FI LED U.S. COURT OF APPEALS ELEV ENT H CI RCUI T J UNE 2, 2 011 J OHN LEY CLERK [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 1 0- 14 98 7 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D. C. Dock etNo. 4 :0 9- cv -1 00 83 -KMM DONALD BRUCE, ROBERT PIERC E, Pl ai nt iff s- App el lant s, ve rs us PENNY PHELPS, RICHARD ROTH, NURSE A, NURSE B, Defen da nt s- App el le es , OFFIC ER BARNEY, Defen da nt .

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt fo r th e So ut he rnDis tri ctof F lo rid a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Jun e 2 , 20 11 ) Befo re TJ OFLAT, ED MONDSON an d KRAVITC H, Circ ui t J ud ge s.PER CURI AM:

InAug us t 2 00 8, Do na ldBru ce was a co nv ic te d i nm at e an d R ob ertPie rce was a pr etria l d et ai ne e atth e Mo nr oe Co un ty D et en ti on Cen te r in Mo nr oe Co un ty, Fl or id a. Betweenth e m orni ng of Au gu st9 an d t he aft ern oo n o f Aug us t 1 1, Dete nt io n C en te r trus te es were p ai nt in g t he in te rio r of Cel lb lo ckC, whi chwas un de r th e supe rv is io n o f Cap ta in Pen ny Phel ps . The p ai nt in g c reat edfumes an d Bru ce an d P ie rce ( an d o th er i nm at es ) were e xp os ed . They su ffer ednaus ea, bu rn in g s en sa ti on inth e eyes, an d d is or ie nt at io n a ndha d t ro ub le bre athi ng . They co m pl ai ne d t o P he lp s an d o th er Det en ti on Cen te r of fic ia ls an d wer e ev en tu al ly pe rm it te d t o g o t o the “ op en -ai r rec roo m ,” on th e aft ern oo n o f Aug us t 1 1. Bru ce an d P ie rce b ro ug htth is act io n a ga in stPh el ps (an d o th ers ) un de r 42 U.S.C. § 1 98 3, cl ai m in g tha t the ir e xp os ur e to th e fu m es du rin g t he Aug us t 9 to 11 pa in ti ng ep is od e in fri ng edth ei r ri gh ts un de r th e Eig ht h a ndFo urte en th Am en dm en ts to th e Co ns ti tu ti on an d s eek in g l eg al an d e qu it ab le rel ie f. Thei r co m pl ai ntall eg edth atth ey

ha d e xh au st edth ei r adm in is tra ti ve rem ed ie s. Ph el ps ’s an swe r de ni edth atall eg at io n (a m on g o th ers ). Duri ng di sc ov ery an d t he tak in g o f pl ai nt iff s’ dep os it io ns , def

en se co un se l l earn edth atne ithe r Bru ce n orPie rce h ad fil edgri ev an ces ag ai ns t Ph el ps (fo r th ei r ex po su re t o t he fumes) i n a cco rd an ce with the gri ev an ce p ro cedur e se t o utinth e Mo nr oe Co un ty Inm at e Han db oo k 2(“ Han db oo k” ). Arm edwith tha t kno wled ge , cou ns el pro m pt ly m ov edth e d is tri ct co urt fo r le av e o f co urt t o a m en d P he lp s’s an swe r to th e co m pl ai ntto ass ert , as an affi rm at iv e d efen se , th atne ithe r pl ai nt iff ha d e xh au st edhi s ad m in is tra ti ve rem ed ie s as pro vi de d i n the Pri so n Li ti ga ti on Refo rm Act o f 19 95 , 42 U.S.C. § 19 97 (e)a(20 06 ), to -wit : No ac ti on sh al l b e b ro ug htwith re sp ectto pri so n c on di ti on s u nd er se ct io n 1 98 3 o f th is ti tl e, oran y ot he r Fed eral law, b y

a pr is on er co nf in edinany

jail , pri so n, o r othe r co rrec ti on al faci li ty unt il su ch adm in is tra ti ve rem ed ie s as are av ai labl e are ex haus te d. The co urt g ran te d the m ot io n, an d d en ie d p la in ti ffs subs eque ntm ot io n t o s tri ke it as un ti m el y

(gi ve n the lat e st ag e o f th e li ti ga ti on ). Ph el ps m ov edth e co urt fo r su m m ary jud gm en t o n t he ba si s o f th e affi rm at iv e d efen se : p la in ti ffs ha d n otex haus te d t he ir a dm in is tra ti ve rem ed ie s. The di st ric t co urt, i n aco m pr eh en si ve ord er en te redon Sep te m be r 28 , 20 10 , ag reed , gra nt in g P he lp s s umm ary jud gm en t b ecau se th e rec or d c on cl us iv el y es tabl is he d tha t n ei th er p la in ti ff h adex haus te d h is adm in is tra ti ve rem ed ie s. Bru ce an d P ie rce app eal th e jud gm en t en te redpu rs uantto th atord er. The y co nt en d tha t the di st ric t co urt ab us edit s d is cret io n i n g ran ti ng Ph el ps lea ve to am en d h er an swe r, an d i n d en y in g t he ir s ub se qu en t m ot io n t o s tri ke he r affi rm at iv e d efen se , andaskth atth e cas e b e rem an de d fo r tr ia l o n t he all eg at io ns

3of

th e co m pl ai ntan d P he lp s’s i ni ti al an swe r (wit ho utth e aff irmativ e d efen se ). Ass um in g tha t the affi rm at iv e d efen se st an ds , th ey co nt en d t ha t m at eri al is su es of factrem ai n t o b e li ti ga te d a s t o wh ethe r th ei r fai lu re t o e xh au stth ei r rem ed ie s as se t o utinth e Han db oo k s ho ul d b ar the ir c la im s. Ex haus ti on sh ou ldbe ex cu se d, th ey arg ue , bec au se th ey

ha d n o a cces s t o t he form s n eed edto fil e a g rie va nc e; th ey were i n a“ lo ckdo wn” at the ti m e th e p ai nt in g was go in g o n. Th ey als o s eem to su gg es t, i f no t ar gu e, th atform al Handbo okex haus ti on wasn ’t requi redbe cau se Ph el ps was o n n ot ic e fro m th e o ut se t tha t the y

were, i n e ffec t, p res en ti ng ag ai ns t he r th e g rie va nc es th ey

subs eque nt ly spe ll edou t i n t he in st an t co m pl ai ntas t he ba se s fo r th ei r § 1 98 3 c la im s. Ph el ps ha d s uc h n ot ic e b ecau se sh e was pre se nt du rin g the pa in ti ng , as the supe rv is orof t he in m at e tr us te es do in g t he work , was aware of t he fumes, an d h eardpl ai nt iff s an d o th er i nm at es be at in g o n the ir c el l do or s an d yell in g tha t the y co ul d n otbre athe
. W e are no t p ers ua de d tha t the di st ric t co urt ab us edit s d is cret io n i n g ran ti ng Ph el ps lea ve to am en d h er an swe r to ass ertth e aff irmativ e d efen se at i ss ue . The co urt ac te d wel l wi th in it s d is cret io n. We are li ke wis e n otpe rs ua de d t ha t m at eri al is su es of f

actex is t wh ic h p recl ud edsu m m ary jud gm en t. AFFIRMED.

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