Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-90-03147/USCOURTS-ca10-90-03147-0/pdf.json

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

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- V IL ED 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

TENTH CIRCUIT 

YfliW ~ Court of Appeals 

Tenth d,:-~11it 

DEC 1 31990 

BARRY TURNER, 

Plaintiff-Appellant, 

v. 

RAY ROBERTS, FRANCIS T. SCOTT, 

STEVE DAVIS, MIKE HAYDEN, 

Defendants-Appellants. 

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ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

I\OURT Lt HOECKER 

Clerk 

No. 90-3147 

(D.C. No. 90-3133-S) 

( D. Kan.) 

Before LOGAN, SEYMOUR, and TACHA, 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 case is therefore ordered 

submitted without oral argument. 

Plaintiff-appellant Barry Turner appeals a district court 

order denying his claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for injuries 

received as a prisoner while repairing a fan in the Kansas State 

Penitentiary. On appeal, Turner argues the district court erred 

in finding he failed to meet the requirements for a cause of 

* 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: 90-3147 Document: 010110097247 Date Filed: 12/13/1990 Page: 1 
action under section 1983 because he did not demonstrate a 

violation of any federal constitutional right. We affirm. 

Turner was requested to oil and lube a duct fan by a 

correctional supervisor at Kansas State Penitentiary. While 

repairing the fan, Turner was hit on the top of his head by the 

blades. The wound required forty-six stiches. 

Turner contends the correctional supervisor violated 42 

U.S.C. § 1983 because he failed to instruct Turner on how to 

perform the job safely, failed to supervise him in leaving the 

area, and failed to perceive he was injured. He also contends the 

defendants violated section 1983 in failing to secure the fan 

properly by installing protective shields. Section 1983 provides 

that any person who, under color of law, deprives another person 

of "any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the 

Constitution and laws" is liable to the injured party. 42 U.S.C. 

§ 1983. Although infliction of harm by prison authorities can 

constitute a claim under section 1983, the facts of this case do 

not rise to the level of a constitutional violation. See,~, 

Wright Y.!.. Collins, 766 F.2d 841, 849 (4th Cir. 1985) (official's 

order that inmate use allegedly unsafe ladder was at most 

negligence and does not rise to level of constitutional 

violation); Major Y.!.. Benton, 647 F.2d 110, 113 (10th Cir. 1981) 

(death resulting from cave-in of sewer ditch due to negligent 

action of prison official does not raise a constitutional claim). 

If Turner states a claim at all, his complaint about the actions 

of the correctional supervisor is one of negligence for which 

there are adequate remedies under state tort law. We hold Turner 

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Appellate Case: 90-3147 Document: 010110097247 Date Filed: 12/13/1990 Page: 2 
fails to state a claim based on section 1983 because there has 

been no constitutional violation. 

Because we find Turner has not advanced a reasoned argument 

on either the law or facts in support of his claim, see Coppedge 

Y..!.. United States, 369 U.S. 438 (1962); Ragan Y..!.. Cox, 305 F.2d 58 

(1962), we DENY the motion to proceed in forma pauperis and 

DISMISS the appeal. The mandate shall issue forthwith. 

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ENTERED FOR THE COURT 

Deanell Reece Tacha 

Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 90-3147 Document: 010110097247 Date Filed: 12/13/1990 Page: 3