Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-almd-2_11-cv-00259/USCOURTS-almd-2_11-cv-00259-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

NORTHERN DIVISION

_______________________________

TRACY MCKENZIE, #174 899 *

Plaintiff, *

v. * 2:11-CV-259-TMH

(WO)

WARDEN BOYD, et al., *

Defendants. *

_______________________________

ORDER

The Magistrate Judge has reviewed the answers, written reports, and supporting

evidentiary materials filed by Defendants and determined that Plaintiff should file a response

addressing each of the arguments and defenses contained in these reports. In filing his

response, Plaintiff shall specifically address:

1. The medical defendants’ argument that he has failed to exhaust his available

administrative remedies as required by 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) of the Prison Litigation Reform

Act (“PLRA”). Booth v. Churner, 532 U.S. 731, 741, 121 S.Ct. 1819, 1825 n.6 (2001)

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This section provides that “[n]o action shall be brought with respect to prison conditions under

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section 1983 of this title, or any other Federal law, by a prisoner confined in any jail, prison, or other

correctional facility until such administrative remedies as are available are exhausted.” The medical

defendant assertsthat Plaintiff failed to pursue the administrative remedies available to him at the Easterling

Correctional Facility with respect to the claims presented in the instant complaint. (Doc. No. 11, pgs. 3-4,

19-21 and Wilson Affidavit.) Specifically, the medical defendant assertsthat during Plaintiff's incarceration

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(“Congress has provided in § 1997(e)(a) that an inmate must exhaust irrespective of the

forms of relief sought and offered through administrative remedies.”); Porter v. Nussle, 534

U.S. 516, 532 (2002) (“[T]he PLRA's exhaustion requirement applies to all inmate suits

about prison life, whether they involve general circumstances or particular episodes, and

whether they allege excessive force or some other wrong.”); Woodford v. Ngo, 548 U.S. 81,

126 S.Ct. 2378, 2387 (2006) (“[T]he PLRA exhaustion requirement requires proper

exhaustion.”). “Proper exhaustion demands compliance with an agency’s deadlines and other

critical procedural rules [as a precondition to filing suit in federal court] because no

adjudicative system can function effectively without imposing some orderly structure on the

courts of its proceedings.... Construing § 1997e(a) to require proper exhaustion ... fits with

the general scheme of the PLRA, whereas [a contrary] interpretation [allowing an inmate to

bring suit in federal court once administrative remedies are no longer available] would turn

that provision into a largely useless appendage.” Id. at 2386.

2. The correctional defendant's assertion that the complaint fails to establish that this

defendant in any way acted in violation of Plaintiff's constitutional rights.

Accordingly, it is

at Easterling, he never submitted a grievance with respect to the allegations presented in the instant

complaint which is required before seeking court intervention regarding his claims. (See Id.) 

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Case 2:11-cv-00259-TMH-SRW Document 22 Filed 06/28/11 Page 2 of 5
ORDERED that on or before July 19, 2011 Plaintiff shall file a response to

Defendants' answers and written reports. If Plaintiff fails to file a response as required by

this order, the court will treat Plaintiff's failure to respond as an abandonment of the

claims set forth in the complaint and as a failure to prosecute this action. Moreover,

Plaintiff is specifically cautioned that if he fails to file a response in compliance with the

directives of this order the undersigned will recommend that this case be dismissed for

such failure. In addition, if Plaintiff fails to respond to the answers and written reports

with respect to each of the claims raised in his complaint, the court will treat this failure

as an abandonment of these claims and shall proceed as justice requires.

As indicated herein, at some time in the future the court may treat Defendants' reports

and Plaintiff's response(s) as a dispositive motion and response. Thus, in filing a response

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to Defendants' reports Plaintiff should not rely only on his or her unsworn pleadings but

should respond by filing sworn affidavits, or other evidentiary materials developed through

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discovery or other appropriate means and which set forth specific facts demonstrating there

Thus, in preparing a response to the special reports filed by Defendants, Plaintiff should refer to 2

the requirements of Rule 56, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

An affidavit is a sworn statement in writing made under oath or on affirmation before a notary

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public or other authorized officer. The affidavit must be made on personal knowledge, set forth such facts

as would be admissible in evidence, and show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the

matters stated in the affidavit.

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Case 2:11-cv-00259-TMH-SRW Document 22 Filed 06/28/11 Page 3 of 5
is a genuine issue of material fact for trial in this case. Failure to file sworn affidavits or

other evidentiary materials may result in this court accepting Defendants’ evidence as the

truth. If documents are referred to in the opposing affidavits and have not been previously

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filed with the court, sworn or certified copies of those papers must be attached to the

affidavits or served with them.

The parties are hereby notified that, unless within ten (10) days from the date of this

order a party files a response in opposition which presents sufficient legal cause why such

action should not be undertaken, upon the expiration of the time for Plaintiff to file a

response as allowed by this order, the court may at any time thereafter and without further

notice to the parties (1) treat the special reports and any supporting evidentiary materials as

a motion for summary judgment and (2) after considering any response as allowed by this

order, rule on the motion for summary judgment in accordance with the law.

Failure to follow the requirements of this order about the proper way to respond to

Defendants' reports may result in a recommendation of the Magistrate Judge that final

judgment be entered in favor of Defendants without there being an evidentiary hearing.

Plaintiff is advised that if he asserts compliance with the medical provider’s administrative

If Plaintiff is unable to present, by affidavit, facts essential to justify his opposition to Defendants' 4

reports, then Plaintiff must file a sworn statement as to why he or she is unable to do so.

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Case 2:11-cv-00259-TMH-SRW Document 22 Filed 06/28/11 Page 4 of 5
procedures he must submit relevant evidentiary materials in support of this assertion

showing that he has complied with each step of the grievance procedure. His mere

conclusory allegation of exhaustion will be insufficient to defeat Defendants' argument.

DONE, this 28 day of June 2011.

th

/s/ Susan Russ Walker

SUSAN RUSS WALKER

CHIEF UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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