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 

# Ron ald W i lli ams v . S h aron S eb ek 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 . 08-2307

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_2008

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 2008 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

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. 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 " Ron ald W

i ll i am s v . S h ar on S ebe k " (2008). 2008 D e cisio n s . P ape r 220. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008/220D L D - 2 9 8 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 N o. 08- 2307 RO N A LD A . W I LLI A M S, A p p e llan t, v . SH A RO N SEB EK , A s s i s t a ntLi br a r i a n; D A N I EL P. BU RN S ; BE N E . ANS E L L ; L t . W. L E GGE T T ; I . T UR CO , Corr e c t i o n Off

i c e r ; M OR RI S HA RPER, M . D. ; STAN LEY FALO R, M . D. ; FRED R. M AU E, M . D. ; J EFF REY BEARD, S e c r e t a r yo f

th e De p a r t me n to f

Co rr e c t i o n s ; S CI G RE EN E PR O G RA M RE V I EW CO M M I TTE E M EM BE RS; E D R E N D E L L , G o v e rn o r o f P e n n sy lv a n ia; C a p tain GRAI NEY; P RI S ON H EAL TH S ERVI CES , I NC. ; AM ERI CA SE R V I C E G R O U P, I N C . ; C A T H E R I N E M C V E Y , B ur eau of H eal th C ar e Servi ces , I nc. ; M I C H A E L C A T A L A N O , C hai r m an o f Pr i s o n Hea l th Se r v i c e s , I n c . , Cha i r ma n Pr e s i d e n t& CEO o f Am e r i c a S e r v i c e s Gr o u p ; T HOMAS J AC KS ON, D ep u tyS u p erinten d en t; JO H N D O E I & II

__________________________________ 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 W e ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C i vi l N o. 05- cv- 01203) D i s tr i ctJ udge: H onor abl e A r thurJ . Schw ab

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o r P o ssible D ism issal Pu rsua n t t 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 udgesT he admi ni s tr at i ve gr i evanc e pr ocedur e forPenns y l vani a i nm at es i s codi fi ed i n t he 1 Penns y l vani a D epart m entof C orr ect i ons Pol i cySt at ementN o. D C - A D M 804, ent i t l ed "C o n so lid a ted In m a te G rie v a n c e R e v iew S y ste m ." T h e th re e ste p s in th e P e n n sy lv a n ia gr i evanc e pr oces s ar e ( 1) i ni t i al r evi ew bythe fa ci l i tygr i evanc e coor di nat orof the i nm at e’ s gr i evanc e; ( 2) appea l of the i ni t i al r evi ew t o the s uper i nt endentorr egi onal di r ect or ; and ( 3) a fi nal appea l t o t he Secr et ary ’ s O ffi ce. See Sprui l l v. G i l l i s , 372 F. 3d 2 ( O pi ni on fi l ed N ovember17, 2008 )

OP I NI ON

P E R C UR I AM A p p e llan t R o n a ld A . W ill iam s, a P e n n sy lv a n ia s tate p riso n e r c o n f in e d a t th e S tate C o rr e c tio n a l I n s titu tio n a t G re e n e (“ S C I- G re e n e ” ), f ile d a c iv il r ig h ts a c tio n , 4 2 U .S .C . § 19 83 , i n U nit ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rtfor the W est ern D i stri ctof P enn sy l van i a against n u m e ro u s c o rr e c tio n a l o f f ic ia ls , p h y s ic ia n s a t th e p ri s o n , a n d P ri s o n H e a lth S e rv ic e s , In c . W i l l i ams l at erfi l ed an A m ended Com pl ai nt , and the corr ect i onal defe ndant s and medi cal d e f e n d a n ts b o th m o v e d f

o r su m m a ryju d g m e n t, pr o p e rlysu p p o rtin g th e ir m o tio n s w ith aff i davi t s and exhi bi t s , s ee Fed. R . C i v. Pr o. 56( c) , ( e) . W i l l i ams oppos ed the mot i ons by s ubm i t t i ng hi s ow n s um m aryj udgm entm ot i on. T he M agi s tr at e J udge s ubm i t t ed a Repor tand R ecomm endat i on, i n w hi ch s he car eful l ys etfor th t he pr ocedur al hi s t oryof W i l l i ams’ gr i evanc es atSC I - G r eene . See B ooth v. C hurner , 532 U . S. 731 ( 2001) ( pr i s onerm us texhaus tadmi ni s tr at i ve r emedi es pur s uantt o 42 U . S. C . § 1997e( a) pr i ort o br i ngi ng s ui t ) . She then det erm i ned that 12 1 8 , 2 3 2 ( 3 d Ci r . 2 0 0 4 ) . Th e u n c o n t e s t e d r e c o r d e v i d e n c e s h o we d th a tW i l l i a ms

fr equent l yfai l ed t o appea l hi s gr i evanc es t o the fi nal l evel of r evi ew . N everthel es s , t he M agi s tr at e J udge di d notr ecomm end di s m i s s i ng anyof W i l l i ams’ cl ai m s for nonexhaus t i on. I n N ovember2002, W i l l i ams w as eval uat ed forthe H epat i t i s C tr eatm entpr ot ocol 2 a n d g iv e n p sy c h iatric c lea ra n c e f o r su c h tre a tm e n t. H o w e v e r, itd id n o t im m e d iate ly comm ence , nece s s i t at i ng, i n hi s vi ew , the fi l i ng of a gr i evanc e. W e not e that , on February20, 2003, the dayaft erW i l l i ams’ fi nal appea l w as deni ed, 3 D r. H a rp e r p re sc rib e d P e g a sy s a n d R e b e to l (a lso k n o w n a s R ib a v irin ) to tre a t h is H epat i t i s C i l l nes s . W i l l i ams r ece i ved both drugs forthe nexttw el ve mont hs . ( M edi cal D e f e n d a n ts ’ S ta te m e n t o f

U n d is p u te d M a te ri a l F a c ts , D k t. # 8 5 , a t ¶ ¶ 2 1 -3 0 .)

3 W i l l i ams fi l ed G r i evanc e N o. 39392 agai ns tdefe ndantD r . M orr i s H arpercompl ai ni ng a b o u t h is c o m p lete f

a ilu re to tre a t W ill iam s’ H e p a tit is C ill n e ss . W ill iam s a p p e a led th is 2 G r i evanc e t o fi nal r evi ew , and the appe al w as deni ed on February19, 2003. T he M agi s tr at e J udge thus concl uded thathi s fai l ur e t o tr eatcl ai m w as barr ed bythe tw o- y ear lim itatio n s p e rio d f

o r c iv il righ ts c laim s, se e W ilso n v . G a rc ia, 4 7 1 U .S . 2 6 1 (1 9 8 5 ) (s tate s ta tu te o f lim ita tio n s a p p lie s to a c tio n s u n d e r 4 2 U .S .C . § 1 9 8 3 ); 4 2 P a . C o n s . S ta t. A n n . § 5524( 2) ( tw o- y earl i m i t at i on per i od appl i cabl e t o per s onal i nj uryact i ons ) , beca us e he sig n e d a n d d a ted h is c o m p lain t o n A u g u st 2 3 , 2 0 0 5 , an d th e e v e n ts c o m p lain e d a b o u t in G r i evanc e N o. 39392 nece s s ar i l yoccurr ed w el l befor e A ugus t23, 2003. 3 C ont i nui ng w i th W i l l i ams’ nextcl ai m , the M agi s tr at e J udge found thathe had pr oper l ygr i eved, thr ough G r i evanc e N os . 45331 and 45332, hi s cl ai m thathe w as deni ed acc es s t o a typew r i t erw hi l e i n t he R es tr i ct ed H ous i ng U ni t . H ow ever , the cl ai m fai l ed as a mat t erof l aw . W i l l i ams cl ai m ed a vi ol at i on of hi s r i ghtt o E qual Pr ot ect i on undert heC a p ital in m a tes a re c o n f in e d in a d m in istra tiv e c u sto d yd u e to th e ir se n ten c e w h ile 4 non- capi t al i nm at es pr i m ar i l yar e conf i ned due t o thei rs ecur i tyr i s k t o other s i ns i de the i ns t i tut i on. 4 l aw s i ns ofaras the D epart m entof C orr ect i ons ( “D O C ”) tr eat s capi t al i nm at es bett ert han non- capi t al i nm at es confi ned t o A dm i ni s tr at i ve C us t odyw hen i tcomes t o the us e of typew r i t er s . H ow ever , pr i s oner s ar e nota s us pectcl as s , and thus the pr i s on rul e nee d onl ybe r at i onal l yr el at ed t o a l egi t i m at e penol ogi cal i nt er es tt o s ur vi ve an e qual p ro te c tio n c h a lle n g e , F .C .C . v . B e a c h C o m m u n ic a tio n s , In c ., 5 0 8 U .S . 3 0 7 , 3 1 3 (1 9 9 3 ). T he D O C ’ s pol i cyof gr ant i ng capi t al i nm at es acc es s t o a typew r i t erw hi l e deny i ng the sa m e a c c e ss to in m a tes in A d m in istra tiv e C u sto d yis ra tio n a llyre late d to th e leg iti m a te purpos e of mai nt ai ni ng or derand s ecur i tyw i thi n the pr i s on. 4 T he M agi s tr at e J udge al s o r eac hed the mer i t s of W i l l i ams’ cl ai m s thatdefe ndant L i br ar i an Shar on Sebek vi ol at ed hi s r i ghtof ac ces s t o the court s byconfi s cat i ng hi s l egal document s , and thatSebek and de fenda nt s D ani el B urns and Lt . W . L eggettr et al i at ed againsthim byi ssui ng him a m i scond uct for fal si fy i ng do cum ents . A gain, ho w ever, t hese a c c e s s t o the c ou r t s c l a i ms f a i l e d a s a mat t e rof

l a w , s e e Chr i s t op he rv. H a rbu ry , 53 6 U. S. 403 ( 2002) , beca us e W i l l i ams fai l ed t o s ubm i tanyevi dence t o i dent i fyw hatcourtact i on w as aff ect ed bythe conf

i s cat i on, and w hatr emedym i ghtbe aw ar ded as r ecompens e that w oul d notbe ava i l abl e i n anyot herfutur e l i t i gat i on, i d. at415. W i l l i ams’ r et al i at i on c laim f a iled a s a m a tter o f

law b e c a u se , alth o u g h h e h a d e n g a g e d in c o n stitu tio n a lly p rotec ted a cti v ityan d h ad b ee n su b jected to an ad v erse ac ti o n (90 d ay s in d isci p li n aryW i l l i ams s entthr ee doc um ent s t o the l i br aryforcopy i ng. W hen Sebek i ns pect ed 5 th e m , sh e f

o u n d th a t h e h a d a f

f ix e d b ytap e a n o ld n o tar ysta m p w ith sig n a tu re a n d sta te s eal on the document s t o be copi ed, thus att empt i ng t o m ake them appearor i gi nal . Sedek r efus ed t o copythe document s and conf i s cat ed them. W i l l i ams w as i s s ued a mi s conduct forFor geryand Pos s es s i on of C ontr aband. H e w as found gui l tyof For geryand r ece i ved 9 0 -d a y s d isc ip lin a ryc u sto d yb a se d o n th e h e a rin g e x a m in e r’s re v iew o f th e d o c u m e n ts in ques t i on. 5 con fi nem ent) , he fa i l ed to subm i tanyevidence to show that the p rot ect ed acti vityw as a s ubs t ant i al m ot i vat i ng fac t ori n t he def endant s ’ deci s i on t o t ake the adve r s e ac t i on, R aus erv. H orn, 241 F. 3d 330, 334 ( 3d C i r . 2001) . H e w as i n fac tconvi ct ed of the m isc o n d u c t. 5 T h e M a g istra te J u d g e n e x t ad d re ss e d in g re a t d e tail th e m e rits o f W ill iam s’ c laim thathi s E i ghth A m endmentr i ghtt o be fr ee f r om cruel and unus ual puni s hm entw as v iolated in co n n ec ti o n w ith the trea tm en t he re ce ived fo r an ing u inal h ern ia. In Sept ember2003, W i l l i ams w as di agnos ed w i th an i ngui nal herni a appr oxi m at el ythr ee cent i m et er s i n l ength. M edi cal per s onnel m oni t or ed hi s condi t i on fr om Sept ember2003 to Ju ly2 0 0 4 , an d tre a ted th e h e rn ia w ith a tru ss a n d p a in m e d ica tio n . W h e n th e h e rn ia eventual l yext ended i nt o t he s cr otum and W i l l i ams’ pai n beca m e s er i ous , a s ur gi cal cons ul t at i on w as appr oved. Sur geryw as r ecomm ended, and one mont h l at er , on J ul y28, 2004, the herni a w as s ur gi cal l yr emoved. W i l l i ams ful l yr ecove r ed. T he M agi s tr at e J udge conc l uded thatW i l l i ams’ al l egat i ons of i nadequa t e medi cal car e di d notr i s e t o t he l evel of del i ber at e i ndi ffe r ence . E s t el l e v. G ambl e, 429 U . S. 97 ( 1976) . T o actw i th del i ber at e i ndi ffe r ence i s t o r eckl es s l ydi s r egar d a s ubs t ant i al r i s k of6

s er i ous harm . Far m erv. B r ennan, 511 U . S. 825, 836 ( 1994) . A l l egat i ons of negl i gence a n d d i s a g r e e me n t s o v e rme d i c a l j u d g me n td o n o ts t a t e a n Ei g h th Ame n d me n tc l a i m, W hi t e v. N apol eon, 897 F. 2d 103, 110 ( 3d C i r . 1990) , and W i l l i ams fai l ed t o s ubm i tany e v id e n c e to su p p o rt a n a ss e rtio n th a t th e d e f e n d a n ts a c ted re c k les slyin n o t su rg ica lly rep airi n g h is he rnia so o n er. F i n a l l y , th e M a g i s tr a t e J u d g e r e j e c t e d o n th e me r i t s W i l l i a ms ’ d u e p r o c e s s c l a i ms conce rni ng hi s m i s conductand cont i nued conf i nementi n A dm i ni s tr at i ve C us t odyon the g rou n d that, u n d er S an d in v . C o n n er, 51 5 U . S . 4 7 2 (19 9 5 ), p rotec ted libertyinterests are gener al l yl i m i t ed t o fr eedom fr om r es tr ai ntthat“i m pos e[] atypi cal and s i gni fi cant har ds hi p on the i nm at e i n r el at i on t o the or di naryi nci dent s of pr i s on l i fe, ” i d. at484, t he det erm i nat i on of w hati s “atypi cal and s i gni fi cant ” i s bas ed upon the r ange of condi t i ons an i nm at e w oul d r eas onabl yexpec tt o encount er , A s qui th v. D ep’ tof C orr ect i ons , 186 F . 3d 40 7, 41 2 (3d C i r. 19 99 ), and the 9 0 d ay s of dis ci pli narycon fi nem ent i m po sed as a resu lto f th e m isco n d u ct did n o t violate a p rotec ted in terest as d ef ined b yS an d in. I n a d d iti o n , the M a g istra te J u d g e c o n c lu d e d th a t W ill iam s’ c o n tin u e d c o n f in e m e n t in admi ni s tr at i ve cus t ody( forfi ve and a hal f y ear s ) di d notr equi r e a r emedybeca us e the r ecor d s how ed thathe w as r ece i vi ng the r equi r ed per i odi c r evi ew s of hi s s t atus bythe Pr ogr am R evi ew C om m i t t ee, s ee Shoat s v. H orn, 213 F. 3d 140 ( 3d C i r . 2000) ( confi nementi n s ol i t aryconfi nementof ei ghty ear s dur at i on w as s uffi ci ent l yatypi cal and s i gni fi canti n i t s har ds hi p t o cr eat e pr ot ect ed l i bertyi nt er es ti m pl i cat i ng pr ocedur al dueT h e M a g i s tr a t e J u d g e a l s o r e j e c t e d a g r o u n d l e s s c l a i m o f a c o n s p i r a c y. 6 7 pr oces s guar ant ees buti nm at e r ece i ved due pr oces s vi a per i odi c r evi ew s and r i ghtt o be h ea rd). 6 W i l l i ams s ubm i t t ed O bj ect i ons t o the M agi s tr at e J udge’ s R eportand R ecomm endat i on, w hi ch the D i s tr i ctC our tcons i der ed and r ej ect ed. I n an or derent er ed on M arch 31 , 20 08 , the D i stri ctC ou rtgrant ed the corr ect i on al and m edical defe nd ants ’ m ot i ons fors um m aryj udgm ent , and adopt ed the R eportand R ecomm endat i on as the O p in io n o f

th e C o u rt. W i l l i ams appe al s . O urC l erk gr ant ed hi m l eave t o appea l i n form a paupe r i s and a d v is e d h im th a t h is a p p e a l w a s s u b je c t to s u m m a ry d is m is s a l u n d e r 2 8 U .S .C . § 1 9 1 5 (e )( 2 )( B ) o r s u m m a ry a f f ir m a n c e u n d e r T h ir d C ir . L A R 2 7 .4 a n d I.O .P . 1 0 .6 . W illia m s w a s in v ite d to s u b m it a rg u m e n t in w ri tin g a n d h e h a s d o n e s o . W e w ill d is m is s th e a p p e a l a s f ri v o lo u s . W e h a v e ju ri s d ic tio n u n d e r 2 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 . A n a p p e lla n t m a yp ro s e c u te h is a p p e a l w ith o u t p re p a ym e n t o f th e f e e s , 2 8 U .S .C . § 1915( a) ( 1) , butthe i n form a paupe r i s s t atut e pr ovi des thatthe C our ts hal l di s m i s s the a p p e a l a t a n ytim e if

th e C o u rt d e te rm in e s th a t it is f ri v o lo u s , 2 8 U .S .C . § 1915( e) ( 2) ( B ) ( i ) . A n appea l i s fr i vol ous w hen i tl acks an ar guabl e bas i s ei theri n l aw or fa ct. N eit zk e v . W il li am s, 4 9 0 U . S . 3 1 9 , 3 2 5 (19 8 9 ). O u r rev iew o f th e D istri ct C o u rt ’s gr antof s um m aryj udgm enti s pl enaryand w e mustaff i r m i f ther e i s no genui ne i s s ue of m at er i al fac tand the movi ng partyi s ent i t l ed t o j udgm entas a mat t erof l aw . See C el ot exT h e d rug s W il li am s rec eive d fo r his H ep ati ti s C il lnes s w ere d isco n ti n u ed b yD r. 7 St anl eyFal oron February , 23, 2004 beca us e of the l ength of t i m e W i l l i ams had be en r ece i vi ng tr eatm entand bec aus e he ha d an undet ect abl e vi r al l oad. W i l l i ams w as as ym pt om at i c and c l i ni cal l ys t abl e. ( M edi cal D efe ndant s ’ St at ementof U ndi s put ed M a ter ial F a c ts, D k t. #8 5 , at ¶ ¶ 2 8 -3 0 .) In h is O b jec tio n s, W ill iam s a rg u e d th a t h is H epat i t i s C cl ai m w as nott i m e- barr ed bec aus e, on J une 17, 2004, a bl ood t es ts how ed a “r es ur gence ” of the di s eas e. W e not e al s o that , on A ugus t9, 2005, a D r . T al abi not ed that W i l l i ams w ant ed t o r es t arthi s H epat i t i s C tr eatm ent . A tthatt i m e, D r . T al abi di d not r es t artthe medi cat i on. I d. at¶¶ 51- 52. N everthel es s , W i l l i ams’ t i m el i nes s ar gum ent m i s s es the mar k. I f he e xper i ence d a r ecurr ence of the di s eas e i n J une 2004 as a r es ul tof a tr eatm entfai l ur e, and the def endant s r efus ed t o tr eatthatr ecurr ence , then, underthe ci r cumst ance s of hi s cas e, he w oul d have a new cl ai m , s epar at ed i n t i m e and a r i s i ng fr om a di ffe r ents etof fa ct s , thatw oul d r equi r e hi m t o fi l e a ne w gr i evanc e r el at i ng t o the re c u rr e n c e , a n d th e re a f

te r e x h a u s t h is a d m in is tr a tiv e re m e d ie s to th e f in a l le v e l o f

a p p e a l. H aving fail ed to do that , the clai m w ou l d b e subjectt o d i sm i ssal for fai l ure t o ex hau st ad m inistrati v e re m ed ies, 4 2 U . S . C . § 1 9 9 7 e(a ). 8 C orp. v. C atr ett , 477 U . S. 317, 322- 23 ( 1986) . W e have car eful l yr evi ew ed the mot i ons and the evi dence , and conc l ude thatther e i s no ar guabl e bas i s i n fac torl aw for di s agr eei ng w i th t he M agi s tr at e J udge’ s s um m aryj udgm entdet erm i nat i ons , as appr oved and adopt ed bythe D i s tr i ctC our t . N ei t zke, 490 U . S. at325; C el ot ex C orp. , 477 U . S. at 322- 23. T he M agi s tr at e J udge pr oper l yanal y zed a nd r es ol ved W i l l i ams’ cl ai m s and the D i stri ctC ou rtproperl ygrant ed sum m aryj ud gm ent t o all of the defe nd ants . 7 Forthe for egoi ng r eas ons , w e w i l l di s m i s s the appe al as fr i vol ous pur s uantt o 28 U .S .C . § 1 9 1 5 (e )( 2 )( B )( i) .