Opinion ID: 2996682
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Planted Evidence

Text: Similarly, Heft has offered no affirmative evidence that Officer Carpenter planted evidence during the search. Although we must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of Heft, summary judgment is proper when the plaintiff’s case consists of factually unsupported claims. Additionally, when the defendant presents evidence in his favor, the plaintiff cannot rest on the pleadings but must set forth “specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e). Specific “facts” require more than just speculation or conclusory statements. See Hall v. Bodine Elec., 276 F.3d 345, 354 (7th Cir. 2002); Abrams v. Walker, 307 F.3d 650, 657 (7th Cir. 2002). Heft’s response to the defendants’ motion for summary judgment was completely devoid of specific facts showing 1 (...continued) unreasonable police behavior. Specifically, the affidavit claims that the police “destroyed various personal property and threw numerous items all over the home.” Although Heft’s recollection of events was available at the time of summary judgment, this affidavit was not submitted until after the district court granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment when Heft filed a motion to reconsider. In order for a court to consider new evidence in a motion to reconsider, the movant must show that the evidence “could not, through the exercise of due diligence,” have been presented to the district court before the summary judgment decision was made. See Rothwell Cotton Co. v. Rosenthal, 827 F.2d 246, 251 (7th Cir. 1987). Heft has provided no arguments regarding why this affidavit constitutes new evidence, and has not challenged the district court’s refusal to accept this new evidence. We therefore decline to consider Heft’s untimely affidavit. 8 No. 02-4110 that Carpenter planted the drugs found in Heft’s home. The entirety of Heft’s evidence against Carpenter was that he had motive to plant the drugs because he was the officer in charge of the raid, and that he had the means and opportunity to plant the drugs because he was a narcotics officer who found the contraband. Heft argues that because she and her son deny having knowledge of the drugs, that leaves only Carpenter as the source of the drugs. This “evidence” was unsupported by record citations or analogous cases and defies both the facts of this case and common sense. First of all, there is no evidence that Carpenter was in charge of the raid. The ranking officer in charge at the scene was Sergeant Kilby. But even if Carpenter was in charge at the scene of the search, no reasonable inference could be drawn that he would therefore have motive to plant evidence. Second, Heft’s deduction via process of elimination that Carpenter planted the drugs because Heft and her son deny knowledge of them is clearly flawed. Both Heft’s sister and Heft’s second son also had access to the front bedroom. Furthermore, Heft only stated that she did not know that the box with the drugs was in the front bedroom—she never denied that it could have been there prior to the search. Finally, Heft admitted in her deposition that her son could have left the box in the front bedroom. The bare conclusion that Carpenter planted the contraband is therefore unsupported and the district court properly granted Officer Carpenter summary judgment.