FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T MAY 17, 2011 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NO T PUBLISH]
IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

No. 1 0- 12 38 3
D. C. Dock etNo. 8 :0 8- cv -0 15 99 -J SM- EAJ JOHN NIESEN, as P ers on al Rep res en ta ti ve fo r th e Est at e o f Mi ch ael Sco ttNies en , dec eas ed , in di vi du al ly andas p ers on al rep res en ta ti ve forth e Est at e o f Mary

F. Ril ey , Plai nt iff -Ap pe ll an t,
ve rs us CITY OF CLEARWA TER, a m un ic ip al co rp or at io n, MIC HAEL E GGER, MARK CAIR

NS, EDWARD GARNER, JAM ES GRAVELY, CHARLES BUTLER, Defen da nt s- App el le es .

App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt fo r th e Mi dd le Dis tri ctof F lo rid a (Ma y 17 , 20 11 )Befo re DUBINA, Ch ie f Ju dg e, HILL andEBEL, Cir cu itJu dg es . * PER CURI AM: Pl ai nt iff -Ap pe ll an t J oh n Ni es en , act in g a s t he pe rs on al rep res en ta ti ve forth e
es ta te of h is de ceas edbro th er, Mi ch ael Sco ttNies en , bro ug htth is act io n i n 2 00 8 ag ai ns t Def

en da nt s- App el le es th e Ci ty of Cl earwa te r an d anu m be r of it s p ol ic e of fic ers all eg in g t ha t h is bro th er’s d eat h fo ll owi ng a ve hi cu la r acc id en t i n 1 97 7 (th irt y -o ne y ears be fo re thi s s ui t was fil ed ) was th e res ul t o f a b ru ta l b eat in g b y th os e o ffi cers . Nies enbro ug htsev eral cla im s u nd er 4 2 U.S.C. § 19 83 , all eg in g th atCle arwat er an d t he po li ce o ffi cers in vo lv eden ga ge d i n aco ns pi racy to c ov er up th e true cir cu m st an ces su rro un di ng hi s b ro th er’s d eat h. OnMay 6, 20 10 , th e di st ric t co urt g ran te d s umm ary jud gm en t i n fa vo r of th e App el le es on th e g ro un ds th atNeis en ’s cau se of a ct io n was pre cl ud edby Flo rid a’s fo ur -y ear s ta tu te of li m it at io ns . Nies enno w app eal s, cl ai m in g tha t due to th e co ns pi racy his cau se of act io n d idno t ac cru e u nt il 20 06 , m ak in g h is 20 08 act io n t im el y . I. On J ul y 13 , 19 77 , Jo hnNies en ’s bro th er, Mi ch ael Nies en , was s to pp edby Offi cer R on al d M ah on y

for sp eed in g. Ma ho ne y

be li ev edth atth e truc k Ni es en

Honora ble David M. Ebel, United States Circuit J udg e for the Ten th C i rcuit, sitti ng by * desig nation. 2was dri vi ng was s to le n. Ni es enth enatt em pt edto fle e th e sc en e ata hi gh rat e o f sp eed . Mah on y

do ve in to th e b edof t he pi ck -up tru ckan d m ay ha ve fir edin to th e cab in anatt em

ptto st op Nies en . Nies enlo stco nt ro l o f th e tr uc k, wh ic h wen t o ff th e si de of t he roa d a ndfli pp edov er. Bo th Mah on y an d Ni es enwere eject edfro m th e v eh ic le . Mah on y

was fa ta ll y

in jure d; Nies enwas t ak ento th e h os pi ta l b ut
ne ve r reg ai ne d c on sc io us ne ss an d d ie d t he ne xtday . The po li ce an d t he cit y

of C le arwat er m ai nt ai n t ha t Ni es en ’s fat al in juri es
were caus edby the acci de nt . Stat em en ts m ad e b y so m e o f th e wit ne ss es at t he
sc en e supp ort the off

ic ia l v ers io n o f ev en ts . Accord in g t o J oh n Ni es en , ho wev er, the da y

aft er t he acci de nt , a gr oup o f te en ag ers to ldhi m th atth ey wit ne ss edth e p ol ic e o ffi cers at t he sce ne vi ol en tl y ass au lthi s b ro th er. W it h t hi s in fo rm at io n, Nei se n b eg anwhatha s b een a th irt y -y ear ef fo rt t o u nc ov er the fact s ab ou t h is bro th er’s d eat h. Bu t h e d idno t fi le su it
. By hi s co un t, Ni es encla im s t o h av e d is co ve redsev en te enwit ne ss es who
sa w Mic ha el Nies enale rt, c on sc io us , andco he ren t atth e sc en e. He cla im s a
nu m be r of th os e wit ne ss es saw h is bro th er b eat enby the po li ce unt il he was
un co ns ci ou s. The se wit ne ss es are s ai d t o i nc lu de pa ram ed ic s wh o wer e in vo lv ed in tre at in g Nei se n.

3In20 02 , Jo hnNies enwrot e a s ev en -p ag e le tt er t o t he n S en at orZell Mi ll er

of Geor gi a in whi ch he cla im edth atpo li ce o ffi cers be athi s b ro th er unt il he was
un co ns ci ou s. Th is let te r se ts for th m os t o f th e fac ts no w all eg edin Neis en ’s
co m pl ai nt . Des pi te hi s kno wled ge of t he se all eg edfact s, Nei se n d idno t fi le a
co m pl ai ntat t ha t t im e. In 2 00 6, Ni es enin te rv ie wedJo hn Garn er, a ro ok ie po li ce of fic er o n h is fir stni gh t o n t he job when Mi ch ael Nies enwas k il le d, wh o t ol d Jo hn Nies enth athe sp ok e to hi s b ro th er atth e sc en e o f th e acc id en t. Mi ch ael Nies ento ldGarn er tha t h e th ou gh t h e was OK andwas i n n o d is co m fo rt, a t wh ic h po in t Garne r wen t t o h el p Off ic er Ma ho ny. Whi le Garn er d idno t wi tn es s an y of fic ers be at in g Ni es en , he t ol d J oh n Ni es enth atth e m as si ve he adwou nd s t ha t l ed to Nies en ’s dea th were n otpre se ntwhen he sp ok e to hi s b ro th er. Garn er al so st at edth atpo li ce re po rts cla im in g Ni es enwas u nc on sc io us when th e p ol ic e arri ve d wer e “ a to ta l l ie ,” an d tha t h e was sh oc ke d t o l earn th atNies enha d d ie d. Garn er t ol d Ni es enth ataft er the acci de nt , th e o ffi cers in vo lv edin res po nd in g t o th e acc id en t wer e g athe redin a ro om by the ir s up erv is or s. Ona ch al kb oa rdwere a li stof i te m s t o b e in cl ud edin each off ic er’s rep ort. Garn er s ta te d t ha t t he off ic ers were t o h av e th ei r st ory

strai gh t, i nc lu di ng th atNies enne ve r reg ai ne d

4co ns ci ou sn es s. With Garn er’s s ta te m en t i n h an d, J oh n Ni es enfin al ly file d h is

co m pl ai ntin 20 08 , th irt y -o ne y ears aft er t he in ci de ntinqu es ti on . II . Acco rd in g t o Ni es en , he a ccu m ul at edanab un da nc e o f ev id en ce t ha t h is br ot he r was be at ento de ath b y th e Cl earwa te r po li ce an d t ha t a c on sp ira cy was
co nc oc te d t o c ov er up tha t fa ct . Of cou rs e, Nies en ’s evi de nc e is co ntrad ic te d, b ut itcert ai nl y

crea te s a que st io n o f fac t t ha t, i f th e cas e h adbe enti m el y -fi le d, a jury
wou ldha ve de ci de d. Bu t i t i s cl ear t ha t Ni es en ’s cau se of a ct io n h as lo ng be enba rredby the ap pl ic ab le st atut e o f li m it at io ns . Our ca se law d oe s n otrequi re t ha t the pl ai nt iff ha ve a pe rfec t ca se or e ve n ago odcas e b efo re t he st atut e o f li m it at io ns be gi ns to
ru n o n h is cau se of a ct io n. Ra th er, “ Sect io n 1 98 3 a ct io ns do no t ac cru e u nt il th e pl ai nt iff kn ows or h as reas on to kn ow t ha t h e h as be enin jure d. No r wil l a S ect io n 19 83 act io n a ccru e u nt il th e p la in ti ff i s awa re o r sh ou ldha ve be enaware wh o h as in fli ct edth e in

jury.” Mul li nax v. McElhe nn ey , 81 7 F .2d71 1, 7 16 (11 th Cir . 19 87 ). Nies enha d t ha t i nf

orm at io n a s ea rly as the day aft er t he acci de ntin 19 77 an d n o la te r th an20 02 an d t he st atut e o f li m it at io ns ha d ru n a t l eas t t wo years p rio r to th e fil in g o f hi s l aws ui t.

5The st atut e o f li m it at io ns do ctrin e is a ha rs h o ne , andby defi ni ti on itba rs

su it s t ha t m ay

be m eri to rio us . Butitserve s an im po rta ntfun ct io n a ndis “ de si gn ed to pro m ot e jus ti ce b y

pre ve nt in g s ur

pr is es th ro ug h t he rev iv al of c la im s t ha t h av e be enall owe d t o s lu m

be r un ti l ev id en ce h as be enlo st , m em or ie s h av e fad ed , and wit ne ss es ha ve di sapp eare d. Th e th eo ry is th atev enif o ne ha s a ju stcla im itis
un jus t n otto pu t t he adve rs ary on no ti ce t o d efen d wi th in th e p eri odof l im it at io n
an d t ha t t he rig htto be free of s ta le cla im s i n t im e co m es to pre va il ov er t he rig ht to pro se cu te th em .” Order of R.R. Tel egra

ph er s v. Ry. Exp re ss Agen cy, In c. , 32 1 U.S. 34 2, 3 48 –4 9, 6 4 S . Ct. 5 82 , 58 6 (1 94 4) . This cas e m ay well be a tr ag ic on e, bu t t he ti m e li m itfora ci vi l ac ti on pa ss edlo ng ag o. Acco rd in gl y , we con cl ud e
su m m ary jud gm en t was pro pe rly gran te d a s t o a ll App el le es . AFFIRMED.

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