Opinion ID: 558155
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Summary Judgment--Pre-Celotex

Text: 6 In Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970), the Supreme Court discussed the proper allocation of the parties' burdens on a motion for summary judgment under Fed.R.Civ.P. 56. 5 Adickes alleged a conspiracy between Kress employees and the police to refuse her service in Kress's restaurant. The Supreme Court held that the district court erred in granting Kress's motion for summary judgment. Id. at 153, 90 S.Ct. at 1606. As the moving party, [Kress] has the burden of showing the absence of a genuine issue as to any material fact, and for these purposes the material it lodged must be viewed in the light most favorable to the opposing party. Id. at 157, 90 S.Ct. at 1608. Kress had not carried its burden because of its failure to foreclose the possibility that there was a policeman in the Kress store while [Adickes] was awaiting service, and that this policeman reached an understanding with some Kress employee that [Adickes] not be served. Id. Kress, as the moving party, failed to negate an element of Adickes's claim. Because a jury could decide, based on the material in the record, that such an agreement was reached, a genuine issue of material fact remained, and a trial would be necessary to resolve that issue. 7 The Court stated that because Kress had not met its initial burden, Adickes was not required to come forward with suitable opposing affidavits or other evidentiary material. Id. at 160, 90 S.Ct. at 1610. Adickes therefore held that unless the movant meets its burden under Rule 56, the obligation of the opposing party does not arise even if no opposing evidentiary material is presented by the party opposing the motion. Further, the Adickes Court concluded that this was the rule regardless of which party would bear the burden of proof at trial. Id. at 157, 90 S.Ct. at 1608. Our circuit adheres to the Adickes rule. See, e.g., Impossible Elecs. Techniques, Inc. v. Wackenhut Protective Sys., Inc., 669 F.2d 1026, 1031 (Former 5th Cir.1982) (the party seeking summary judgment bears the exacting burden of demonstrating that there is no actual dispute as to any material fact in the case; the party opposing a motion for summary judgment need not respond to it with any affidavits or other evidence unless and until the movant has properly carried its burden).