Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-89-02320/USCOURTS-ca10-89-02320-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Vernon Brown
Appellant
Dareld Kerby
Appellee
Lane McCotter
Appellee
Robert Rutchman
Appellee
Kenneth Warner
Appellee

Document Text:

FI LED 

Uoited Scattj Coote of Appeals 

Tench Circuit 

UNITED STATES COURT OF 

TENTH CIRCUIT 

APPEALS AUG .. 3 1990 

VERNON BROWN, ) 

) 

Plaintiff-Appellant, ) 

) 

v. ) 

) 

LANE McCOTTER, Secretary of the ) 

Department of Corrections of the State ) 

of New Mexico; DARELD KERBY, Warden of ) 

CNMCF; ROBERT RUTCHMAN, Medical Director) 

at CNMCF; and KENNETH WARNER, Director ) 

of Health Services of the Department of) 

Corrections of the State of New Mexico, ) 

) 

Defendants-Appellees. ) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT * 

&OBERT L. HOECKER 

Clerk 

No. 89-2320 

(D.C. No. 88-1144 SC) 

(D.N.M.) 

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. 

Vernon Brown appeals from the district court's order granting 

the defendants' motion for summary judgment. Brown contends that 

* 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: 89-2320 Document: 010110039598 Date Filed: 08/03/1990 Page: 1 
, 

the district court erred in holding that Brown had shown no 

evidence of deliberate indifference. We affirm. 

Brown suffers from degenerative arthritis in both knees, his 

hips, and throughout his body. Brown's condition was initially 

diagnosed at his intake examination. Following the intake 

examination, the medical staff at the Central New Mexico 

Correctional Facility at Los Lunas learned that Brown's condition 

was "severe degenerative arthritis" that would require surgery for 

correction. Brown was also referred to outside specialists at the 

Veterans Administration for treatment and eventually surgery. The 

medical records concerning Brown's treatment, diagnoses, and other 

matters run in excess of 1100 pages. 

Brown contended in the district court that the delay in 

arranging for the surgery on his knees and hips constituted cruel 

and unusual punishment under the eighth amendment of the 

Constitution. The district court disagreed, holding that mere 

delay in the provision of a particular type of treatment, in the 

absence of any showing of deliberate indifference, was 

insufficient to show a constitutional deprivation. We agree. 

Brown was under constant medical attention since arriving at 

CNMCF. Surgery was scheduled and took place replacing both his 

right knee and right hip. Although we appreciate that Brown may 

well have been in severe pain, we cannot say that Brown's 

constitutional rights were violated by the delays in this case. 

Part of the delay was caused by Brown when he requested time to 

consider the proposed surgery; another delay was caused by failure 

to coordinate outside arranged surgery with prison officials. We 

2 

Appellate Case: 89-2320 Document: 010110039598 Date Filed: 08/03/1990 Page: 2 
also note that several of the physicians cautioned against 

treating both the hip and the knee in the same procedure. Based 

on this record, and the fact that Brown has received continuing 

medical treatment at CNMCF, we hold that the district court did 

not err in granting summary to the defendants. 

Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED 

for substantially the reasons stated in the district court 

memorandum opinion and order. The mandate shall issue forthwith. 

3 

ENTERED FOR THE COURT 

Deanell Reece Tacha 

Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 89-2320 Document: 010110039598 Date Filed: 08/03/1990 Page: 3