Opinion ID: 155761
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Conflicting Magistrate Recommendations

Text: 17 One final non-substantive point needs to be raised because Mr. Harris makes much of it in his appeal. With the defendants' first motion for summary judgment, Officer Rocchio filed an affidavit in which he admitted participating in the strip search of Mr. Harris. See Rec. vol. I, doc. 23, Rocchio Aff. of 10/22/95 p 4 (I was the observing officer in a strip search of the Plaintiff Harris. The actual search was performed by Officer Berner.). However, in his Recommendation, the magistrate judge concluded that Officer Rocchio's affidavit denied that the strip search occurred. See Rec. vol. I, doc. 30, at 5 ([Mr. Harris] claims that [the strip search] occurred and was done to humiliate him. Defendant Rocchio claims that it did not occur at all. ... [T]here is a dispute of fact that cannot be resolved through a motion for summary judgment.) (emphasis added). Faced with what he erroneously believed were two directly contradictory statements of fact regarding the strip search's occurrence, the magistrate judge concluded that there was a genuine dispute as to a material fact. The district court entered an order in accordance with the magistrate's recommendations, leaving Officer Rocchio as the sole defendant and the strip search claim as the sole claim. 18 Officer Rocchio responded to the district court's order by filing his second motion to dismiss and two affidavits: his second affidavit (almost identical to his first) and an affidavit from Officer Berner. Both reiterated that the officers had strip searched Mr. Harris. See Rec. vol. I, doc. 49, Rocchio Aff. of 6/21/96 p 4 and Berner Aff. p 4. After reviewing this material, the magistrate judge issued his second recommendation determining that there was no longer a factual dispute and recommending a dismissal of Mr. Harris's final claim. The district court accepted the magistrate judge's recommendations and dismissed the claim with prejudice. 19 On appeal, Mr. Harris makes much of the fact that the magistrate judge initially concluded that there was a factual dispute and then, without having any new facts or law before him, changed his mind. Suffice it to say that the magistrate judge made a mistake by misreading Officer Rocchio's first affidavit and that there never was a factual dispute as to whether a strip search had, in fact, occurred. When the magistrate judge recognized his mistake, he rectified it by holding that there were no genuine issues of material fact and granting summary judgment in favor of Officer Rocchio. Although the magistrate judge could have been more explicit in confessing his error, it was obvious upon a review of the record, and, regardless, it does not present a ground for appeal.