Opinion ID: 629163
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Summary judgment warranted on qualified immunity?

Text: 52 Having found that there is a genuine issue of material fact as to the process Black received and accordingly as to whether Black has made out a claim, we then must examine whether summary judgment was warranted on the grounds of qualified immunity. Although defendants bear the initial burden of coming forward with facts to suggest that they were acting within the scope of their discretionary authority during the incident in question, the ultimate burden of proof is on the plaintiff to show that the defendants are not entitled to qualified immunity. Washington v. Newsom, 977 F.2d 991, 995 (6th Cir.1992) (quoting Wegener v. City of Covington, 933 F.2d 390, 392 (6th Cir.1991)), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 1848, 123 L.Ed.2d 472 (1993). The plaintiff has the burden of establishing that the defendants' conduct violated a right so clearly established that any official in defendants' positions would have clearly understood that they were under an affirmative duty to refrain from such conduct. Id. at 995. 53 Here, it was clearly established at the time of the alleged violations that Black had a state-created liberty interest and that he was entitled to the process set out in Hewitt. The prison officials have shown that they were acting within the scope of their discretionary authority in handling Black and his administrative segregation. Black then had the burden of showing that the defendants were not entitled to qualified immunity. As discussed above, we cannot determine from the record before the trial court whether the facts as to the kind and frequency of review given to Black are as he says they are or as the defendants say they are. Therefore a genuine issue of fact remains as to whether Black received the process required by Hewitt. Thus, summary judgment on the grounds of qualified immunity was not appropriate. 6