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    Thomas N. Brady v. Robert J. Tansy, Warden, Penitentiary of New Mexico Eloy Mondragon, Secretary of Corrections, 13 F.3d 404, 10th Cir. (1993)

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    This document is a court order from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit regarding a case involving Thomas Brady, a state prisoner, who filed a civil rights action alleging that deductions from his wages without statutory authority violated his constitutional rights. The district court dismissed Brady's complaint sua sponte. The appellate court affirmed the dismissal, finding that the deductions were permitted by state statute and Brady's legal claims were without merit. The court denied Brady's motion for sanctions and issued its judgment, concluding the appeal.

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    Thomas N. Brady v. Robert J. Tansy, Warden, Penitentiary of New Mexico Eloy Mondragon, Secretary of Corrections, 13 F.3d 404, 10th Cir. (1993)

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    This document is a court order from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit regarding a case involving Thomas Brady, a state prisoner, who filed a civil rights action alleging that deductions from his wages without statutory authority violated his constitutional rights. The district court dismissed Brady's complaint sua sponte. The appellate court affirmed the dismissal, finding that the deductions were permitted by state statute and Brady's legal claims were without merit. The court denied Brady's motion for sanctions and issued its judgment, concluding the appeal.

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    Filed: 1993-12-21 Precedential Status: Precedential Citations: 13 F.3d 404 Docket: 93-2008

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    This document is a court order from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit regarding a case involving Thomas Brady, a state prisoner, who filed a civil rights action alleging that deductions from his wages without statutory authority violated his constitutional rights. The district court dismissed Brady's complaint sua sponte. The appellate court affirmed the dismissal, finding that the deductions were permitted by state statute and Brady's legal claims were without merit. The court denied Brady's motion for sanctions and issued its judgment, concluding the appeal.

    Copyright:

    Public Domain
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf
    33 views4 pages

    Thomas N. Brady v. Robert J. Tansy, Warden, Penitentiary of New Mexico Eloy Mondragon, Secretary of Corrections, 13 F.3d 404, 10th Cir. (1993)

    Uploaded by

    Scribd Government Docs
    This document is a court order from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit regarding a case involving Thomas Brady, a state prisoner, who filed a civil rights action alleging that deductions from his wages without statutory authority violated his constitutional rights. The district court dismissed Brady's complaint sua sponte. The appellate court affirmed the dismissal, finding that the deductions were permitted by state statute and Brady's legal claims were without merit. The court denied Brady's motion for sanctions and issued its judgment, concluding the appeal.

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    of 4

    13 F.

    3d 404
    NOTICE: Although citation of unpublished opinions remains unfavored,
    unpublished opinions may now be cited if the opinion has persuasive value on a
    material issue, and a copy is attached to the citing document or, if cited in oral
    argument, copies are furnished to the Court and all parties. See General Order of
    November 29, 1993, suspending 10th Cir. Rule 36.3 until December 31, 1995, or
    further order.

    Thomas N. BRADY, Plaintiff-Appellant,


    v.
    Robert J. TANSY, Warden, Penitentiary of New Mexico; Eloy
    Mondragon, Secretary of Corrections, Defendants-Appellees.
    No. 93-2008.

    United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit.


    Dec. 21, 1993.
    1

    Before ANDERSON and EBEL, Circuit Judges, and WINDER,** District


    Judge.

    ORDER AND JUDGMENT1


    2

    After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
    unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination
    of this appeal. See Fed.R.App.P. 34(a); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The case is
    therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.

    Plaintiff-appellant Thomas N. Brady, a state prisoner proceeding pro se,


    appeals from a judgment dismissing his 42 U.S.C.1983 civil rights action. Mr.
    Brady alleged that defendants violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights
    and his Fourteenth Amendment rights by deducting a portion of his wages
    without statutory authority. He further alleged that the deductions prevented
    him from being able to afford items of personal hygiene at the prison canteen,
    in violation of his Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual
    punishment. The district court dismissed the complaint sua sponte. We affirm.

    Pursuant to 28 U.S.C.1915(d), a district court may dismiss a frivolous in forma


    pauperis action. A complaint is frivolous if it is based on an "indisputably

    meritless legal theory" such as "infringement of a legal interest which clearly


    does not exist." Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 327 (1989). We review a
    1915(d) dismissal for abuse of discretion. Denton v. Hernandez, 112 S.Ct.
    1728, 1734 (1992).
    5

    A due process claim involves a two-part inquiry: whether the plaintiff was
    deprived of a protected interest and, if so, what process was due. Logan v.
    Zimmerman Brush Co., 455 U.S. 422, 428 (1982). To have a protected interest,
    there must be a legitimate claim of entitlement grounded in state law. Id. at 430.

    Mr. Brady contends the district court erred in concluding that he had no
    protected interest in the full amount of his wages. We disagree. Mr. Brady
    works in standard facility maintenance, which is not a corrections industry job
    as defined by N.M. Stat. Ann. 33-8-2(C). Rather, he is paid pursuant to N.M.
    Stat. Ann. 33-2-26. However, section 33-8-8(C)(2) permits the Corrections
    Department to promulgate rules and regulations providing for deductions from
    inmate compensation, and specifies that these deductions shall apply to inmate
    compensation "including payments pursuant to Section 33-2-26 NMSA 1978."
    The plain meaning of the statute controls. See United States ex rel. Precision
    Co. v. Koch Indus., Inc., 971 F.2d 548, 552 (10th Cir.1992), cert. denied, 113
    S.Ct. 1364 (1993). Because section 33-8-8(C)(2) permits the deductions, Mr.
    Brady's due process claim was properly dismissed as frivolous. See Hrbek v.
    Farrier, 787 F.2d 414, 417 (8th Cir.1986).

    The district court construed Mr. Brady's Fourteenth Amendment claim as


    alleging disparate treatment. However, Mr. Brady's complaint alleged the
    Fourteenth Amendment was violated because the deductions were made
    "contrary to statutory authority negligently and/or with deliberate indifference."
    R. Doc. 1 at 4. Because the deductions were, in fact, made pursuant to express
    statutory authority, we conclude the Fourteenth Amendment claim was
    properly dismissed as frivolous.

    Mr. Brady raises no argument on appeal concerning his claim that he was
    denied items of personal hygiene in violation of his Eighth Amendment rights.
    Rather, his only reference to the Eighth Amendment is a one-sentence assertion
    that the loss of property without adjudication amounted to cruel and unusual
    punishment. This claim was not raised in the district court and therefore will
    not be considered for the first time on appeal. See Hicks v. Gates Rubber Co.,
    928 F.2d 966, 970 (10th Cir.1991).

    Mr. Brady also argues that the district court should have construed his

    complaint as alleging a violation of U.S. Const. art. I, 9, cl. 3, prohibiting bills


    of attainder. A bill of attainder is a legislatively prescribed punishment that
    either names the person to be punished or describes the person in terms of
    conduct that can only designate particular persons. Selective Serv. Sys. v.
    Minnesota Pub. Interest Research Group, 468 U.S. 841, 847 (1984). Section
    33-8-8 is not a bill of attainder because it does not single out Mr. Brady for
    treatment different from "what would be imposed on anyone else found guilty
    of the same offense," United States v. Van Horn, 798 F.2d 1166, 1168 (8th
    Cir.1986), or, for that matter, from what would be imposed on any other
    prisoner involved in prison labor.
    10

    Appellant's motion for sanctions and in the alternative default judgment is


    DENIED. 2 The judgment of the United States District Court for the District of
    New Mexico is AFFIRMED. The mandate shall issue forthwith.

    **

    Honorable David K. Winder, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the
    District of Utah, sitting by designation

    This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall not be cited, or
    used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, except for purposes of establishing
    the doctrines of the law of the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir.
    R. 36.3

    On June 4, 1993, we ordered the appellees to file an answer brief in this appeal.
    By an undated letter received June 21, 1993, counsel for the appellees, the
    Deputy General Counsel for the State of New Mexico Corrections Department,
    notified the court that she did not intend to provide an answer brief because the
    district court dismissed the complaint sua sponte before the appellees were
    served or had entered an appearance
    While counsel's position may be technically correct, her refusal to comply with
    our direct order is expressly disapproved. The bar of this court, of which
    counsel is a member, is expected to discharge fully professional responsibilities
    at every juncture, and to assist this court in the fair and expeditious disposition
    of cases before it. This is particularly true where, as here, the court is seeking
    assistance from government counsel, and the appellant is proceeding pro se.
    By dismissing the complaint sua sponte, the district court relieved the appellees
    of the need to respond to the complaint, as well as other normal burdens of
    litigation. Government counsel for the appellees should not exploit this
    fortuitous outcome in the district court to ignore a direct order by this court to

    file a brief. The clerk of this court is directed to forward a copy of this order and
    judgment to the New Mexico Attorney General.

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