Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca11-18-12855/USCOURTS-ca11-18-12855-0/pdf.json

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

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[DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT

________________________

No. 18-12855

Non-Argument Calendar

________________________

D.C. Docket No. 0:16-cv-63017-WPD

ERIC WATKINS, 

 Plaintiff-Appellant,

 versus

MARK PINNOCK, 

Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy, 

ELIAS PINO, 

Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy, 

LUIS GALINDEZ, 

Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy, 

STEVIE THOMAS, 

Broward Sheriff's Office Deputy, 

DANNY POLK, 

Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy, et al.,

 Defendants-Appellees,

BROWARD COUNTY JAIL MEDICAL STAFF, et al.,

 Defendants.

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________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Florida

________________________

(January 22, 2020)

Before JORDAN, ROSENABUM and NEWSOM, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM: 

Eric Watkins, proceeding pro se, appeals following a jury’s verdict in his 

42 U.S.C. § 1983 action in favor of Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) Jail Deputies 

Mark Pinnock, Elias Pino, Luis Galindez, Stevie Thomas, Danny Polk, and 

Gregory Gordon. On appeal, Watkins argues that the district court erred by (1) 

dismissing Counts III and IV of his fifth amended complaint, in which he alleged 

deliberate indifference to a serious medical need, in violation of the Fourteenth 

Amendment; (2) dismissing Count V, in which he alleged a widespread custom or 

practice of deliberate indifference to the use of excessive force against BSO 

pretrial detainees, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment; and (3) granting 

summary judgment in favor of the deputies on Count VI, in which he alleged an 

unreasonable strip search, in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Further, Watkins 

claims that the district court abused its discretion by precluding his late-disclosed 

witnesses, denying his motions for appointment of counsel and continuance, and 

committing numerous evidentiary errors at trial. Finally, Watkins asserts that the 

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court erred in its jury instructions. As the facts of this case are familiar to the 

parties and the issues presented are legion, we’ll dive right into the merits of 

Watkins’s appeal, addressing each issue in turn.

I

A

“We review de novo the district court’s grant of a motion to dismiss under 

[Federal Rule of Civil Procedure] 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim, accepting the 

allegations in the complaint as true and construing them in the light most favorable 

to the plaintiff.” Butler v. Sheriff of Palm Beach Cty., 685 F.3d 1261, 1265 (11th 

Cir. 2012) (quotation omitted). The complaint must contain enough facts to “raise 

a right to relief above the speculative level.” Id. (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. 

Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). Pro se pleadings are liberally construed and 

held to less stringent standards than those drafted by lawyers. Jones v. Fla. Parole 

Comm’n, 787 F.3d 1105, 1107 (11th Cir. 2015).

“[A] district court must grant a plaintiff at least one opportunity to amend 

[his] claims before dismissing them if it appears a more carefully drafted complaint 

might state a” sufficient claim for relief. Silva v. Bieluch, 351 F.3d 1045, 1048–49

(11th Cir. 2003) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Leave to amend a 

complaint is futile when the complaint as amended would still be properly 

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dismissed or be immediately subject to summary judgment for the defendant. Hall 

v. United Ins. Co. of Am., 367 F.3d 1255, 1263 (11th Cir. 2004).

A pretrial detainee’s claim of deliberate indifference to a serious medical 

need falls under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. Mann v. Taser 

Int’l, Inc., 588 F.3d 1291, 1306 (11th Cir. 2009). “[S]ubstantive due process 

prevents the government from engaging in conduct that shocks the conscience, or 

interferes with rights implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.” United States v. 

Salerno, 481 U.S. 739, 746 (1987) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). 

“To prevail on a deliberate indifference to serious medical need claim, [a plaintiff] 

must show: (1) a serious medical need; (2) the defendants’ deliberate indifference 

to that need; and (3) causation between that indifference and the plaintiff’s injury.” 

Mann, 588 F.3d at 1306–07. 

“A serious medical need is one that has been diagnosed by a physician as 

mandating treatment or one that is so obvious that even a lay person would easily 

recognize the necessity for a doctor’s attention.” Id. at 1307 (internal quotation 

marks and citation omitted). “[I]f left unattended,” a serious medical need “poses a 

substantial risk of serious harm.” Id. (quotation marks and citation omitted). “[T]o 

prove that a [defendant] acted with deliberate indifference, [a plaintiff] must show: 

(1) subjective knowledge of a risk of serious harm; (2) disregard of that risk; and 

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(3) conduct that is more than mere negligence” or a “mistake in judgment.” Id. at 

1307–08 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). 

B

Here, the district court did not err in dismissing Counts III and IV with 

prejudice. Even assuming that Watkins sufficiently alleged a serious medical need, 

his assertion that the medical staff were deliberately indifferent to that need is 

belied by his own factual allegations indicating that several nurses, on multiple 

occasions, observed his injuries and listened to his concerns. Moreover, the court 

properly determined that his proposed amendments would not have cured the 

deficiencies in his fifth amended complaint. Watkins was allowed to amend his 

complaint as applied to the nurses previously, and his new proposed

amendments—adding allegations that he told the nurses he could not sit without 

pain and could only walk slowly—would not have cured the complaint’s 

fundamental defects. Silva, 351 F.3d at 1048–49; Hall, 367 F.3d at 1263. 

II

A

A plaintiff cannot raise a claim of municipal liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 

based on the doctrine of respondeat superior. Grech v. Clayton Cty., Ga., 335 

F.3d 1326, 1329 (11th Cir. 2003). Rather, a plaintiff must “identify a municipal 

policy or custom that caused [his] injury.” Id. (alteration in original) (internal 

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quotation marks and citation omitted). To establish a municipal policy, the 

plaintiff must “identify either (1) an officially promulgated [municipal] policy or 

(2) an unofficial custom or practice of the [municipality] shown through the 

repeated acts of a final policymaker for the” municipality. Id.

To prove § 1983 liability based on an unofficial custom or practice, “a 

plaintiff must establish a widespread practice that . . . is so permanent and well 

settled as to constitute a custom or usage with the force of law.” Brown v. City of 

Fort Lauderdale, 923 F.2d 1474, 1481 (11th Cir. 1991) (internal quotation marks 

and citation omitted). We have stated that, “for constitutional violations to be 

sufficiently ‘widespread’ for a governmental supervisor to be held liable, they need 

occur with frequency.” Holloman ex rel. Holloman v. Harland, 370 F.3d 1252, 

1294 (11th Cir. 2004) (quotation omitted).

B

Here, the district court did not err in dismissing Count V with prejudice, as 

Watkins failed to sufficiently allege that the BSO had a widespread custom or 

practice of allowing its deputies to use excessive force against pretrial detainees. 

Although he claimed that numerous pretrial detainees had filed complaints about 

excessive force, he only marshalled one additional example of such a filing in his 

complaint. Watkins’s conclusory allegations are insufficient to survive dismissal. 

Moreover, the court gave Watkins several chances to amend his complaint as to 

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this count and properly determined that his repeated failure to state a claim for 

relief evidenced the futility of any additional amendments.

III

A

We review de novo a district court’s grant of summary judgment based on 

qualified immunity. See Fils v. City of Aventura, 647 F.3d 1272, 1287 (11th Cir. 

2011). “[T]he principle of qualified immunity . . . shield[s] government officials 

performing discretionary functions from exposure to damages liability unless their 

conduct violated clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a 

reasonable person would have known.” Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S. 635, 

647–48 (1987) (citation omitted). When resolving questions of qualified immunity 

at summary judgment, we ask two questions: (1) whether—when taking the facts 

in the light most favorable to the plaintiff—the officer violated the plaintiff’s 

federal rights; and (2) whether those rights were “clearly established” when the 

violation occurred. Tolan v. Cotton, 572 U.S. 650, 655–56 (2014). “Courts have 

discretion to decide the order in which to engage these two prongs,” but they may 

not, under either prong, “resolve genuine disputes of fact in favor of the party 

seeking summary judgment.” Id. at 656. 

Under the second prong, a “right is clearly established if a concrete factual 

context [exists] so as to make it obvious to a reasonable government actor that his 

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actions violate federal law.” Fils, 647 F.3d at 1291 (alteration in original) (internal 

quotation marks and citation omitted). We have stated that a government actor is 

not entitled to qualified immunity when his conduct “lies so obviously at the very 

core of what the Fourth Amendment prohibits that the unlawfulness of the conduct 

was readily apparent to” him. Id. (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

“[P]risoners retain a constitutional right to bodily privacy.” Fortner v. 

Thomas, 983 F.2d 1024, 1030 (11th Cir. 1993). We have stated that the Fourth 

Amendment does not require reasonable suspicion for body cavity inspection 

searches in detention facilities, and it is not a violation of the Fourth Amendment 

to strip search an arrestee as part of the booking process, so long as it is done in a 

non-abusive and reasonable manner. Powell v. Barrett, 541 F.3d 1298, 1308, 1314 

(11th Cir. 2008) (en banc).

B

Here, the district court did not err in granting summary judgment on 

Count VI, as the deputies were entitled to qualified immunity. Given precedent 

indicating that a reasonable visual body cavity search of an inmate during the 

booking process is not a violation of the Fourth Amendment, see, e.g., Powell, 541 

F.3d at 1308, 1314, we cannot say that a reasonable officer in the deputies’ 

position would have believed that a strip search was unjustified or violated 

Watkins’s Fourth Amendment rights: The search was conducted by all men in a 

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dedicated strip-search room, Watkins had been singing a song with violent and 

threatening lyrics, and he admits that he had been arguing with Deputy Pinnock as 

he was escorted to the jail. 

IV

A

We review the exclusion of late-disclosed witnesses for an abuse of 

discretion. Romero v. Drummond Co., 552 F.3d 1303, 1321 (11th Cir. 2008). We 

“consider the explanation for the failure to disclose the witness, the importance of 

the testimony, and the prejudice to the opposing party [if the witness had been 

allowed to testify.]” Id. (alteration in original) (quotation marks and citation 

omitted).

B

Here, the district court did not abuse its discretion in excluding several 

late-disclosed witnesses. The court set a discovery deadline for December 20, 

2017 and an initial trial date of April 16, 2018, but Watkins did not serve his Rule 

26(e) supplemental disclosures until March 30, 2018, months after the deadline and 

only two weeks before the scheduled trial date. And, one of Watkins’s latedisclosed witnesses was ultimately allowed to testify, as the court found that the 

deputies would not be prejudiced by her relevant testimony. The court was within 

its discretion to find that the rest of Watkins’s late-disclosed witnesses lacked 

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relevant testimony, and that their untimely disclosure shortly before the trial date 

would have been prejudicial. 

V

A

We review the denial of a motion for appointment of counsel for abuse of 

discretion. Bass v. Perrin, 170 F.3d 1312, 1319 (11th Cir. 1999). 

“A plaintiff in a civil case has no constitutional right to counsel.” Id. at 

1320. Appointment of counsel in a civil case is “a privilege justified only by

exceptional circumstances, such as the presence of facts and legal issues [which]

are so novel or complex as to require the assistance of a trained practitioner.” 

Kilgo v. Ricks, 983 F.2d 189, 193 (11th Cir. 1993) (alteration in original) (internal 

quotation marks and citation omitted). “The key is whether the pro se litigant 

needs help in presenting the essential merits of his . . . position to the court.” Id.

“Where the facts and issues are simple, he . . . usually will not need such help.” Id. 

The following factors are considered when determining whether exceptional 

circumstances exist: “(1) the type and complexity of the case; (2) whether the 

[litigant] is capable of adequately presenting his case; (3) whether the [litigant] is 

in a position to [adequately investigate] the case; and (4) whether the evidence will 

consist in large part of conflicting testimony so as to require skill in the 

presentation of evidence and in cross examination.” See Ulmer v. Chancellor, 691 

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F.2d 209, 213 (5th Cir. 1982) (citations omitted); see also Fowler v. Jones, 899 

F.2d 1088, 1096 (11th Cir. 1990) (recognizing that the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits 

apply “the same ‘exceptional circumstances’ standard” and finding no exceptional 

circumstances, when, among other factors, the plaintiff’s claims were 

straightforward and based mostly on incidents he witnessed).

B

Here, the district court was within its broad discretion to deny Watkins’s 

motion for appointment of counsel based on its finding that there were no 

extraordinary circumstances in this case. His claims for relief were neither novel 

nor complex, they almost exclusively involved incidents he witnessed himself, and 

he submitted an extensive complaint, successfully defended against summary 

judgment on Count II, thoroughly responded to the defendant’s motions, and filed 

three appellate briefs. 

VI

A

“We review the disposition of requests for trial continuances for abuse of 

discretion.” United States v. Bowe, 221 F.3d 1183, 1189 (11th Cir. 2000). “The 

denial of a continuance is within the broad discretion of the district court and will 

not be overturned unless arbitrary or unreasonable.” Hashwani v. Barbar, 822 

F.2d 1038, 1040 (11th Cir. 1987). In reviewing a denial of a request for a 

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continuance, we consider several factors, including (1) the diligence of the party 

requesting the continuance to ready the case prior to hearing date; (2) the likeliness 

“that the need for a continuance could have been met if the continuance had been 

granted”; (3) “the extent to which granting the continuance would have 

inconvenienced the court and the opposing party, including its witnesses”; and (4) 

“the extent to which the appellant might have suffered harm as a result of the . . .

denial.” Id. (quoting United States v. 2.61 Acres of Land, 791 F.2d 666 (9th Cir. 

1985)).

B

Here, the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying a continuance. 

The trial date had already been scheduled around several of the deputies’ 

scheduling conflicts, and Watkins had affirmed that he would be ready by that 

date. Additionally, the arresting officers Watkins wanted to subpoena—the reason 

he requested a continuance—were not relevant to the issues at trial, as the deputies 

had stipulated to the testimony those officers would have presented. Rescheduling 

the trial would have inconvenienced the court and the deputies, and Watkins has 

failed to show that he suffered any harm as a result of the denial of his motion. 

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VII

A

“We review evidentiary rulings for an abuse of discretion.” Adams v. 

Austal, U.S.A., L.L.C., 754 F.3d 1240, 1248 (11th Cir. 2014). “The district court 

has wide discretion in determining the relevance of evidence produced at trial.” 

Cabello v. Fernandez-Larios, 402 F.3d 1148, 1161 (11th Cir. 2005). “We overturn 

evidentiary rulings only when the moving party has proved a substantial prejudicial 

effect.” Judd v. Rodman, 105 F.3d 1339, 1341 (11th Cir. 1997).

1

The Federal Rules of Evidence provide that a district court “should exercise 

reasonable control over the mode and order of examining witnesses and presenting 

evidence so as to: (1) make those procedures effective for determining the truth; 

(2) avoid wasting time; and (3) protect witnesses from harassment or undue 

embarrassment.” Fed. R. Evid. 611(a). Further, Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b) 

prohibits the introduction of prior bad acts to prove a defendant’s bad character or 

that he acted in conformity therewith, but such evidence may be introduced to 

demonstrate—among other things—a defendant’s motive or pattern. Crossexamination is limited to the subject matter of the preceding direct examination 

and issues regarding the credibility of the witness. Id. at 611(b). The district court, 

however, has discretion to determine the scope of questioning allowed on crossUSCA11 Case: 18-12855 Date Filed: 01/22/2020 Page: 13 of 22
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examination. United States v. Jones, 913 F.2d 1552, 1564 (11th Cir. 1990). 

Finally, a lay witness may only offer opinions that are “rationally based on [his]

perception.” Fed. R. Evid. 701(a). 

2

Here, Watkins contests the district court’s evidentiary rulings regarding (1) 

evidence of the deputies’ prior conduct, including their disciplinary histories and 

prior uses of excessive force; (2) the introduction of police policies and internal 

affairs letters; and (3) the deputies’ financial status. The district court did not 

abuse its discretion in sustaining the deputies’ objections, excluding irrelevant or 

improper evidence, and limiting the scope of Watkins’s questions as to these 

issues. Watkins himself admitted that the evidence of prior conduct would 

demonstrate the deputies’ “[j]ob character,” which is prohibited under Federal Rule 

of Evidence 404(b). Additionally, the court allowed Watkins to read portions of a 

departmental policy manual and his internal affairs letters at trial. Finally, the 

court was within its discretion to sustain an objection to questions about the 

deputies’ financial status, when no case for liability had yet been presented to the 

jury. 

3

Watkins also argues that the district court erred by preventing him from 

asking Deputy Galindez about (1) why his prior statements mentioned nothing 

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about being informed by booking staff that Watkins was unruly or disruptive; (2) 

why certain records had not been disclosed; and (3) whether Galindez had 

conferred with his lawyers about the facts of the case. He also argues that he was 

wrongly prevented from impeaching Deputies Thomas and Pino and Lieutenant 

James about how their prior statements and reports had not stated that he was 

violent or disruptive. 

None of the district court’s rulings with respect to these issues was an abuse 

of discretion. Deputy Galindez had no personal knowledge of why certain records 

were not disclosed to Watkins, and any of his communications with his lawyers 

were squarely covered by attorney-client privilege. With respect to Watkins’s

attempts to impeach numerous officers based on alleged omissions of critical 

information about his violent/unruly behavior in their prior statements or reports, 

the district court continuously explained that the mere fact that certain statements 

were not included in a report is not cause for impeachment by omission—the 

reports were admitted into evidence, and Watkins was allowed to discuss any 

relevant omissions during closing. 

4

Watkins further argues that the court erred by allowing Deputy Gordon to 

testify that the “anti[-]gay” song Watkins had been singing upon entering the jail 

was discriminatory, letting the deputies cross-examine outside the scope of direct 

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while he was prevented from asking similar questions on redirect, stopping him 

from asking Deputy Pinnock a hypothetical question about a discriminatory song, 

and not allowing him to prove that he had a right to play amplified music in the 

park (the reason he was arrested in the first place). 

The district court did not abuse its discretion as to any of the above issues. 

Watkins was simply incorrect that Deputy Gordon could not discuss the 

discriminatory nature of the song, as he misinterpreted the court’s summaryjudgment order on Count II as making an affirmative statement of law that the 

song was not discriminatory, which it did not. In addition, the court appropriately 

managed the scope of cross-examination and redirect. Finally, the court correctly 

informed Watkins that it was the judge’s job—not his—to instruct the jury on the 

law, and that he was free to discuss his arguments about his right to play music at 

closing. 

* * *

In summary, the court was well within its discretion to exercise reasonable 

control over the mode and order of examining witnesses and presenting evidence, 

and Watkins has not shown that he was substantially prejudiced by any of the 

court’s evidentiary rulings. See Adams, 754 F.3d at 1248 (stating that evidentiary 

errors are harmless if the party’s substantial rights are not prejudiced). 

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B

1

We review a district court’s admission of expert testimony under a

“deferential abuse-of-discretion standard,” even where the decision is “outcome 

determinative.” Chapman v. Proctor & Gamble Distrib., LLC, 766 F.3d 1296, 

1305 (11th Cir. 2014) (quotation omitted). We will defer to a district court’s 

decision “unless it is manifestly erroneous.” Id. (quotation omitted). A district 

court judge has “no obligation to act as counsel or paralegal to pro se litigants.” 

Pliler v. Ford, 542 U.S. 225, 231 (2004). 

2

Watkins argues that the district court erred by not allowing him to call the 

deputies’ expert witnesses as his own or testify about his own x-rays. He also 

asserts that the court erred in overruling his objection to an expert witness’s 

testimony about his medical records and mental health, in sustaining asked-andanswered objections, and in failing to sua sponte inform him that he could have 

prepared a rebuttal witness to challenge the testimony of the deputies’ expert 

witness. 

The district court did not abuse its discretion with respect to expert 

testimony. Watkins was able to cross-examine the deputies’ expert witness at 

length, and the expert witness testified well within the scope of his medical 

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expertise, whereas Watkins was not qualified to testify about his x-ray records. 

Moreover, the court had no obligation to counsel Watkins in rebutting the expert,

see Pliler, 542 U.S. at 231, and it did not abuse its discretion by sustaining 

objections to many of Watkins’s repetitive questions. 

C

1

“We review [an appellant’s] claim that the district court improperly limited 

the scope of his [witness examination] for a clear abuse of discretion.” United 

States v. Maxwell, 579 F.3d 1282, 1295 (11th Cir. 2009). In conducting a trial, the 

district court “may comment on the evidence, may question witnesses and elicit 

facts not yet adduced or clarify those previously presented, and may maintain the 

pace of the trial by interrupting or cutting off counsel as a matter of discretion.” 

United States v. Hill, 643 F.3d 807, 845 (11th Cir. 2011) (quotation omitted). “The 

discharge of this responsibility necessarily entails the exercise of discretion.” 

Haney v. Mizell Mem’l Hosp., 744 F.2d 1467, 1477 (11th Cir. 1984); see also

Akouri v. State of Fla. Dep’t of Transp., 408 F.3d 1338, 1346 (11th Cir. 2005) 

(holding that the court did not abuse its discretion where “the record show[ed] that 

the district court exercised reasonable control in managing the flow of the trial by 

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establishing time limits,” and the appellant provided no “evidence that the court 

acted inflexibly or unreasonably with respect to such time restrictions”).

2

Here, the district court did not abuse its broad discretion by imposing time 

limits on Watkins’s direct examinations, as such restrictions were only imposed in 

order to properly manage the flow of the trial. Indeed, the court imposed these 

restrictions only after multiple warnings, and after Watkins had a dramatic outburst 

in an examination, in which he called a witness on the stand a racial slur. Further, 

the court was not inflexible with its limitation and made reasonable 

accommodations when necessary. The Court also did not restrict Watkins’s 

lengthy narrative during his direct testimony. 

VIII

A

“We review jury instructions de novo to determine whether they misstate the 

law or mislead the jury to the prejudice of the objecting party, but the district court 

is given wide discretion as to the style and wording employed in the instructions.” 

Lamonica v. Safe Hurricane Shutters, Inc., 711 F.3d 1299, 1309 (11th Cir. 2013)

(quotation omitted). A court’s refusal to issue a jury instruction is reviewed only 

for an abuse of discretion. Id. “[A]n abuse of discretion is committed only when 

(1) the requested instruction correctly stated the law, (2) the instruction dealt with 

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an issue properly before the jury, and (3) the failure to give the instruction resulted 

in prejudicial harm to the requesting party.” Id. (alterations, internal quotation 

marks, and citation omitted). “Jury instructions are subject to harmless error 

review.” Fid. Interior Constr., Inc. v. Se. Carpenters Reg’l Council of United Bhd. 

of Carpenters & Joiners of Am., 675 F.3d 1250, 1259 (11th Cir. 2012) (quotation 

omitted).

B

We have held that, “[w]hile the Fourth Amendment prevents the use of 

excessive force during arrests, . . . it is the Fourteenth Amendment that” prevents 

the use of excessive force against pretrial detainees. Piazza v. Jefferson Cty., 923 

F.3d 947, 952 (11th Cir. 2019) (citation omitted). We have stated that, “inasmuch 

as it entails an inquiry into the objective reasonableness of the officers’ actions, the 

Fourteenth Amendment standard has come to resemble the test that governs 

excessive-force claims brought by arrestees under the Fourth Amendment.” Id. at 

952–53. Specifically, a Fourth Amendment excessive-force inquiry asks “whether 

the officers’ actions are ‘objectively reasonable’ in light of the facts and 

circumstances confronting them, without regard to their underlying intent or

motivation,” Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 397 (1989), whereas a Fourteenth 

Amendment inquiry asks whether “the force purposely or knowingly used against 

[a pretrial detainee] was objectively unreasonable,” without regard to “an officer’s 

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subjective intent to harm,” Piazza, 923 F.3d at 952 (quotation omitted). We have 

previously noted that “protection under the Fourth Amendment standard . . . is 

commonly an easier standard for a plaintiff to meet.” Hicks v. Moore, 422 F.3d 

1246, 1253 n.7 (11th Cir. 2005). 

Watkins correctly asserts that the district court erred in citing to the Fourth 

Amendment in its jury instructions as to the excessive-force claim, because the 

Fourteenth Amendment governs the use of excessive force on pretrial detainees. 

Nevertheless, this was harmless error, as the Fourth Amendment 

objective-reasonableness inquiry is nearly identical to the Fourteenth Amendment 

standard and was, if anything, a more lenient standard for Watkins to meet. 

C

Watkins also argues that the jury instructions incorrectly stated that the 

deputies used a show of force to perform the booking and that they conducted a 

“strip search.” He also asks the court to review for plain error the fact that (1) the 

excessive-force instructions did not describe the deputies’ actions as he had alleged 

them; (2) the punitive-damages instruction did not state which federally protected 

rights were applicable; and (3) the unlawful-search instruction failed to indicate the 

acts that he had to prove or any information about punitive damages. He also 

argues that he did not have an opportunity to read over and object to the jury 

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instructions, and that the court did not instruct the jury on the law regarding 

discriminatory speech. 

Here, the court had broad discretion over the wording and style of its jury 

instructions, and Watkins has failed to show any prejudicial harm from the court’s 

rejection of his requested instructions. In particular, he was given more than the 

hour he had requested to review the jury instructions, and any damages-related 

errors cannot have prejudiced Watkins, as the jury found no liability on all counts. 

Accordingly, we affirm.

AFFIRMED.

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