Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-92-01283/USCOURTS-ca10-92-01283-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 

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UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEAI,&niJSJte~~r~ '?dp-pea1~ 

Tenth C1rcu1t 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT 

CHARLES J. CZEMERYNSKI, } 

} 

Plaintiff-Appellant, } 

} 

v. } 

} 

BILL WILSON, Superintendent of the} 

Centennial Correctional Facility; } 

CARLOS BACA, Assistant Superintend-) 

ent of the Centennial Correctional) 

Facility; LIEUTENANT MORMON, } 

Lieutenant of the centennial } 

Correctional Facility; and OFFICER} 

STRONG, Control Center Operator of} 

the Centennial Correctional } 

Facility, } 

} 

Defendants-Appellees. } 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

FEB 1 6 1993 

ROBERT L. HOECKER 

Clerk 

No. 92-1283 

(D. C. No. 92-Z-773} 

(D . Colo.) 

Before LOGAN, MOORE and BRORBY, Circuit Judges. 

After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel 

has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially 

assist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 

34(a}; 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The cause is therefore ordered 

* This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall not 

be cited, or used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, except 

for purposes of establishing the doctrines of the law of the case, 

res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. 36.3. 

Appellate Case: 92-1283 Document: 010110170362 Date Filed: 02/16/1993 Page: 1 
submitted without oral argument. 

Mr. Czemerynski, a state inmate, commenced a pro se § 1983 

action against several penitentiary officials. The district court 

held the action was barred by the applicable state statute of 

limitations. Mr. Czemerynski, while confined in a Colorado 

penitentiary, was stabbed fifteen times by a fellow inmate on 

April 13, 1986. Mr. Czemerynski commenced his suit on April 22, 

1992, approximately six years later, alleging the defendants could 

have prevented the stabbing and their failure to do so constituted 

a constitutional violation. 

The applicable statute of limitations in a§ 1983 action is 

that of the state in which the federal court is located. Board of 

Regents v. Tomanio, 446 U.S. 478, 483-84 (1980). In this case, 

the state law to be applied is that of Colorado. The then 

existing statute of limitations was Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-

108(1) (b) (1973), which provided the action must be brought within 

three years after the cause of action accrued. See McKay v. 

Hammock, 730 F.2d 1367, 1370 (1984). 

Hr. Czemerynski concedes the applicability of this law but 

asserts: (1) as he was in prison he was under a legal disability; 

(2) he was barred from timely commencing this action due to his 

fear of retaliation by prison officials; (3) the statute of 

limitations does not apply as the prison officials knew of the 

risks of assault and took no action to prevent it; and (4) the 

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Appellate Case: 92-1283 Document: 010110170362 Date Filed: 02/16/1993 Page: 2 
trial court should have dismissed the action without prejudice 

with each party to pay their own costs. 

Mr. Czemerynski cites several cases holding an inmate is 

under a legal disability. These cases are not applicable as all 

involve Kansas law. Colorado law has no provision tolling a 

statute of limitations for inmates. 

Mr. Czemerynski's fears of retaliation are insufficient to 

toll the statute of limitations. Mr. czemerynski filed an 

affidavit stating he is "a sanctioned inmate representative" and 

he has personal knowledge of incidents that he would testify about 

at an evidentiary hearing. Conclusory allegations are 

insufficient. Claims of retaliation must assert something more 

than fear and must allege specific incidents involving who, what, 

when, and where. 

Mr. Czemerynski's remaining contentions merit no discussion. 

The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED. The mandate 

shall issue forthwith. 

Entered for the Court: 

WADE BRORBY 

Circuit Judge 

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Appellate Case: 92-1283 Document: 010110170362 Date Filed: 02/16/1993 Page: 4