Porter V. Knickrehm
Case 4:03-cv-00812-SWW Document 66 Filed 07/27/04 Page 1 of 34 • , &.8rufo!4ED ERN OlsTRICcTT COURT 'ARIW/ IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT couRJUL 272 SAs EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARI(MI(~§ W 00+ WESTERN DIVISION BY:~~ACI( CL£:RI( ~ HARVE PORTER, et aI., ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) vs. ) No.4:03 CV008l2SWW ) KURT KNICKREHM, et al., ) ) Defendants, ) ) and ) ) FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF CARE FACILITY ) RESIDENTS AND ELLEN SUE GIBSON ) ) Defendant Intervenors. ) PLAINTIFFS' BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT DUE PROCESS AND EOUAL PROTECTION CLAIMS Plaintiffs seek summary jUdgment on their Due Process and Equal Protection claims pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 and Arkansas Local Rule 56.1. As demonstrated below, the motion should be granted on both claims because there are no disputed issues of material fact and Plaintiffs are entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, lnc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986); Arnold v. City oj" Columbia, Mo., 197 FJd 1217, 1220 (8 th Cir. 1999). Case 4:03-cv-00812-SWW Document 66 Filed 07/27/04 Page 2 of 34 , I. INTRODUCTION Plaintiffs brought this action to challenge the constitutionality of Ark. Code Ann. § 20- 48-401 et seq. (Michie 2003 Supp!.) and Development Disability Services Director's Office Policy Manual ("Manual") numbers 1020, 1037, 1053, and 1086 because Arkansas law and policies fail to provide adequate judicial hearings at which adults whose liberty is at stake can contest the state's effort to institutionalize them. Plaintiff Harve Porter is an adult diagnosed with moderate mental retardation who is currently involuntarily confined at the state's Alexander Human Development Center ("ALHDC).
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