2010 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t a t e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit
4-1-2010 

# Al f r edo D ome nech v

. C it y of P hi l a del phi a P r e c e de n t i al or N on-P r e c e de n t i al : N on-P r e c e de n t i al D ock e t N o . 09-2534

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou gh t t o y ou for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t a t e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit a t V i l l a no v a U niv e r sit y S choo l of L a

w Di g it al R e posit or y

. I t h as be e n a c c e pt e d for inclusion in 2010 D e c i sion s b y a n a uthor i z e d a dmini s tr a t or of V i l l a no v a U niv e r sit y S choo l of L a

w Di g it al R e posit or y

. F or mor e infor m a t ion, p le as e c on t a ct Be n j a min . C a rl s on@l a

w . v i l l a no v a . e du
. R e c omme nde d C it a t ion

" Al f r e do D ome ne ch v

. C it y of P hi l a de lp hi a " (2010). 2010 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1576. h tt p://d i g it alc ommon s .l a

w . v i l l a no v a . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2010/15761 UNITED STAT ES COURT OF APPEALS FO R T HE TH IRD CIRC UI T
N o. 09- 2534 ALFREDO DOMENECH; IVAN SERRANO, APPELLANT S v. CIT Y O F PH IL AD EL PH IA ; JUD IT H R UBINO , I ndiv iduallyand in her pr of es sio na l c ap ac ity

a s A ssi stant D istri ct

A tto rn ey w ithD ef en dant C ity

of Ph ila de lph ia ' s D istri ct

A tto rn ey ' s O ff

ic e; L E O N L U BI E JE W SK I, #74 3 In div idu al ly

a nd i n hi s P ro fe ssi ona l C ap ac ity a s aD et ec tiv e in D ef

en dant C ity

of Ph il ad el ph ia 's Po li ce Dep art m en t; OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF PH IL A D E L PH IA ; JO HN D O E D E T E CT IV E S 1- 3, I ndi vid ua lly a nd i n th ei r Pr of

es sio na l C ap ac iti es a s D et ec tiv es in D ef en dant C ity

of Ph ila de lph ia ' s P oli ce D ep ar tm en t
On Appeal from

the United State s District Court fo r the E as te rnD istri ct

of P en nsy lvania D istri ct Co urt N o. 2- 06- cv -0 1325 D istri ct Jud ge : T he H onor ab le R. Barc lay S ur ri ck
Subm itted Pursuant to Third Circuit L .A .R. 34.1(a)

Marc h 11 , 201 0 Befo re: AMBRO, SM ITH, and ALDISERT, Circuit Judges

(F ile d: Apr il 1, 201 0)
JUDGMENT ORDER
SMI TH , Circuit Judge.2

I n 1 9 8 8 , Al f

r e d o Do men e c h a n dI v a n S e rr a n o we r e c o n v i c t e db y a Philadelphia jury

of m urdering Juan Martinez. Although their conviction s wer e af fi rm ed on d ir ec t a

ppe al , the ir

pe tit ion s f

or state c oll at er al r el ie f suc ce ed ed , a nd a new tr ial wa s granted in 200 5. A fter the P hiladelph ia D istrict Attorney decided not to re tr y the c as e, D om en ec h and S er rano f ile d th is c ivi l r igh ts a ct ionin the United States D istrict Court for the E astern D istrict of Pennsy lvania. T hey alleged that the City

of Philadelphia and various em ploy ees of the City ’ s Police Dep art m en t v io la te d t he ir c on st it ut io na l ri gh ts by, int er ali a , w ith hol din g exculpatory

evidence and m aliciouslyprosecuting th em for m urder. A fter di sc ov ery cl os ed , th e Ci ty defen da nt s s uc ces sf ul ly m ov edforsu m

m ary jud gm en t. D om en ec h and S er

rano a ppe al , a rg uin g th at

the D istri ct

Co ur t e rr ed be ca use it fa ile d to appl y

the pr ope r standard

f or r uli ng o n a

m oti on f or sum m ar y j udgm en t
un de r Fed eral Ru le of C iv il Pro ced ur e 5 6.

“ W e exer cise plenary

reviewover the D istrict Court’ s grant of summ ary j udgm en t” a nd “ ap ply

the sa m e standard

that the D istri ct

Co urt sh oul d have applied.” Shum an e

x re l Sh er tze r v . P en n M

anor Sc h. D ist

. , 422 F
. 3d 1 41, 146 ( 3d Ci r. 200 5) ( int er

na l c itatio ns o m itt ed ). A ft er ar ev ie wof

the br ie fs a nd the r ec or d, inc lud ing the D istri ct

Co urt’ s th or oughMe m or an dum , w e fi nd n o e rr or in the D istri ct Co urt’ s a ppl ic at ionof

Ru le 56. A cc or din gly , it is nowhe re by A D JU D G E D a nd O RD E RE D that the j udgm en t of the D istri ct

Co urt e nte re d Apr il3

23, 2009, be and the sam e is hereby AF FIRM ED
. All of the a bove in accordance

w iththe opi nio n of

thi s C ourt. C ost s ta xe d a ga ins t the Appe llants
.

By the Co urt: /s/ D
. Br ooks S m ith U
. S. Ci rc uit

Jud ge D at e: Apr il 1, 201 0