Opinion ID: 718612
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Conflicting Depositions on Summary Judgment

Text: 30 We review a grant of summary judgment de novo. Tomka v. Seiler Corp., 66 F.3d 1295, 1304 (2d Cir.1995). Summary judgment is proper only if there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and when, based upon facts not in dispute, the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Bryant v. Maffucci, 923 F.2d 979, 982 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 849, 112 S.Ct. 152, 116 L.Ed.2d 117 (1991). All inferences drawn from the underlying facts must be viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. United States v. Diebold, 369 U.S. 654, 655, 82 S.Ct. 993, 994, 8 L.Ed.2d 176 (1962) (per curiam). Yet, [w]here the record taken as a whole could not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the non-moving party, there is no 'genuine issue for trial.'  Matsushita Elec. Ind. Co. v. Zenith Radio, 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986) (citations omitted). 31 In applying this standard, the court should not weigh evidence or assess the credibility of witnesses. United States v. Rem, 38 F.3d 634, 644 (2d Cir.1994). These determinations are within the sole province of the jury. Azrielli v. Cohen Law Offices, 21 F.3d 512, 517 (2d Cir.1994). 32 However, a party may not create an issue of fact by submitting an affidavit in opposition to a summary judgment motion that, by omission or addition, contradicts the affiant's previous deposition testimony. Perma Research & Dev. Co. v. Singer Co., 410 F.2d 572, 578 (2d Cir.1969) (examining omission in four-day deposition); Martin v. City of New York, 627 F.Supp. 892, 896 (E.D.N.Y.1985) (examining direct contradiction between deposition and affidavit). If a party who has been examined at length on deposition could raise an issue of fact simply by submitting an affidavit contradicting his own prior testimony, this would greatly diminish the utility of summary judgment as a procedure for screening out sham issues of fact. Perma, 410 F.2d at 578. Thus, factual issues created solely by an affidavit crafted to oppose a summary judgment motion are not genuine issues for trial. Id. 33 Guided by these cardinal principles, we conclude that the district court erred in disregarding portions of Hayes' second deposition. In short, the circumstances in this case do not justify the court's refusal to consider portions of the second deposition. 34 First, the conflict in this case does not arise out of an affidavit crafted for the specific purpose of defeating a motion for summary judgment. It does not arise out of an affidavit at all. In Perma, we concluded that statements in an affidavit filed in response to a summary judgment motion could not create material factual disputes where none existed without such affidavit. We recognized that a deposition of a witness, subject to cross-examination, is generally more reliable than an affidavit submitted to oppose a summary judgment motion. 410 F.2d at 578. In this case, however, the conflict arises from a deposition taken long before the defendants filed their motion for summary judgment. 35 Second, the circumstances surrounding the deposition testimony in this case are significantly different from the circumstances surrounding the affidavit in Perma. In this case, Hayes was not represented by counsel at the first deposition. He had conducted only limited discovery pro se by the time of the first deposition. Moreover, as is apparent from the transcript, the first deposition was very brief. By the time of the second deposition, appellant had retained pro bono counsel and counsel had conducted significant discovery. Additionally, the second deposition was considerably lengthier than the first deposition. Contrast Perma, 410 F.2d at 577-78 (comparing affidavit with four-day counselled deposition). 36 Finally, the depositions in this case are only arguably contradictory. Contrast Martin, 627 F.Supp. at 896 (examining direct contradiction). Hayes testified at both depositions that he met with defendant Grillo and a third individual on February 12, 1989 to discuss his safety concerns. He testified at both depositions that this third individual was one of his attackers at the February 15, 1989 incident. At the second deposition, after further discovery, he identified Tillman by name. Although Hayes testified for the first time at the second deposition that he had informed defendant Grillo at the February 12, 1989 meeting that he felt threatened by Tillman and his whole crew, there is nothing in the first deposition that directly contradicts this statement. Essentially, he testified at the first deposition that he did not recall the name of the inmate present at the meeting with Grillo. With respect to his conversations with DOC personnel upon his return to HDM on March 6, 1989, he testified that he did not recall whether he had identified anyone by name to DOC personnel because he did not know everyone by name. 37 In short, defense counsel did not ask questions at the first deposition sufficient to elicit the specific content of the conversation between Hayes, Grillo and Tillman at the February 12, 1989 meeting. With respect to the conversations with DOC personnel after the first attack, the two depositions are consistent. As a result, we cannot conclude that the two depositions are contradictory without drawing an improper inference as to appellant's credibility. 38 For all of these reasons, the district judge erred in discrediting portions of appellant's second deposition. 2 On these facts, the decision of the district court amounted to an improper assessment of credibility.