Robinson-Bey v. Feketee, 10th Cir. (2007)

F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES CO URT O F APPEALS
TENTH CIRCUIT
March 2, 2007
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
TER RENCE L. R OB IN SO N -B EY,

Plaintiff - Appellant,
No. 06-3326
(D.C. No. 02-CV-3417-SAC)
(D . Kan.)
v.
(FNU) FEK ETEE, Unit M anager, USP
Leavenworth; (FNU) JOHNSON, Case
M anager, U SP Leavenw orth; (FNU)
W ILSO N, Counselor, USP
Leavenworth; H. W ATTS, National
Inmate Appeals Coordinator, USP
Leavenworth; K. JOHNSO N, Regional
Coordinator, USP Leavenworth;
(FNU) CO NNERS, W arden, USP
Leavenworth; A. W . M AUBURY, Unit
M anager Coordinator, USP
Leavenworth; (FNU) ASHM AN, Unit
M anager Coordinator, USP
Leavenworth; (FNU) ODOM , SIS,
Lieutenant, U SP Leavenw orth; (FNU)
CA STILL, Lieutenant, USP
Leavenworth; (FN U ) D IC KER SON,
O fficer, U SP Leavenw orth; (FNU)
BR OW N, Counselor, USP
Leavenworth,
Defendants - Appellees.
OR D ER AND JUDGM ENT *
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may be cited,
however, for its persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th
Cir. R. 32.1.
Before KELLY, M U RPH Y, and OBRIEN, Circuit Judges. **
Plaintiff-Appellant Terence L. Robinson-Bey, a federal inmate appearing

pro se, appeals from the district courts dismissal of his lawsuit against various
federal prison officials. The district court liberally construed M r. Robinson-Beys
complaint as asserting a tort claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28
U.S.C. 1346(b), 2671 - 2680, and civil rights claims pursuant to Bivens v. Six
Unknown Named Agents of Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971).
The district court dismissed the Bivens claims for failure to exhaust and the
FTCA claim for failure to state a claim. Our jurisdiction arises under 28 U.S.C.
1291, and we affirm.
In his complaint, M r. Robinson-Bey alleges that, on numerous occasions,
he informed the staff at the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas
(USP Leavenworth) that he faced hostility from other prisoners, that, as a
result, he feared for his own safety, and that he wished to be moved to another
housing unit. Despite these pleas, M r. Robinson-Bey alleges that he was not
moved to another unit and that, on February 2, 2002, he was assaulted by a group
of prisoners. He also claims that, after the assault, he was illegally placed in the
**
After examining the briefs and the appellate record, this three-judge
panel has determined unanimously that oral argument would not be of material
assistance in the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a); 10th
Cir. R. 34.1(G). The cause is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
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Special Housing Unit (SH U), his property was either given away by prison staff
or stolen, and that prison staff retaliated against him for filing grievances. He
claims that the staffs violated his Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel
and unusual punishment by failing to transfer him and placing him in the SHU.
He also claims that the staffs retaliation against him for filing grievances
violated his First Amendment free speech rights. And he claims that because the
prison staff disposed of or stole his personal property, he is entitled to recover
under the FTC A.
The PLRA requires prisoners to exhaust prison grievance procedures before
filing suit. See 42 U.S.C. 1997e(a); Jones v. Bock, __S.Ct.__, 2007 W L
135890, at *3-4 (Jan. 22, 2007). Until recently, we had held that the exhaustion
requirement is a pleading requirement, the burden of which falls on the prisoner
to meet, see Steele v. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, 355 F.3d 1204, 1209 (10th Cir.
2003), but the Supreme Court, in Jones, held that exhaustion is an affirmative
defense the defendant must plead and prove, see 2007 W L 135890, at *11.
M oreover, the prisoner no longer must demonstrate that each and every one of the
claims in his complaint has been exhausted, and the failure to exhaust one claim
does not result in the dismissal of them all. 1 Id. at *13-15. Rather, only those
1
The district court, in its order dismissing M r. Robinson-Beys claims, did

state, adhering to our prior precedents, that exhaustion is a pleading requirement
which falls on the plaintiff and that total exhaustion is required by the PLRA.
See R. Doc. 72 at 2-3, 10. The district courts order is ambiguous, however, as to
whether it relied upon the now defunct pleading requirement and total exhaustion
-3-
claims that remain unexhausted may be dismissed. Id. at *13 (All agree that no
unexhausted claim may be considered.). W e apply a de novo review to the
district courts finding of failure to exhaust. Jernigan v. Stuchell, 304 F.3d 1030,
1032 (10th Cir. 2002).
In order to exhaust his administrative remedies, a federal prisoner must
seek formal review of an issue which relates to any aspect of his imprisonment.
28 C.F.R. 542.10(a). First, an inmate shall . . . present an issue of concern
informally to staff. Id. 542.13(a). If this fails to satisfy the inmate, he must
submit his complaint, using Form BP-9, to the W arden within 20 days of the
occurrence giving rise to the complaint. Id. 542.14(a). If he is dissatisfied with
the response at that level, within 20 days of the W ardens response, he must
appeal to the Regional Director of the Bureau of Prisons, using Form BP-10. Id.
542.15(a). Finally, within 30 days of the Regional Directors response, the
inmate may file a final administrative appeal to the General Counsel of the
Bureau of Prisons, using Form BP-11. Id.
As previously mentioned, M r. Robinson-Bey has brought Bivens claims for
violation of his Eighth Amendment rights arising out of his assault by fellow
rule in dismissing M r. Robinson-Beys claims. Nonetheless, remand is not
required because both parties were allowed sufficient briefing on the exhaustion
issue in the district court and we are permitted to affirm on any ground supported
by the record. See M aldonado v. City of Altus, 433 F.3d 1294, 1302-03 (10th
Cir. 2006) ([W]e have discretion to affirm on any ground adequately supported
by the record, so long as the parties have had a fair opportunity to address that
ground.) (alteration, quotation marks, and citation omitted).
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prisoners and subsequent transfer to the SH U. He has also brought a First

Amendment claim for retaliation and an FTCA claim for lost or stolen property.
See R. Doc. 1 at 2, 3. In response to these claims, on December 9, 2005,
Defendants filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that [M r. Robinson-Bey] cannot
demonstrate that he has exhausted the administrative remedies for any of the
claims raised in his Complaint. R. Doc. 53 at 15. This statement is sufficient
for Defendants to plead the affirmative defense of failure to exhaust, see Fed. R.
Civ. P. 8(e)(1); it does not necessarily mean, however, that they have proven nonexhaustion. W e, therefore, must consider whether Defendants have proven nonexhaustion as to each of M r. Robinson-Beys three claims.
The district court below held that M r. Robinson-Bey had properly
exhausted his FTCA claim and proceeded to address its merits. Having reviewed
the record, we agree with the district court that M r. Robinson-Beys FTCA claim
was properly exhausted.
As to M r. Robinson-Beys First and Eighth Amendment claims, the
documentary evidence attached to Defendants motion to dismiss adequately
demonstrates that M r. Robinson-Bey failed to properly exhaust these claims. A
careful review of this evidence reveals that, on April 10, 2002, M r. Robinson-Bey
initially filed a complaint with the regional office. This complaint was denied
because M r. Robinson-Bey failed to present his issue to the W arden first and the
issue was not sensitive (a sensitive issue may excuse a prisoner from presenting
-5-
his complaint to the W arden first). M r. Robinson-Beys appeal of this denial to

the national level was unsuccessful for the same reasons.
Next, on September 26, 2002, M r. Robinson-Bey filed a complaint at the
institutional level regarding the alleged assault, seeking a transfer and
compensation for lost or stolen property. His claim was denied because, at the
time of the complaint, the Special Investigation Section at the prison was still
investigating M r. Robinson-Beys case, and therefore it would have been
inappropriate to comment on his allegations at that time. The W arden explained
that [o]nce an investigation is completed and a determination as to your status
has been made, you will again be free to pursue an Administrative Remedy if you
do not agree with the decision. R. Doc. 53 Ex. 1 Att. 3 at 2. On October 25,
2002, M r. Robinson-Bey filed an appeal of the W ardens decision at the regional
level, which was subsequently denied on the same grounds the investigation into
the assault on M r. Robinson-Bey was still pending. Finally, on December 9,
2002, M r. Robinson-Bey appealed the regional level decision to the national
level. This appeal was denied, however, because M r. Robinson-Bey failed to
provide the national level with copies of either his institutional or regional level
grievances. The national level informed M r. Robinson-Bey that he could
resubmit his appeal with proper documentation within fifteen days of the date of
its denial of his complaint. M r. Robinson-Bey never did so.
In sum, Defendants have adequately shown that M r. Robinson-Bey did not
-6-
exhaust either his First or Eighth Amendment claims because he failed to follow
proper procedure in presenting his complaints and also presented them
prematurely. In his attempt to demonstrate exhaustion in the district court, M r.
Robinson-Bey submitted his own documentary evidence. This material included
letters both to and from M r. Robinson-Bey, several return receipts for letters that
M r. Robinson-Bey sent in an effort to exhaust his available remedies, a rejection
notice from the regional office, and several affidavits by M r. Robinson-Bey and
other inmates attesting to the inadequacies of the grievance response system at
USP Leavenworth. None of this evidence, however, demonstrates that M r.
Robinson-Bey presented his claims to Bureau of Prisons staff in a procedurally
sound manner or that his complaints were not made prematurely. As a result, the
district court was correct in dismissing M r. Robinson-Beys First and Eighth
Amendment claims on exhaustion grounds.
Turning to the merits of M r. Robinson-Beys FTCA claim, the district court
held that this claim failed because it fell within one of the exceptions to the
FTCAs waiver of sovereign immunity. Because the FTCA does not waive the
United States sovereign immunity for [a]ny claim arising in respect of . . . the
detention of any goods, merchandise, or other property by any . . . law
enforcement officer, 28 U.S.C. 2680(c), the district court was correct in
granting Defendants motion to dismiss M r. Robinson-Beys FTCA claim for lost
or stolen property allegedly in their possession, see Steele, 355 F.3d at 1213-14,
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abrogated on other grounds by Jones, 2007 W L 135890, at *11.

AFFIRM ED. W e GRANT IFP status and remind M r. Robinson-Bey of his
continuing obligation to make partial payments until the filing fee is paid.
Entered for the Court
Paul J. Kelly, Jr.

Circuit Judge
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F I L E D

United States Court of Appeals

TER RENCE L. R OB IN SO N -B EY,

OR D ER AND JUDGM ENT *

Before KELLY, M U RPH Y, and OBRIEN, Circuit Judges. **

Plaintiff-Appellant Terence L. Robinson-Bey, a federal inmate appearing

The district court, in its order dismissing M r. Robinson-Beys claims, did

prisoners and subsequent transfer to the SH U. He has also brought a First

his complaint to the W arden first). M r. Robinson-Beys appeal of this denial to

abrogated on other grounds by Jones, 2007 W L 135890, at *11.

Entered for the Court

Paul J. Kelly, Jr.

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