Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-90-06176/USCOURTS-ca10-90-06176-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
H.E. Britton
Appellee
Bill Buchann
Appellee
Terry Lynn Rhine
Appellant
Alfred Rodgers
Appellee
Tim Scott
Appellee

Document Text:

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UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT 

TERRY LYNN RHINE, 

Plaintiff-Appellant, 

. FILED 

United States Court of A peals 

T enrh Circuit p 

OCT 11 1990 

ROBERT L. HOECKER 

Clerk 

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No. 90-6176 

ALFRED RODGERS, H.E. BRITTON, 

BILL BUCHANN, and TIM SCOTT, 

Defendants-Appellees·. 

(D.C. No. CIV-89-2149-R) 

(W.D. Oklahoma) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Submitted on the Briefs: 

Before MCKAY, MOORE, and BRORBY, Circuit Judges. 

This is an appeal from a summary judgment in favor of 

defendants entered by the district court in a prose S 1983 

action. Plaintiff contends summary judgment should not have been 

granted because the district court "took sides with the 

*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: 90-6176 Document: 010110059566 Date Filed: 10/11/1990 Page: 1 
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' defendants, and dismissed plaintiff's complaint." Our review of 

the record reveals no error, and we affirm. 

The kernel of Mr. Rhine's complaint is that while in jail, 

following conviction in a state case, he did not receive "proper" 

medical care. As noted by the district court, Mr. Rhine did 

receive the consultation of one doctor and examination by another, 

both of whom prescribed medication for him. Mr. Rhine's complaint 

is that he did not receive that attention soon enough; thus, he 

contends the care was not "proper." We agree with the district 

court that the facts alleged fail to demonstrate plaintiff was 

subjected to the deliberate indifference to his medical needs that 

would support a claim. Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 106 

(1976). 

Plaintiff also alleged that while he was confined to his bed, 

he asked for assistance to use a bedpan. He contended he was 

ignored and consequently defecated upon himself. He alleged when 

the sheriff discovered him in this condition he ordered deputies 

to wash him with a stream of cold water from a hose. Defendants 

claimed Mr. Rhine did not ask for assistance, and 

with warm water. The district court held, 

plaintiff's version of the facts to be true, the 

alleged in this case . is insufficient 

he was washed 

"[e)ven assuming 

physical abuse 

to state a 

constitutional deprivation." With this conclusion, 

Rhodes v. Chapman, 452 U.S. 337, 346 (1981); 

Shillinger, 872 F.2d 935, 941 (10th Cir. 1989). 

we agree. 

Gillihan v. 

Mr. Rhine also contends that certain of the defendants 

threatened him with bodily harm while he was in a debilitated 

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condition. The district court correctly held that mere threats do 

not constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Collins v. Cundy, 

603 F.2d 825, 827 (10th Cir. 1979). 

Mr. Rhine contends the district court disbelieved him, and 

consequently ruled in favor of the defendants. That is not an 

accurate portrayal of the occurrences in the district court. In 

ruling upon the cr-uel and unusual punishment claims of the 

complaint, the court held as a matter of law the facts asserted by 

Mr. Rhine did not rise to the level of a constitutional violation. 

The court pointed out that Mr. Rhine did not controvert the 

defendants' evidence that he actually received medical attention. 

The court's conclusions on the other claims were reached without 

resolving the incidental factual disputes relating to any of them. 

Moreover, in ruling on those issues, as noted above, the court 

even accepted plaintiff's version of the facts and still found the 

claim meritless. 

AFFIRMED. 

Entered for the Court 

John P. Moore 

Circuit Judge 

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Appellate Case: 90-6176 Document: 010110059566 Date Filed: 10/11/1990 Page: 3