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 12-24-2008 

# C onk lin v . W arringt on 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 . 07-4835

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 a nova . 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 l l a nova 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 a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a nova 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 l l a nova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " C onk l in v . W arr in g t on" (2008). 2008 D e cisio n s . P ape r 43. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008/43NOT 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. 07- 4835

___________ S T E P HE N C ONKL I N, A ppel l ant

v. W A R R IN G T O N T O W N S H IP , A P e n n sy lv a n ia M u n ici p al C o rpo rati o n L o ca ted in Y o rk C o u n tyP en n sy lvan ia; W A R R IN G T O N T O W N S H IP

Z ONI NG B OAR D; J OHN DO E

____________________________________ 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 . N o. 05- cv- 01707) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e C hr i s t opherC . C onner

_________________________ Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

on D ece m ber8, 2008 Be f o r e : M CK EE, SM I TH A ND RO TH, CI RCU I T J UD GES ( O pi ni on fi l ed: D ece m ber24, 2008)

___________ OP I NI ON

___________2

M cK ee, J. St ephen Conkl i n appea l s t he di s t r i ctcour t ’ s gr antof s um m aryj udgm enti n favorof al l defe ndant s on t he ac t i on he br oughtpur s uantt o 42 U . S. C . § 1983. C onkl i n’ s at t or ney al s o appea l s t he di s t r i ctcour t ’ s i m pos i t i on of R ul e 11 s anct i ons . Fort he r eas ons t hat f o llo w , w e w ill a f

f ir m . In a sm u c h a s w e a re w riting p rim a rilyf o r th e p a rties w h o a re f

a m ili a r w ith th is cas e, w e nee d nots etfor t h t he fa ctual orpr ocedur al backgr ound of thi s appea l exce pt i ns ofaras m aybe hel pful t o ourbr i ef di s cus s i on. W e h av e re v iew ed the th o rou g h an d tho u g h tfu l M em o ran d u m o f th e d istri ct co u rt d ated N o v em b er 3 0 , 2 0 0 7 , in w h ich th e c o u rtex p lai n s it s rea so n ing fo r gra n ti n g su m m ary j udgm entand di s m i s s i ng t he compl ai nt . W e have al s o r evi ew ed the equa l l yt hought ful a n d th o ro u g h M e m o ra n d u m d a ted A u g u st 4 , 2 0 0 6 , in w h ich th e d istric t co u rt e x p lain s its c o n sid e ra tio n o f

c o u n se l’s m o tio n f

o r re c u sa l, th e a p p lica tio n o f 2 8 U .S .C . § 4 5 5 , an d its re a so n s f o r im p o sin g sa n c tio n s o n c o u n se l p u rsu a n t to R u le 1 1 (b ). W e w ill a f f irm b o th orders subst anti al l yfor the reasons setforth in tho se M em orandu m O pini on s. T h is re c o rd c lea rlysu p p o rts th e c o u rt’s c o n c lu sio n th a t sa n c tio n s w e re a p p ro p ria te b e c a u s e le s s e r s a n c tio n s “ w e re c le a rl yin s u f f ic ie n t to c u rb A tto rn e yB a ile y ’s a c tio n s .” A pp. 76. W e paus e onl yt o not e that , farfr om evi denci ng t he bi as t hatcouns el at t empt ed t o es t abl i s h, t hi s r ecor d r efl ect s t hatH on. C hr i s t opherC . C onneract ed w i t h fai r nes s and a d m ir a b le p a tie n c e a n d in p re s id in g o v e r t h is s u it.