Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_01-cv-00739/USCOURTS-cand-4_01-cv-00739-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

NOT FOR CITATION

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MICHAEL WILLIAMS,

Plaintiff,

 vs.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF’S

DEPARTMENT, et al.

Defendants. /

No. C 01-0739 PJH (PR) 

ORDER GRANTING

SUMMARY JUDGMENT

(Doc 224)

This is a civil rights case filed pro se by a state prisoner. In September of 2005 the

court granted the motions for summary judgment filed by defendants Santa Cruz County

Sheriff’s Department, Craig Wilson, James Skillicorn, James Thurber, Amy Christey and

Roy Morales; defendant McGannon; and defendants Rahiri and Ragsac. This disposed of

most of the case, except for claims against Marge Bailey, Watsonville Community Hospital,

and Agustina Vargas. There had been considerable difficulty serving Bariley, but she was

successfully served just before the ruling on the motions for summary judgment was

entered. Because plaintiff had not yet opposed the motion for summary judgment of

Watsonville Community Hospital and Agustina Vargas when the court ruled on the other

motions for summary judgment, it was not decided at the same time. Bailey has now joined

in Vargas’ and the hospital’s motion for summary judgment and plaintiff has opposed it. 

The court rules as follows. 

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff escaped from the custody of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department.

Before he escaped he was shackled and handcuffed, leading authorities to suspect that he

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United States District Court

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possessed a key to unlock the handcuff. He was apprehended by Monterey County

Sheriff’s deputies about eight hours after the escape. During the course of his

apprehension, he was bitten by a police dog. The officers took him to Watsonville

Community Hospital, where he was treated for the dog bite. He was also x-rayed in search

of a handcuff key, and his blood was drawn for a blood test. 

DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

Summary judgment is proper where the pleadings, discovery and 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." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). Material facts are those which may

affect the outcome of the case. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986). 

A dispute as to a material fact is genuine if there is sufficient evidence for a reasonable jury

to return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Id.

The moving party for summary judgment bears the initial burden of identifying those

portions of the pleadings, discovery and affidavits which demonstrate the absence of a

genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Cattrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323 (1986); Nissan

Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Fritz Cos., 210 F.3d 1099, 1102 (9th Cir. 2000). When the moving

party has met this burden of production, the nonmoving party must go beyond the

pleadings and, by its own affidavits or discovery, set forth specific facts showing that there

is a genuine issue for trial. If the nonmoving party fails to produce enough evidence to

show a genuine issue of material fact, the moving party wins. Id.

B. Motion

In the ruling on earlier motions for summary judgment the court concluded that there

was no genuine issue of fact that plaintiff was a convicted prisoner when he escaped from

custody while being transported by deputies of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department

and the he escaped despite having been handcuffed and shackled, leading the authorities 

to believe that he had obtained a handcuff key. He was recaptured by Monterey County

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sheriff’s deputies after about eight hours, and taken to Watsonville hospital where the

deputies ordered that he be x-rayed and that blood be drawn. The court concluded that on

these facts plaintiff’s Fourth and Eighth Amendment rights were not violated. 

The present motion is based on these same facts and once again there is no dispute

as to these facts. For the reasons set out in the court’s ruling of September 20, 2005, the

motion for summary judgment of defendants Watsonville Community Hospital, Agustina

Vargas, and Marge Bailey (doc 224) is GRANTED. As this ruling disposes of the case, the

clerk shall close the file.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 3, 2006.

 PHYLLIS J. HAMILTON

United States District Judge

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