2008 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 11-17-2008 

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. T o dd H a sk ins P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-1767

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

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w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " Ge org e J os ep h v

. T odd H askin s " (2008). 2008 D e cisio n s . P ape r 221. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008/2211

DL D- 2 9 9 NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

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v. T O D D H A S K IN S , M e d ica l D ire c to r; D R . S P R A G U E ; J E N B I RT CH , P h y s i c i a n ' s a s s i s t a n t ; WEND Y J OHNS ON, N u rse A d m in istra to r; P R IM E C A R E M E D IC A L ;

D A V I D K U N H O L D , W ar den

____________________________________ O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e M id d le D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C i vi l N o. 06- cv- 01999) D istri ct Ju d g e: H o n o rab le Jam es F . M cC lure, Jr.

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o rP o s s i b l e Di s mi s s a l P u r s u a n tt o 2 8 U. S . C. § 1 9 1 5 ( e ) ( 2 ) ( B) o r S u m m a ry A c tio n P u rs u a n t to T h ir d C ir c u it L A R 2 7 .4 a n d I.O .P . 1 0 .6 Sept ember25, 2008 B efor e: B A R R Y , C H A G A R E S and ST A PL E T O N , C i r cui tJ udges

( O pi ni on fi l ed N ovember17, 2008)

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G eor ge J os eph appe al s t he D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s February29, 2008, or dergr ant i ng appel l ees ’ m ot i on fors um m aryj udgm ent . T he pr ocedur al hi s t or yof thi s cas e and the d etail s o f Jo sep h ’s claim s are w ell k n o w n to the p arti es, set fo rth in the D istri ct C o u rt ’s o rde rs, an d n ee d n o t be d iscu ssed at l en g th. I n h is co m p lai n t, Jo sep h all eg ed that b ef o re he w as t r ans ferr ed t o M onr oe C ount yC or r ect i onal Faci l i t y( M C C F) fr om pr i s on i n N ew Y or k, he had be en s chedul ed foran oper at i on on hi s w r i s tand a c ol onos copy . H e furt her a ss e rte d th a t h e w a s ta k in g se v e ra l m e d ica tio n s. W h e n h e a rriv e d a t M C C F , h e w a s to ld th a t th e p ro c e d u re s w o u ld n o t b e sc h e d u led a n d w h e n so m e o f h is m e d ica tio n s ra n o u t, t heyw oul d notbe r efi l l ed. H e al s o cont ended thata nur s e admi ni s t r at ori ni t i at ed the d isco n ti n u an ce o f h is pa in m ed icati o n (D arv o ce t) . A p p ell ee s filed a m o ti o n fo r sum m ary j udgm ent , and J os eph fa i l ed t o fi l e a r es pons e des pi t e bei ng gi ven s ever al ext ens i ons of tim e to d o so . A f

ter th e D istric t C o u rt g ra n ted a p p e llee s’ m o tio n f o r su m m a ryju d g m e n t, Jo se p h f iled a tim e lyn o tice o f

a p p e a l. W e have j ur i s di ct i on under28 U . S. C . § 1291 and exe r ci s e pl enaryr evi ew overt he D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s or dergr ant i ng appel l ees ’ m ot i on fors um m aryj udgm ent . G al l o v. C i t yof Phi l adel phi a, 161 F. 3d 217, 221 ( 3d C i r . 1998) . A gr antof s um m aryj udgm entw i l l be aff i r m ed i f ourr evi ew r evea l s t hat“ther e i s no genui ne i s s ue as t o anym at er i al fac tand th a t th e m o v in g p a rt yis e n title d to ju d g m e n t a s a m a tte r o f la w .” F e d . R . C iv . P . 5 6 (c ). W e re v iew the f

ac ts i n a li g h t m o st fav o rab le t o the p artyag ains t w h o m su m m ary j ud gm ent w as ent ered. S ee C oo l spri ng S t on e S up ply , Inc. v. A m eri can S t at es L i fe Ins.3

C o . , 1 0 F . 3 d 1 4 4 , 1 4 6 (3d C ir . 1 9 9 3 ). I n t hei rs um m aryj udgm entm ot i on, fi l ed i n J ul y2007, appel l ees ar gued that J os eph had nots how n t hathe s uffe r ed fr om a s er i ous m edi cal need ort hatappel l ees had been de l i ber at el yi ndi ffe r ent . T heynot ed thathe had be en tr eat ed forhi s m edi cal condi t i ons and had r efus ed tr eatm enton s ever al occa s i ons . A ppel l ees as s er t ed that J os eph had be en s een byt he medi cal depart m entt w enty - t hr ee t i m es i n ni ne mont hs , w as see n b yo u tsi d e sp ec ial ist s, an d rec eive d m ed icati o n s an d a sp ec ial d ietfo r his C roh n ’s di s eas e. A ppel l ees expl ai ned thatJ os eph’ s pr es cr i pt i on forD arvocetw as di s cont i nued beca us e he ha d compl ai ned thati ti ncr eas ed hi s bow el m ovement s . A ppel l ees s ubm i t t ed Joseph’s m edical recor ds i n sup po rtof these ass ert i on s. J os eph di d notr es pond t o ordi s put e anyof appe l l ees ’ s t at ement s des pi t e bei ng gi ven ext ens i ons of t i m e fors even mont hs unt i l February2008. J os eph conc eded thathe r ece i ved a c opyof hi s m edi cal r ecor ds fr om appel l ee i n N ovember2006. M or eover , he r ece i ved a c opyof appe l l ees ’ m ot i on fors um m aryj udgm entw hi ch cont ai ned addi t i onal m edi cal r ecor ds . W i t houts peci fy i ng w hathe bel i eved w as m i s s i ng, J os eph cont ended th a t th e re c o rd s w e re in c o m p lete . H e f u rth e r a ss e rte d th a t th e law lib ra rya t h is f a c ili ty di d nothave the l egal m at er i al s he nee ded t o r es pond t o s um m aryj udgm ent . H ow ever , he di d notexpl ai n w hyhe coul d notr es pond t o appel l ees ’ fac tual cont ent i ons des cr i bi ng t he m edi cal car e he ha d r ece i ved. J os eph has s ubm i t t ed no evi dence demonstr at i ng t hathe has a s er i ous m edi calI tappea r s t hatD arvocetw as pr es cr i bed aga i n i n M ar ch 2007. 1 4 need thathas notbeen a ddr es s ed byt he medi cal s t aff atM C C F. A l t hough J os eph cl ai m ed t o have s how n j ai l per s onnel m edi cal r ecor ds i ndi cat i ng t hathe had c arpal tunnel sy n d ro m e , h e d id n o t su b m it th e se d o c u m e n ts to th e D istric t C o u rt. A s f o r h is p a in m edi cat i on, acc or di ng t o t he medi cal r ecor ds s ubm i t t ed byappel l ees , J os eph w as prescr i bed D arvocet i n A ug ust20 06 bu ti tw as di sconti nu ed o n O ct ob er 3, 20 06 , becau se i tgave hi m di arr hea. I tw as not ed i n t he medi cal r ecor ds t haton s ever al occa s i ons 1 J o s e p h re f

u s e d to b e e v a lu a te d o r t a k e h is m e d ic a tio n . W e agr ee w i t h t he D i s t r i ctC our tt hatappel l ees w er e ent i t l ed t o s um m aryj udgm ent on J os eph’ s cl ai m s . Sum m aryact i on i s appr opr i at e i f ther e i s no s ubs t ant i al ques t i on pr es ent ed i n t he appe al . See Thi r d C i r cui tL A R 27. 4. Fort he above r eas ons , as w el l as th o s e s e t f

o rt h b yth e D is tr ic t C o u rt , w e w ill s u m m a ri ly af f ir m th e D is tr ic t C o u rt ’s o rd e r. S e e T h ir d C ir c u it I .O .P . 1 0 .6 .