Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca4-19-01666/USCOURTS-ca4-19-01666-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 

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UNPUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

No. 19-1666

JAMES EDWARD MCCONNELL; KIM MCCONNELL,

Plaintiffs - Appellants,

v.

WATAUGA COUNTY; DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES WATAUGA 

COUNTY; THOMAS HUGHES; JENNIFER SMITH; JESSICA WINEBARGER; 

CHAD SLAGLE; LEN D. HAGAMAN; WATAUGA COUNTY SHERIFF’S 

DEPARTMENT; JASKA H. ROMINGER; WESTERN SURETY COMPANY,

Defendants - Appellees.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, at 

Statesville. Max O. Cogburn, Jr., District Judge. (5:17-cv-00195-MOC-DCK)

Submitted: January 13, 2020 Decided: January 24, 2020

Before WILKINSON and QUATTLEBAUM, Circuit Judges, and SHEDD, Senior Circuit 

Judge.

Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

William E. Moore, Jr., GRAY, LAYTON, KERSH, SOLOMON, FURR & SMITH, PA, 

Gastonia, North Carolina, for Appellants. Bradley O. Wood, WOMBLE BOND 

DICKINSON (US) LLP, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for Appellees.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

USCA4 Appeal: 19-1666 Doc: 45 Filed: 01/24/2020 Pg: 1 of 2
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PER CURIAM:

James Edward McConnell and Kim McConnell appeal from the district court’s 

order granting summary judgment in favor of the Defendants on their civil action asserting 

claims under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983, 1985 and 1986 (2018), and related state-law claims arising 

from the arrest and prosecution of James McConnell on state criminal charges of which he 

was later acquitted. The McConnells also appeal the district court’s order affirming the 

magistrate judge’s order denying their motion to compel and granting one of the 

defendant’s motion for a protective order. We have reviewed the record included on 

appeal, as well as the parties’ briefs, and we find no reversible error. Accordingly, we 

affirm for the reasons stated by the district court. McConnell v. Watauga Cty., No. 5:17-

cv-00195-MOC-DCK (W.D.N.C. May 9, 2019; May 31, 2019). We dispense with oral 

argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials 

before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process. 

AFFIRMED

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