Opinion ID: 773633
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Menkus Declaration

Text: 30 As noted above, the employees argued that the Menkus declaration lacked foundation and that the information it contained was inadmissible under Federal Rules of Evidence 802, 901 and 1002. To survive summary judgment, a party does not necessarily have to produce evidence in a form that would be admissible at trial, as long as the party satisfies the requirements of Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 56. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324 (1986). With respect to evidence submitted by affidavit, Rule 56(e) requires that the affidavits shall be made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and shall show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated therein. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e). 31 The Menkus affidavit appears inadequate under Rule 56(e). Not made on personal knowledge, it did not set forth facts that would be admissible in evidence. It is clear from the affidavit that Menkus was not personally involved in any of the disciplinary suspensions, and that he did not personally review any business records containing information regarding such disciplinary suspensions. Menkus instead relied on information from (unsworn) departmental personnel officers, and the source of these officers' information is unclear. Rather than set forth facts that would be admissible in evidence, the affidavit was instead based on inadmissible hearsay. Fed. R. Evid. 802. It was thus an abuse of discretion to consider the information contained in the Menkus declaration. 2