Opinion
No. 18-2213
07-24-2019
Jose Oliveira-Coutinho, Plaintiff - Appellant, v. Scott Frakes, Director of Nebraska Dept of Correctional Services, sued in individual & official capacities; Brian Gage, Warden of Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, sued in individual & official capacities; Patti Hughes, Legal Coordinator (TSCI Librarian) for Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, sued in individual & official capacities; Brad Hansen, Warden of Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, in his individual and official capacities; Scott Busboom, Deputy Warden of Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, in his individual and official capacities; April Bulling-June, Associate Warden of Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, in her individual and official capacities, Defendants - Appellees.
Appeal from United States District Court for the District of Nebraska - Lincoln [Unpublished] Before COLLOTON, WOLLMAN, and ERICKSON, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM.
In this 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action, Nebraska inmate Jose Oliveira-Coutinho appeals after the district court adversely granted summary judgment on his access-to-courts claim. He challenges the district court's grant of summary judgment, denial of his requests for discovery, and denial of his motions for appointment of counsel and to stay the proceedings while he sought counsel.
The Honorable Richard G. Kopf, United States District Judge for the District of Nebraska.
We conclude that the district court did not err in granting summary judgment, because Oliveira-Coutinho failed to create a genuine issue of material fact as to whether he was actually injured. See Hartsfield v. Nichols, 511 F.3d 826, 831-32 (8th Cir. 2008) (discussing actual-injury requirement for access-to-courts claim). We also conclude that the district court did not abuse its broad discretion in denying Oliveira-Coutinho's discovery requests. Finally, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Oliveira-Coutinho's motion for appointment of counsel, or in denying his motion to stay the proceedings while he sought counsel.
Accordingly, we affirm the judgment. See 8th Cir. R. 47B.