Court Opinion

ID: 9911232
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-19 19:00:51.519516+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:56:40.419391
License: Public Domain

FILED
                           NOT FOR PUBLICATION
                                                                               DEC 19 2023
                    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                         MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
                                                                            U.S. COURT OF APPEALS

                            FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

GEORGE LESLIE VONTRESS,                          No.   22-15666

              Plaintiff-Appellant,               D.C. No.
                                                 2:18-cv-01746-RFB-BNW
 v.

STATE OF NEVADA; JAMES                           MEMORANDUM*
DZURENDA; D. W. NEVENS; JO
GENTRY, Warden, Warden; FRANK
DREESON; PENA; DAMIEN
HENNINGER; T. THOMAS, Warden; D.
MARR; C. FULLER; RACHEAL
WILLIAMS; SDCC; HDSP; SCC; CORE
CIVIC; SCC MEDICAL STAFF, Does; E.
PROVENCAL, Lt.; ARANUS, Dr.,

              Defendants-Appellees.

                   Appeal from the United States District Court
                            for the District of Nevada
                 Richard F. Boulware II, District Judge, Presiding

                          Submitted December 19, 2023**

Before: O’SCANNLAIN, KLEINFELD, and SILVERMAN, Circuit Judges.

      *
             This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
      **
             The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
      George Vontress appeals from the district court’s grant of summary

judgment in favor of the defendants in his prisoner civil rights action. We have

jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We review the grant of summary

judgment de novo, Jett v Penner, 439 F.3d 1091, 1096 (9th Cir. 2006), and affirm.

      The district court correctly applied the summary judgment standard,

identified the relevant material facts, and gave specific reasons orally in open court

for granting summary judgment for each claim.

      Summary judgment was proper for Warden Neven on the procedural due

process claim because the appellant failed to offer evidence to establish that the

warden was aware of or directly involved in the proceedings. See Maxwell v.

County of San Diego, 708 F.3d 1075, 1086 (9th Cir. 2013) (holding that

supervisors cannot be liable for civil rights violations unless they “participated in

or directed the violations, or knew of the violations and failed to act to prevent

them”) (internal quotation marks omitted).

      Summary judgment was proper for Dr. Pena, Warden Thomas, and Nurse

Practitioner Fuller on the claims alleging deliberate indifference to the appellant’s

medical needs. At most, arguably, the appellant established differences of medical

opinion or negligence. See Toguchi v. Chung, 391 F.3d 1051, 1058 (9th Cir. 2004)

(holding that a difference of medical opinion does not rise to the level of deliberate

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indifference); Jett, 439 F.3d at 1096 (holding that mere negligence does not rise to

the level of deliberate indifference).1

      Appellant’s Motion for Injunctive Relief (Dkt. Entry No. 5) is DENIED.

Appellant’s Motion for Judicial Notice (Dkt. Entry No. 32) is DENIED as moot.

      AFFIRMED.

      1
        We decline to consider issues not raised by appellant in his opening brief.
See United States v. Kama, 394 F.3d 1236, 1238 (9th Cir. 2005) (“an issue is
waived when the appellant does not specifically and distinctly argue the issue in
his or her opening brief.”).
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