2007 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 12-4-2007 

# C ol s t on v . C orrec t ion al M ed S e r 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 . 06-4247

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2007

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

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2007 D e c i sion s b y an authori z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

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 " C o l s t on v . C orr e ct ion al M e d S e r " (2007). 2007 D e cisio n s . P ape r 143. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2007/143NOT 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 N o. 06- 4247 L OUI S L AYT ON C OL S T ON, A ppel l ant v . C O R R E C T IO N A L M E D IC A L S E R V IC E S , (E . C . T . ); M R S . M Y R IA M S T E R L IN G , D R . ; M R S . D E B R A C A R R O L L , (M ed D ir ec tor)

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 rth e D i s tr i c to f

N e w J e r s e y D . C . C i vi l A ct i on N o. 04- cv- 3209 (H o n o rab le W il li am G . B assler) Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

N ovember16, 2007 B efor e: SC I R I C A , C hi ef J udge, H A R D I M A N and A L D I SE R T , C i r cui tJ udges ( Fi l ed D ece m ber4, 2007) OPI NI ON O F THE COURT P E R C U R I A M. L o u is L ay ton C o lst o n ap p ea ls pro se f rom the D istri ct C o u rt ’s en tryo f su m m ary ju d g m e n t in f

a v o r o f d e f e n d a n ts, a n d a lso c h a llen g e s th e D istric t C o u rt’s d e n ial o f h is2

m ot i on forthe appoi nt m entof couns el . Forthe r eas ons thatfol l ow , w e conc l ude thatt he D istric t C o u rt a b u se d its d isc re tio n in d e n y in g C o lsto n ’s r e q u e st f o r c o u n se l, an d w e w ill vacate i t s orderenter i ng sum m aryj ud gm ent and rem and for further proceedings. I. C ol s t on, w hi l e i ncar cer at ed i n a Fl or i da s t at e pr i s on, had s ur geryon hi s l eft

“ p in k y ” f

in g e r. T h e d a ya f

te r t h e s u rg e ry, h e w a s tr a n s f e rr e d to a N e w J e rs e ys ta te p ri s o n . A ccor di ng t o C ol s t on’ s pr o s e compl ai nt , w hi l e i ncar cer at ed i n N ew J er s ey , he exper i ence d s ever al del ay s i n r ece i vi ng nece s s arytr eatm ent s and otherw i s e r ece i ved in a d e q u a te m e d ica l ca re f o r o v e r o n e y e a r, u lti m a telyre su lti n g in th e a m p u tatio n o f h is fi nger . O n t he bas i s of thes e al l egat i ons , he fi l ed s ui tagai ns tC orr ect i onal M edi cal S e rv ice s (w h ich c o n tra c ts w ith th e S tate o f N e w Je rse yto p ro v id e m e d ica l se rv ice s to its pr i s oner s ) , as w el l as i t s m edi cal di r ect orand anotherof i t s phy s i ci ans . A s al l part i es agr ee, C ol s t on’ s compl ai ntm ayl i ber al l ybe cons trued t o as s ertcl ai m s forcruel and unus ual puni s hm entunderthe Ei ghth A m endmentand medi cal m al pr act i ce unde rN ew J er s eys t at e l aw . B efor e def endant s ans w er ed the compl ai nt , C ol s t on al s o m oved fort he a p p o in tm e n t o f

c o u n se l. B yor derent er ed N ovember10, 2004, the D i s tr i ctC our tdeni ed C ol s t on’ s m ot i on, and l at erdeni ed C ol s t on’ s m ot i on t o r econs i derthatdeci s i on. D efe ndant s then moved for s um m aryj udgm ent , ar gui ng that( 1) C ol s t on’ s E i ghth A m endmentcl ai m fai l s as a mat t er of l aw beca us e hi s m edi cal r ecor ds s how thathe r ece i ved cont i nuous car e, and ( 2)N ei theror derexpl ai ns the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s r at i onal e, al though a mi nut e entryon the 1 docketi ndi cat es thatthe D i s tr i ctC our tpl ace d i t s r eas ons or al l yon the r ecor d. W e have notbeen pr ovi ded w i th a tr ans cr i pt , butourdi s pos i t i on of thi s appea l does notturn on t he D istric t C o u rt’s r a tio n a le f o r e n ter in g su m m a ryju d g m e n t.

3 C o lsto n ’s m a lp ra c tice c laim f a ils a s a m a tter o f

law b e c a u se h e d id n o t se rv e a n a f f id a v it of m er i tw i thi n 60 day s of thei rans w eras r equi r ed byN . J . S. A . § 2A : 53A - 27. B yor der ent er ed February2, 2006, the D i s tr i ctC our tgr ant ed def endant s ’ m ot i on, and l at erdeni ed C ols t on ’s t i m el ym oti on for r econ si derat i on . C ols t on app eal s. 1 II. W e r evi ew deni al s of r eques t s forcouns el forabus e of di s cr et i on. See Tabr on v. G ra c e , 6 F .3 d 1 4 7 , 1 5 8 (3 d C ir. 1 9 9 3 ). In T a b ro n , w e se t f o rth th e f ra m e w o rk w ith in w hi ch court s i n t hi s C i r cui tm us texer ci s e thatdi s cr et i on. C our t s i ni t i al l ym us tdet erm i ne w hetherthe p l ai nti ff’s cl ai m has arguab l e m eri t . S ee i d. at15 5. If s o, cou rt s m ust c o n sid e r six n o n -e x c lu siv e f a c to rs a d d re ss e d p rim a rilyto th e p lain tiff ’s a b ili tyto lit ig a te hi s orhercl ai m . See i d. at155- 57. W e l at erpr ovi ded furthergui dance on the appl i cat i on of thes e fa ct or s t o pr i s oner s as s ert i ng cl ai m s bas ed on i nadequa t e medi cal car e. See M ont gom eryv. Pi nchak, 294 F. 3d 492, 498- 505 ( 3d C i r . 2002) ; Parham v. J ohns on, 126 F .3 d 4 5 4 , 4 5 8 -6 0 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 7 ). H e re , the D istric t C o u rt se t f o rth th e T a b ro n f

a c to rs, b u t ab u se d its d isc re tio n in a p p l y i n g th e m f

o rma n yo f

th e s a me r e a s o n s e x p l a i n e d i n M o n t g o me rya n d P a rh a m. I ni t i al l y , the D i s tr i ctC our tdi d notexpr es s l ycons i derw hetherC ol s t on’ s cl ai m s hadC ol s t on cl ear l ys t at ed a c l ai m form edi cal m al pr act i ce. T he onl ypot ent i al l egal 2 obs t acl e t o thatcl ai m appea r i ng of r ecor d i s C ol s t on’ s fai l ur e t o s erve an a ffi davi tof m er i t , butthatr equi r ementw as nottr i gger ed unt i l defe ndant s fi l ed thei rans w er , s ee N .J .S .A . § 2 A :5 3 A -2 7 , w h ic h th e yd id n o t d o u n til a f te r C o ls to n m o v e d f

o r c o u n s e l. C o lsto n ’s a lleg a tio n s re g a rd in g d e lays in p ro v id in g n e c e ss a rym e d ica l ca re , li b e ra lly c o n stru e d , ap p e a r to sta te a n E ig h th A m e n d m e n t cla im a s w e ll. S e e D u rm e r v . O ’C a rro ll, 9 9 1 F .2 d 6 4 , 6 8 -6 9 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 3 ). 4 a rg u a b le m e rit, b u t ap p e a rs to h a v e a ss u m e d th a t th e yd id b yc o n f in in g its d isc u ss io n to th e re m a in in g T a b ro n f a c to rs. W e b e liev e th a t C o lsto n ’s c laim s w e re a rg u a b ly m e rito rio u s f

o r p u rp o se s o f

e v a lu a tin g h is m o tio n f o r c o u n se l. 2 T he D i s tr i ctC our tdeni ed C ol s t on’ s m ot i on beca us e he appear ed capabl e of art i cul at i ng hi s cl ai m s , the l egal i s s ues di d notappea rcompl ex, ther e appe ar ed no r eas on w hyhe coul d notpur s ue anynece s s aryfac tual i nves t i gat i on, and “no e xpertt es t i m ony a p p e a rs n e c e ss a ry .” T h e se c o n c lu sio n s c a n n o t b e sq u a re d w ith o u r d e c isio n s in M ont gom eryand Parham. I n t hos e ca s es , w e r ecogni zed thatpr o s e pr i s oner s ’ l ack of l egal exper i ence , l ack of know l edge of

compl ex di s coveryrul es and i nabi l i tyt o t ake depos i t i ons s i gni fi cant l yi m pedes thei rabi l i tyt o l i t i gat e thes e ki nds of cl ai m s . See M o n tg o m e ry , 2 9 4 F .3 d a t 5 0 1 -0 2 ; P a rh a m , 1 2 6 F .3 d a t 4 5 9 . T h e se c o n sid e ra tio n s a p p ly t o C ol s t on, w ho does notappea rt o be an e xper i ence d l i t i gantand w ho expr es s ed cons i der abl e conf

us i on r egar di ng di s coverypr ocedur es i n the D i s tr i ctC our t( and i n fac t t ook no di s coveryof hi s ow n) . W e furtherexpl ai ned that“ci vi l r i ght s cas es al l egi ng del i ber at e i ndi ffe r ence t o a pr i s oner ’ s m edi cal needs can r ai s e s uffi ci ent l ycompl ex l egal i s s u e s t o r e q u i r e a p p o i n t me n to f c o u n s e l . ” M o n t g o me ry , 2 9 4 F . 3 d a t5 0 2 ( c i t i n g P a rh a m,W e e x p re ss n o o p in io n o n w h e th e r e x p e rt tes tim o n yu lti m a telyw ill p ro v e n e c e ss a ryin 3 th is c a se . W e n o te, h o w e v e r, th a t if th e D istric t C o u rt is c o rre c t an d e x p e rt tes tim o n yis notnece s s ary , then C ol s t on i s notr equi r ed t o s erve an a ffi davi tof m er i tunderN ew J er s ey la w a n d h is m a lp ra c tic e c la im is n o t s u b je c t to d is m is s a l s o le ly f o r h is f a ilu re to d o s o . S ee N atale v . C am d en C o u n tyC o rr. F ac il ity , 3 1 8 F . 3 d 5 7 5 , 5 7 9 -80 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 3 ). 5 1 2 6 F . 3 d a t4 5 9 ) . We b e l i e v e th a tth i s c o n s i d e r a t i o n a p p l i e s h e r e a s we l l . F i n a l l y , we r ecogni zed thatcas es of thi s type gene r al l yr equi r e gr eat erfac tual i nves t i gat i on than p ri s o n e rs a re a b le to c o n d u c t o n th e iro w n a n d g e n e ra lly re q u ir e e x p e rt m e d ic a l te s tim o n y . S ee M on t go m ery , 29 4 F . 3d at50 3-04; Parham , 12 6 F . 3d at46 0. In each o f t ho se cases, 3 w e vac at ed a f

i nal j udgm entaft erconcl udi ng thata di s tr i ctcourthad abus ed i t s di s cr et i on in re f u sin g to re q u e st c o u n se l to re p re se n t a p riso n e r a ss e rtin g c laim s b a se d o n in a d e q u a te m edi cal car e. B eca us e C ol s t on’ s s i tuat i on i s m at er i al l yi ndi s t i ngui s habl e fr om the s itu a tio n o f

th e p ri s o n e rs in th o s e c a s e s , w e w ill d o th e s a m e h e re . A c c o rd in g ly, w e w ill v a c a te th e D is tr ic t C o u rt ’s o rd e r e n te ri n g s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t. O n r emand, the D i s tr i ctC our ti s di r ect ed t o r eques tcouns el t o r epr es entC ol s t on.