Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-arwd-6_18-cv-06091/USCOURTS-arwd-6_18-cv-06091-3/pdf.json

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

---

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

WESTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

HOT SPRINGS DIVISION

GARY MAX CHAMBERS PLAINTIFF

v. Civil No. 6:18-cv-6091 

JASON WATSON, Sheriff, Clark County, Arkansas; 

DERRICK BARNES, Administrator, Clark County 

Detention Facility; ROBERT JONES, Deputy Sheriff, 

Clark County; OFFICER CHASE KERSEY; OFFICER 

K. LOVE, Clark County Detention Facility; DEPUTY

NICK FUNDERBURK; DEPUTY PERRY; DEPUTY

ANDERW SAMUELS; DEPUTY NATE MORRISON;

and TOMMY WALDRON, Amity Police Department DEFENDANTS 

ORDER

Before the Court is the Report and Recommendation filed February 3, 2020, by the Honorable 

Barry A. Bryant, United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Arkansas. ECF No. 82. 

Judge Bryant recommends that the Clark County Defendants’

1 Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF 

No. 43) be granted in part and denied in part. Judge Bryant further recommends that Separate Defendant 

Tommy Waldron’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 47) be granted in part and denied in part. 

No party has filed objections to the Report and Recommendation, and the time to object has passed. See 

28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). Upon review, the Court adopts the Report and Recommendation as it relates to 

the merits of Plaintiff’s claims.2

Accordingly, the Clark County Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgement (ECF No. 43) 

is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART as follows: 

• the motion is denied as to the issue of exhaustion of administrative remedies;

1 The Clark County Defendants are identified as follows: Sheriff Jason Watson, Derrick Barnes, Chief Deputy Nick 

Funderburk, Robert Jones, Chase Kersey, Office K. Love, Nate Morrison, Deputy Andrew Samuels, and Deputy Perry.

2 The Court does not adopt Judge Bryant’s specific finding that “[the Clark County] Defendants have failed to establish that 

they are entitled to the affirmative defense of exhaustion of administrative remedies.” ECF No. 82, p. 18. Instead, the Court 

finds that material questions of fact remain as to whether prison officials failed to provide Plaintiff with a grievance form, so 

as to render his administrative remedies unavailable under the Prison Litigation Reform Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). For this 

reason, the Court finds that the Clark County Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 43) should be denied as 

it relates to the issue of exhaustion.

Case 6:18-cv-06091-SOH Document 83 Filed 03/04/20 Page 1 of 2 PageID #: <pageID>
2

• the motion is granted as to Plaintiff’s individual capacity claims against Sheriff Jason Watson

and Derrick Barnes, and these claims are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE;

• the motion is granted as to Plaintiff’s individual capacity claim against Robert Jones with respect

to the book-in incident as set forth in claim three of the Amended Complaint, and these claims

are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE;

• the motion is granted as to all official capacity claims against the Clark County Defendants, and

these claims are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE;

• the motion is denied as to Plaintiff’s individual capacity claims against Robert Jones, Nick

Funderburk, Chase Kersey, Officer K. Love, Andrew Samuels, Nate Morrison, and Deputy Perry

with respect to the night incident as set forth in claim one of the Amended Complaint.

Further, Separate Defendant Tommy Waldron’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 47) is 

GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART as follows: 

• the motion is denied as to Plaintiff’s individual capacity claims against Waldron; and

• the motion is granted as to Plaintiff’s official capacity claims against Waldron, and these claims

are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.

The following claims remain for trial:

• Plaintiff’s individual capacity claims against Robert Jones, Nick Funderburk, Chase Kersey,

Officer K. Love, Andrew Samuels, Nate Morrison, and Deputy Perry with respect to the night

incident as set forth in claim one of the Amended Complaint; and

• Plaintiff’s individual capacity claims against Separate Defendant Tommy Waldron as set forth

in claim two of the Amended Complaint.

IT IS SO ORDERED, this 4th day of March, 2020.

/s/ Susan O. Hickey 

Susan O. Hickey 

Chief United States District Judge

Case 6:18-cv-06091-SOH Document 83 Filed 03/04/20 Page 2 of 2 PageID #: <pageID>