Court Opinion

ID: 9365648
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-24 18:01:31.358453+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:46.927521
License: Public Domain

NOT FOR PUBLICATION                           FILED
                    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                        JAN 24 2023
                                                                      MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
                                                                       U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
                           FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

DARRON NYGENE HART,                             No.    21-16802

                Plaintiff-Appellant,            D.C. No. 5:19-cv-04331-EJD

 v.
                                                MEMORANDUM*
T. FOSS, Chief Deputy Warden; et al.,

                Defendants-Appellees,

and

SCOTT KERNAN,

                Defendant.

                   Appeal from the United States District Court
                     for the Northern District of California
                   Edward J. Davila, District Judge, Presiding

                           Submitted January 18, 2023**

Before:      GRABER, PAEZ, and NGUYEN, Circuit Judges.

      California state prisoner Darron Nygene Hart appeals pro se from the district

      *
             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).
court’s summary judgment and dismissal order in his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action

alleging unsafe conditions of confinement and deliberate indifference to his serious

medical needs. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We review de novo

a dismissal under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) for failure to state a

claim. Benavidez v. County of San Diego, 993 F.3d 1134, 1141 (9th Cir. 2021).

We affirm.

      In his opening brief, Hart fails to address the district court’s basis for its

summary judgment ruling on his medical deliberate indifference claim and has

therefore waived any challenge to that aspect of the district court’s order. See

Indep. Towers of Wash. v. Washington, 350 F.3d 925, 929 (9th Cir. 2003) (“[W]e

will not consider any claims that were not actually argued in appellant’s opening

brief.”); Acosta-Huerta v. Estelle, 7 F.3d 139, 144 (9th Cir. 1993) (issues not

supported by argument in pro se appellant’s opening brief are waived).

      The district court properly dismissed Hart’s conditions-of-confinement claim

because Hart failed to allege facts sufficient to show that his cell conditions

“result[ed] in the denial of the minimal civilized measure of life’s necessities[.]”

Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 834 (1994) (citation and internal quotation

marks omitted); Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 341-42 (9th Cir. 2010) (although

pro se pleadings are construed liberally, plaintiff must present factual allegations

sufficient to state a plausible claim for relief); LeMaire v. Maass, 12 F.3d 1444,

                                           2                                      21-16802
1457 (9th Cir. 1993) (“[S]lippery prison floors . . . do not state even an arguable

claim for cruel and unusual punishment.” (citation and internal quotation marks

omitted)). Contrary to Hart’s contention, the district court did not mischaracterize

his conditions-of-confinement claim.

      The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Hart’s motion for

reconsideration because Hart failed to provide a valid ground for reconsideration.

See Allstate Ins. Co. v. Herron, 634 F.3d 1101, 1111 (9th Cir. 2011) (setting forth

standard of review and grounds for reconsideration under Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure 59).

      Hart’s motion to accept this appeal and make copies (Docket Entry No. 3) is

granted to the extent he requests copies of the documents submitted with the

motion. The Clerk is directed to mail Hart copies of the documents submitted with

Docket Entry No. 3.

      AFFIRMED.

                                          3                                    21-16802