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Richard v. Leavitt

United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
Aug 16, 2007
235 F. App'x 167 (4th Cir. 2007)

Summary

affirming denial of a Rule 56(d) request when the plaintiff failed to provide a basis for believing that the information sought actually existed

Summary of this case from Chartis Prop. Cas. Co. v. Huguely

Opinion

No. 06-1543.

Submitted: June 11, 2007.

Decided: August 16, 2007.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, at Greenbelt. Peter J. Messitte, District Judge. (8:05-cv-02387-PJM).

Richard L. Swick, David H. Shapiro, Swick Shapiro, P.C., Washington, D.C., for Appellant. Rod J. Rosenstein, United States Attorney, Kristine L. Sendek-Smith, Assistant United States Attorney, Baltimore, Maryland, for Appellee.

Before MICHAEL, GREGORY, and SHEDD, Circuit Judges.

Affirmed by unpublished PER CURIAM opinion.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.


Frantz Y. Richard appeals the district court order granting summary judgment to Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, denying his motion for discovery under Rule 56(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and dismissing his employment discrimination complaint. Richard claims the district court erred by denying his motion for discovery and that it further erred by granting the motion for summary judgment without discovery. Finding no reversible error, we affirm.

We review a district court's refusal to allow a party to engage in discovery prior to the entry of summary judgment for abuse of discretion. See Harrods Ltd. v. Sixty Internet Domain Names, 302 F.3d 214, 244 (4th Cir. 2002). This court will not reverse a denial "unless there is a clear abuse of discretion or, unless there is a real possibility the party was prejudiced by the denial." Ingle v. Yelton, 439 F.3d 191, 195 (4th Cir. 2006) (citation and quotation marks omitted). "As a general rule, summary judgment is appropriate only after adequate time for discovery." Evans v. Techs. Applications Serv. Co., 80 F.3d 954, 961 (4th Cir. 1996) (citation and quotation marks omitted). Accordingly, "summary judgment [must] be refused where the nonmoving party has not had the opportunity to discover information that is essential to his opposition." Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250 n. 5, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A denial of a Rule 56(f) application is disfavored if the motion identifies relevant information and there is some basis for believing the information actually exists. Ingle, 439 F.3d at 196 (citing VISA Int'l Serv. Ass'n v. Bankcard Holders of Am., 784 F.2d 1472, 1475 (9th Cir. 1986)).

Because Richard failed to identify relevant information or demonstrate that information relevant to his claim actually existed, we find the district court did not abuse its discretion denying the motion for discovery. We further find that the district court order granting summary judgment was appropriate.

Accordingly, we affirm the district court's order. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED.


Summaries of

Richard v. Leavitt

United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
Aug 16, 2007
235 F. App'x 167 (4th Cir. 2007)

affirming denial of a Rule 56(d) request when the plaintiff failed to provide a basis for believing that the information sought actually existed

Summary of this case from Chartis Prop. Cas. Co. v. Huguely

affirming the district court's denial of a Rule 56(d) request when the plaintiff failed to provide a basis for believing that the information sought actually existed

Summary of this case from Agelli v. Sebelius

affirming grant of summary judgment because nonmovant "failed to identify relevant information" to support his motion for discovery and failed to "demonstrate that information relevant to his claim actually existed"

Summary of this case from Lain v. Erickson

affirming the district court's denial of a Rule 56(d) request when the plaintiff failed to provide a basis for believing that the information sought actually existed

Summary of this case from McKinnon v. Blank

affirming district court's denial of a Rule 56(d) request when the plaintiff failed to provide a basis for believing that the information sought actually existed

Summary of this case from Shalom v. Payless Shoesource Worldwide, Inc.
Case details for

Richard v. Leavitt

Case Details

Full title:Frantz Y. RICHARD, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Michael O. LEAVITT, Secretary…

Court:United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

Date published: Aug 16, 2007

Citations

235 F. App'x 167 (4th Cir. 2007)

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