the court with the evidence she contends will prove her
case.” Goodman v. Nat’l Sec. Agency, Inc., 621 F.3d 651, 654 (7th Cir. 2010). If the
nonmoving party does not establish the existence of an essential element on which that
party bears the burden of proof at trial, summary judgment is proper. Massey v. Johnson,
457 F.3d 711, 716 (7th Cir. 2006). Summary judgment “is the put up or shut up moment
in a lawsuit.” Springer v. Durflinger, 518 F.3d 479, 484 (7th Cir. 2008).
In his response to the summary judgment motion, Hubbard responds to the
assertion that he did not exhaust his administrative remedies, but he does not dispute
that his complaint was filed after the statute of limitations had expired. In his
complaint, Hubbard did not say when the incident occurred. However, in a discovery
request he identifies the date of the incident as August 15, 2010:
3. August 15, 2010. There was an altercation between petitioner and
a ranking member of the Westville Correctional Facility administrative
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that was known and identified as Sgt. He was 6' 3" feet tall. He weight
170-180 pds. Dark hair and he was assign to the Pods August 15, 2010. I
believe I may have been misinformed from a prior officer of the Sgt. name,
but I do recognize that the administration keep records on the ranking
members assignment and location.
4. On the very same shift, there was a nurse in her mid 30’s maybe
34 about 5' 3" maybe 110 pds. brown hair who works on weekdays. She
was a witness to the Sgt altercation against petitioner.
5. I’m only asking for the right identification of the incident report
that was taken on August 15, 2010, from the two individuals.
(DE # 27 at 2; DE # 31-4 at 2.)
“Indiana’s two-year statute of limitations . . . is applicable to all causes of action
brought in Indiana under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.” Snodderly v. R.U.F.F. Drug Enforcement Task
Force, 239 F.3d 892, 894 (7th Cir. 2001). This lawsuit is brought in Indiana under § 1983.
Therefore Hubbard only had until August 15, 2012, to file a lawsuit based on events
which occurred on August 15, 2010. However, the original complaint in this case was
not signed until March 6, 2014. (DE # 1 at 6.) Therefore this complaint is untimely and
this action is barred by the statute of limitations.
Though the summary judgment motion was only filed by one defendant, the
statute of limitations applies to all claims which arose on August 15, 2010, and they are
untimely too. Therefore summary judgment will be granted as to all defendants because
“where one defendant succeeds in winning summary judgment on a ground common
to several defendants, the district court may also grant judgment to the non-moving
defendants, if the plaintiff had an adequate opportunity to argue in opposition.”
Pourghoraishi v. Flying J, Inc., 449 F.3d 751, 765 (7th Cir. 2006), as amended on denial of
reh’g (May 25, 2006) (brackets, quotation marks and citation omitted). See also Harvey v.
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Town of Merrillville, 649 F.3d 526, 530 (7th Cir. 2011). Here, Hubbard had an adequate
opportunity to respond to the argument that these claims are barred by the statute of
limitations, but the undisputed fact is that his claims arose more than two years before
he filed this lawsuit.
For the foregoing reasons, the motion for summary judgment (DE # 31) is
GRANTED. The clerk is DIRECTED to enter judgment in favor of all defendants and
against the plaintiff.
SO ORDERED.
Date: March 24, 2015
s/James T. Moody
JUDGE JAMES T. MOODY
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT