Opinion ID: 200527
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Scope of Summary Judgment Record

Text: 4 Before turning to the facts of the case, we address a preliminary question of what material should properly be considered in the summary judgment record before us. The district court deemed defendants' motion for summary judgment, and the factual assertions supporting it, to be unopposed, because plaintiff failed to file timely oppositions to them. See Torres Rosado v. Rotger Sabat, 204 F.Supp.2d 252, 253 & n. 1 (D.P.R.2002). Such oppositions are required by the district court's local rules. See D.P.R. R. 311.5, 311.12. This court has held repeatedly that the district court in Puerto Rico is justified in holding one party's submitted uncontested facts to be admitted when the other party fails to file oppositions in compliance with local rules. See, e.g, United Parcel Serv., Inc. v. Flores-Galarza, 318 F.3d 323, 330 & n. 10 (1st Cir.2003); Corrada Betances v. Sea-Land Serv., Inc., 248 F.3d 40, 43 (1st Cir.2001); Morales v. A.C. Orssleff's EFTF, 246 F.3d 32, 33-34 (1st Cir.2001); Ruiz Rivera v. Riley, 209 F.3d 24, 27-28 (1st Cir.2000). This, of course, does not mean the unopposed party wins on summary judgment; that party's uncontested facts and other evidentiary facts of record must still show that the party is entitled to summary judgment. 5 Defendants moved for summary judgment on April 15, 2002, and included with their motion a statement of uncontested facts. Plaintiff's response was due ten days later. See D.P.R. R. 311.5. This deadline came and went, and only on April 29 did plaintiff submit a motion requesting still another week to respond — an extension which would have taken her response up to the eve of the trial date that had been set in a pretrial order entered five months before. The next day, April 30, the district court denied the requested extension. Plaintiff nonetheless filed her belated response on May 7, 2002, the same day that the district court granted summary judgment. The plaintiff later moved for reconsideration, arguing that the court should consider her tardy opposition. The court denied this motion in a detailed unpublished opinion issued on July 11, 2002. 6 Plaintiff's appellate briefs draw repeatedly on facts and arguments that were included only in the rejected filing, and her notice of appeal encompasses the denial of the motion to reconsider. However, she does not offer any sustained argument that the court erred in denying the initial extension of time or the motion to reconsider. The failure to argue the point means that the issue has been waived. See Donovan v. City of Haverhill, 311 F.3d 74, 76 (1st Cir.2002). 2 7 When the district court granted defendants' summary judgment motion, its findings of fact were based on the defendants' submission of uncontested facts. See Torres Rosado, 204 F.Supp.2d at 253-56 & n. 1. 3 On appeal, we consider the same record that was before the district court. The uncontested facts are deemed admitted. A small amount of other material qualifies as part of the summary judgment record, such as a verified objection filed by plaintiff at an earlier stage of the litigation and some portions of depositions and interrogatories submitted to the court.