Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_06-cv-07964/USCOURTS-cand-4_06-cv-07964-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

---

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

HARLEEM SWEETS,

Plaintiff,

 v.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY BOARD OF

SUPERVISORS, et al.,

Defendants. /

No. 06-07964 CW

ORDER FOR

EXTENSION OF TIME

FOR PLAINTIFF TO

FILE AN

OPPOSITION TO

DEFENDANT’S

MOTION FOR

SUMMARY JUDGMENT 

On July 9, 2007, Defendant Shawn Welch filed a Motion to

Dismiss or for Summary Judgment. On August 14, 2007, Plaintiff

submitted a one-page hand-written “opposition” that just states he

does not want to dismiss his complaint. The Ninth Circuit in

Klingele v. Eikenberry, 849 F.2d 409, 411-12 (9th Cir. 1988), held

that when a defendant in a case involving a pro se plaintiff moves

for summary judgment, the district court must inform the plaintiff

of his rights and obligations under Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of

Civil Procedure. See also Rand v. Rowland, 154 F.3d 952 (9th Cir.

1998)(en banc) (the Klingele notice must be phrased in

understandable language aimed at apprising plaintiff of rights and

Case 4:06-cv-07964-CW Document 22 Filed 09/17/07 Page 1 of 6
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1

The advice required by the 9th Circuit in prisoner pro se cases is as

follows:

 The Defendant has made a motion for summary judgment by which Defendant

seeks to have your case dismissed. A motion for summary judgment under Rule

56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will, if granted, end your case.

Rule 56 tells you what you must do in order to oppose a motion for

summary judgment. Generally, summary judgment must be granted when there is

no genuine issue of material fact--that is, if there is no real dispute about

any fact that would affect the result of your case, the party who asked for

summary judgment is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, which will end

your case. When a party you are suing makes a motion for summary judgment

that is properly supported by declarations (or other sworn testimony), you

cannot simply rely on what your complaint says. Instead, you must set out

specific facts in declarations, depositions, answers to interrogatories, or

authenticated documents, as provided in Rule 56(e), that contradict the facts

shown in the Defendant’s declarations and documents and show that there is

a genuine issue of material fact for trial. If you do not submit your own

evidence in opposition, summary judgment, if appropriate, may be entered

against you. If summary judgment is granted, your case will be dismissed and

there will be no trial.

Rand, 154 F.3d at 963.

2

obligations under Rule 56).1 

Rule 56 of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure governs summary

judgment motions. A summary judgment motion is a request for an

order of judgment, without a trial, in favor of the party bringing

the motion, Defendant here. In such a motion, the party moving for

summary judgment presents the facts that are not disputed and

argues that these facts entitle it to judgment as a matter of law. 

In other words, Defendant will be arguing that there does not need

to be a trial in the case against it because undisputed facts show

that it is entitled to a judgment in its favor. 

The relevant parts of Rule 56 are as follows:

(c) Motion and Proceedings Thereon. The motion shall

be served at least 10 days before the time fixed for the

hearing. The adverse party prior to the day of hearing

may serve opposing affidavits. The judgment sought shall

be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions,

Case 4:06-cv-07964-CW Document 22 Filed 09/17/07 Page 2 of 6
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28 3

answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,

together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is

no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the

moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. 

A summary judgment, interlocutory in character, may be

rendered on the issue of liability alone although there is

a genuine issue as to the amount of damages.

. . . .

(e) Form of Affidavits; Further Testimony; Defense

Required. Supporting and opposing affidavits shall be

made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as

would be admissible in evidence, and shall show

affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to

the matters stated therein. Sworn or certified copies of

all papers or parts thereof referred to in an affidavit

shall be attached thereto or served therewith. The court

may permit affidavits to be supplemented or opposed by

depositions, answers to interrogatories, or further

affidavits. When a motion for summary judgment is made

and supported as provided in this rule, an adverse party

may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of the

adverse party's pleading, but the adverse party's

response, by affidavits or as otherwise provided in this

rule, must set forth specific facts showing that there is

a genuine issue for trial. If the adverse party does not

so respond, summary judgment, if appropriate, shall be

entered against the adverse party.

. . . .

(g) Affidavits Made in Bad Faith. Should it appear

to the satisfaction of the court at any time that any of

the affidavits presented pursuant to this rule are

presented in bad faith or solely for the purpose of delay,

the court shall forthwith order the party employing them

to pay to the other party the amount of the reasonable

expenses which the filing of the affidavits caused the

other party to incur, including reasonable attorney's

fees, and any offending party or attorney may be adjudged

guilty of contempt.

Rule 56 (emphasis added). 

Although the actual text of Rule 56, cited above, controls in

any dispute as to its interpretation, the Court provides the

following brief explanation of Plaintiff’s rights and obligations

under the Rule: If Plaintiff does not file an opposition

supported by evidence, the Court may enter summary judgment in

Case 4:06-cv-07964-CW Document 22 Filed 09/17/07 Page 3 of 6
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28 4

favor of Defendant. If Plaintiff does not contradict the

Defendant’s evidence with evidence of his own, the Court might

take Defendant’s evidence as true and enter judgment against

Plaintiff on his claims against Defendant. Under Federal Rule of

Civil Procedure 56(e), the following types of evidence may be

submitted:

1. Statements made in the complaint if the complaint (a)

was signed under penalty of perjury and (b) shows

personal knowledge (i.e., "first-hand" or "non-hearsay"

knowledge) of the matters stated;

2. Affidavits or declarations. Any person signing

an affidavit or declaration must have personal knowledge

of the facts stated. At the end of a declaration or

affidavit, the document must state, "I declare under

penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and

correct," and be signed by the individual who has the

required personal knowledge. Any declarations or

affidavits that are unsigned will not be considered. 

3. Copies of documents so long as they are submitted with

proof that the records are what they purport to be. 

Specifically, Plaintiff must declare under penalty of

perjury that the documents are true and correct copies

of the documents, and must specify how the documents

were obtained; and 

4. Transcripts of depositions, answers to interrogatories,

or admissions obtained in this proceeding.

To defeat a summary judgment motion, Plaintiff must present

evidence that, when viewed together with Defendant’s evidence,

convinces the Court that his claims should go to trial.

Case 4:06-cv-07964-CW Document 22 Filed 09/17/07 Page 4 of 6
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28 5

If Plaintiff has a good reason why facts are not available to

him at the time required to oppose the summary judgment motion,

the Court may consider a request to postpone ruling on the motion. 

To support such a request, Plaintiff must provide the Court and

opposing counsel with an affidavit or declaration (signed under

penalty of perjury) setting forth the reasons the facts are

unavailable and indicating how those facts would support his

claims. See Rule 56(f) Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

Accordingly,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff shall have fourteen days

from the date of this order to refile his opposition. Defendant’s

reply will be due no later than thirty days after the date

Plaintiff’s opposition is filed. Plaintiff is reminded that if he

does not file and serve a written opposition with supporting

documents or a request to postpone with a supporting affidavit or

declaration, the Court may deem this failure to act to be consent

to the granting of Defendant’s summary judgment motion.

This notice shall constitute the only such notice from the

Court concerning the Defendant’s summary judgment motion. The

Court will not provide any further information regarding the 

interpretation of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 and will not

answer unsolicited questions about the applicable rules of

procedure.

9/17/07

Dated 

CLAUDIA WILKEN

United States District Judge

Case 4:06-cv-07964-CW Document 22 Filed 09/17/07 Page 5 of 6
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28 6

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

HARLEEM SWEETS,

Plaintiff,

 v.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY BOARD OF

SUPERVISORS et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV06-07964 CW 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. District Court,

Northern District of California.

That on September 17, 2007, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing said

copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by depositing said

envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery receptacle located

in the Clerk's office.

Harleem Sweets

9305 Oscar Ave. #2

Oakland, CA 94603

Silvano Bruno Marchesi

County Counsel

Steven Patrick Rettig

Deputy County Counsel

Contra Costa County Counsel

651 Pine Street, 9th Floor

Martinez, CA 94553

Dated: September 17, 2007

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: Sheilah Cahill, Deputy Clerk

Case 4:06-cv-07964-CW Document 22 Filed 09/17/07 Page 6 of 6