Opinion ID: 498211
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Nature of the District Court's Ruling; Parties' Contentions on Appeal

Text: 59 Coverdell's Amended and Supplemental Complaint purported to allege claims against Langston under the second clause of 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1985(2) (conspiracy for purpose of impeding due course of justice in any state, with intent to deny equal protection of the laws) and under the first clause of 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1985(3) (conspiracy to deny equal protection of the laws or equal privileges and immunities). Both such clauses require allegation and proof of racial or class-based invidious discrimination. Bretz v. Kelman, 773 F.2d 1026, 1028-30 (9th Cir.1985) (en banc). Accordingly, Coverdell alleged that Langston's actions were based on [her] belief that the plaintiff Alice Coverdell was of an inferior intellectual capacity and of an inferior personality and otherwise mentally handicapped. 60 Langston filed a motion pursuant to both Rule 12(b)(6) and Rule 56 of the Fed.R.Civ.P., arguing first that Alice Coverdell has failed to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, and secondly that if a claim has been stated ... there is no evidence available to support the claim. The district court granted Langston's motion for summary judgment, finding no issue of fact that plaintiff was subjected to class-based, invidiously discriminatory animus. No evidentiary facts are presented to show a conspiracy to violate her right to equal protection of the laws because she is mentally retarded. 61 On this appeal, Coverdell contends that the granting of summary judgment in favor of Langston was erroneous because the pleadings show substantial issues of all material facts, no depositions, interrogatories, or admissions are on file, and [Langston] has filed no supporting affidavit. Langston responds that a motion for summary judgment need not be accompanied by affidavits and that summary judgment was properly granted because Coverdell failed to produce any evidence to support her allegation of unlawful conspiracy.