Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235 (11th Cir. 1997). · Go Syfert
Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235 (11th Cir. 1997). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
50 citation events (43 in the last 25 years) across 13 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: JONES v. United States (flnd, 2025-09-09)
Treatment trajectory · 1997 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1997 2011 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 24 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (rule) JONES v. United States
N.D. Fla. · 2025 · confidence medium
Hickson Corp. v. Northern Crossarm Co., Inc., 357 F.3d 1256, 1259 (11th 6 "Rule 56(e) . . . requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the 'depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,' designate 'specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.' " Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir. 1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 (1998) (quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324 , 106 S. Ct. at 2553 ) (quoting Fed.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) HOFFMAN v. DOMICO
N.D. Fla. · 2025 · confidence medium
Ed. 2d 538 (1986), and a “scintilla” of evidence is 5 “Rule 56(e) . . . requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’” Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir. 1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 (1998) (quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324 , 106 S. Ct. at 2553 ) (quoting Fed.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) TUGGERSON v. SKETO
N.D. Fla. · 2024 · confidence medium
Ed. 2d 697 (2006). 1 "Rule 56(e) . . . requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the 'depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,' designate 'specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.' " Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir. 1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 (1998) (quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324 , 106 S. Ct. at 2553 ) (quoting Fed.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) PETERKA v. DIXON
N.D. Fla. · 2024 · confidence medium
The non-moving party must then show2 the court “that there is an absence of evidence to support the nonmoving party's case.” Id. at 325 , 106 S. Ct. at 2554 . 2 “Rule 56(e) . . . requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’” Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir. 1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 (1998) (quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324 , 106 S. Ct. at 2553 ) (quoting Fed.
cited Cited as authority (rule) K3 Enterprises, Inc. v. Sasowski
S.D. Fla. · 2022 · confidence medium
See Fitzpatrick v. City of Atlanta, 2 F.3d 1112, 1116 (11th Cir. 1993); Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir. 1997).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Nicholas C. Wade v. Solomon Daniels
11th Cir. · 2022 · confidence medium
See Fitzpatrick v. City of Atlanta, 2 F.3d 1112, 1116 (11th Cir. 1993); Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir. 1997).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) JENRETTE v. BARTELL
N.D. Fla. · 2021 · confidence medium
Ed. 2d 697 (2006). 2 "Rule 56(e) . . . requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the 'depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,' designate 'specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.' " Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir. 1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 (1998) (quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324 , 106 S. Ct. at 2553 ) (quoting Fed.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Watson v. Edelen
N.D. Fla. · 2015 · confidence medium
See Celotex Corp., supra; Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir.1997) (Rule 56 requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by his or her own affidavits, or by the depositions, documents, affidavits or declarations, admissions, inteiTOgatory answers or other materials on file designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial); Hammer v. Slater, 20 F.3d 1137 (11th Cir.1994).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Gray v. Cannon
N.D. Ill. · 2013 · confidence medium
See Jones v. Salt Lake Cnty., 503 F.3d 1147, 1154-56 (10th Cir. 2007) (upholding a prison ban on “sexually explicit” publications, meaning publications featuring pictures of “breasts and geni tais”); Mauro v. Arpaio, 188 F.3d 1054, 1057-63 (9th Cir.1999) (en banc) (upholding a prison ban on “sexually explicit materials,” defined as “materials that show frontal nudity,” including “personal photographs, drawings, and magazines and pictorials that show frontal nudity”); Amatel v. Reno, 156 F.3d 192, 194 (D.C.Cir.1998) (upholding federal regulations implementing the Ensign Amen…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Baxter v. Adam
N.D. Fla. · 2010 · confidence medium
“Rule 56(e) ... requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’” Owen v. Witte, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir.1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 , 118 S.Ct. 1074 , 140 L.Ed.2d 133 (1998), quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324 , 106 S.Ct. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Couch v. Jabe
W.D. Va. · 2010 · confidence medium
See Thornburgh, 490 U.S. at 405 , 109 S.Ct. 1874 (permitting a regulation prohibiting materials due to the “individualized nature of the determinations required by the regulation”); Owen, 117 F.3d at 1237 (permitting limited nudity ban while cautioning that a “blanket ban on nude photographs would be unconstitutional”); Mauro, 188 F.3d 1054 (permitting policy banning only visual depictions of frontal nudity, while noting that “it does not ban sexually explicit letters, ... sexually explicit articles, ... or photographs of clothed females”); Amatel, 156 F.3d at 202 (permitting polic…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) O'Hara v. University of West Florida
N.D. Fla. · 2010 · confidence medium
Celotex Corp., supra; Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir.1997) (“Rule 56(e) ... requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleading and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ”) (quoting Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e))); Hammer v. Slater, 20 F.3d 1137 (11th Cir.1994).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Cummings v. Harrison
N.D. Fla. · 2010 · confidence medium
“Rule 56(e)... requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir.1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 , 118 S.Ct. 1074 , 140 L.Ed.2d 133 (1998), quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324 , 106 S.Ct. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Rolle v. West
N.D. Fla. · 2009 · confidence medium
“Rule 56(e) ... requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Owen v. Witte, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir.1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 , 118 S.Ct. 1074 , 140 L.Ed.2d 133 (1998), quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324 , 106 S.Ct. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Daker v. Ferrero
N.D. Ga. · 2007 · confidence medium
In this Circuit, such due process protections entail: “(1) appropriate notice, (2) a reasonable opportunity to challenge the initial decision, and (3) an ultimate decision by a disinterested party not privy to the initial censorship decision.” Guajardo v. Estelle, 580 F.2d 748 , 762 n. 10 (5th Cir.1978). 14 Applying these requirements, the Eleventh Circuit in Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1237 (11th Cir.1997), endorsed a procedure in which a notice was sent to the prisoner stating that the mail had been received and was being held with the prisoner’s property, pending release from the co…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Dean v. United States
N.D. Fla. · 2004 · confidence medium
Celotex Corp., supra; Owen v. Witte, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir.1997)(“Rule 56(e) ... requires the non-moving party to go beyond the pleading and by h[is] own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ”), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1126 , 118 S.Ct. 1074 , 140 L.Ed.2d 133 (1998) (quoting Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 324 , 106 S.Ct. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e))); Hammer v. Slater, 20 F.3d 1137 (11th Cir.1994).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Osterback v. Kemp
N.D. Fla. · 2003 · confidence medium
“Rule 56(e) ... requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’” Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir.1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 , 118 S.Ct. 1074 , 140 L.Ed.2d 133 (1998), quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Wilson v. Moore (2×)
N.D. Fla. · 2003 · confidence medium
“Rule 56(e) ... requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by [his] own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir.1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 , 118 S.Ct. 1074 , 140 L.Ed.2d 133 (1998), quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) McCurry v. Moore
N.D. Fla. · 2002 · confidence medium
“Rule 56(e) ... requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1236 (11th Cir.1997), cert. denied 522 U.S. 1126 , 118 S.Ct. 1074 , 140 L.Ed.2d 133 (1998), quoting Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324 , 106 S.Ct. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e)).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Spellman v. Hopper
M.D. Ala. · 1999 · confidence medium
“It is well established that prisoners retain First Amendment rights.” Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1237 (11th Cir.1997).
discussed Cited "see" Purchasing Power, LLC v. Bluestem Brands, Inc.
N.D. Ga. · 2014 · signal: see · confidence high
See Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235 (11th Cir.1997) (explaining that, in opposing a summary judgment motion, Rule 56 “requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” (quoting Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324 , 106 S.Ct. 2548 , 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986))); see also Travaglio v. Am.
cited Cited "see" Daker v. Ferrero
N.D. Ga. · 2007 · signal: see · confidence high
See Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235, 1237 (11th Cir.1997).
cited Cited "see" Powell v. Riveland
W.D. Wash. · 1997 · signal: see · confidence high
See Owen v. Wille, 117 F.3d 1235 (11th Cir.1997).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Aiello v. Litscher
W.D. Wis. · 2000 · signal: see also · confidence medium
Id. at 416, 109 S.Ct. 1874 ; see also Amatel, 156 F.3d at 212 (Wald, J., dissenting) (discussing significance of individualized determinations in Thornburgh)-, Owen, 117 F.3d at 1237 (relying on Thornburgh in upholding individualized determination while cautioning that “a blanket ban on nude photographs would be unconstitutional”).
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Duane Eugene OWEN, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
Richard P. WILLE, Sheriff, Defendant, and Steve Lasley, Director, Robert Kerr, Major, Captain Jackson, Mr., C. Kneisley, Lieutenant, Davis, Supervisor, Palm Beach County Detention Facility, Defendants-Appellees
95-4909.
Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Jul 24, 1997.
117 F.3d 1235
Kathleen Williams, Federal Public Defender, Bernardo Lopez, Asst. Federal Public Defender, Miami, FL, for appellant., Kathryn L. Tignor, Adams, Coogler, Watson & Merkel, P.A., West Palm Beach, FL, for Appellees.
Hatchett, Barkett, Roney.
Cited by 29 opinions  |  Published
BARKETT, Circuit Judge.

Duane Owen appeals from an adverse summary judgment on his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim in which he alleges that the defendants, officials at the Palm Beach County Detention Facility, unconstitutionally deprived him of access to various publications. [1] After receiving no relief from internal appeals, Owen filed the § 1983 suit now before us, claiming that the deprivation of his publications violated his First Amendment rights. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants, holding that the procedures used by the prison officials to screen Owen’s mail did not violate the Constitution. Owen appeals. Because Owen has failed to show that there is a material issue to be tried, we affirm the summary judgment.

Summary judgment is appropriate where “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and ... the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). The moving party “always bears the initial responsibility of informing the district court of the basis for its motion and identifying those portions of ‘the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,’ which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2553, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)). If the moving party carries this burden, “Rule 56(e) ... requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’” Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e)). However, “[w]e do not mean that the nonmoving party must produce evidence in a form that would be admissible at trial in order to avoid summary judgment.... Rule 56(e) permits a proper summary judgment motion to be opposed by any of the kinds of evidentiary materials listed in Rule 56(c), except the mere pleadings themselves, and it is from this list that one would normally expect the nonmoving party to make the showing to which we have referred.” Id. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553. In this case, Owen filed a complaint alleging that he was denied access to his publications because they contained nude photos. The defendants moved for summary judgment, asserting that they banned the sexually explicit material for legitimate penological reasons, and that they[*1237] provided a mechanism for internally reviewing any decisions prohibiting a prisoner from receiving a specific publication, thereby complying with the dictates of the Constitution. They supported their assertion with a sworn affidavit from defendant Steven Lasley, the Palm Beach County Director of Corrections.

The affidavit, along with sworn attached exhibits, reflected that all incoming mail for prisoners was subjected to three tiers of review before being prohibited. If an initial reviewer determined that an item of mail should be prohibited, the item would be forwarded to a supervisor to perform an independent review. If the supervisor agreed that the item of mail should be prohibited, it was then forwarded to a more senior supervisor for a final review. If the final reviewer agreed that the item should be prohibited, a notice was sent to the prisoner stating that the mail had been received and was being held with the prisoner’s property, pending release from the correctional facility. Furthermore, prisoners dissatisfied with the prohibition of certain items could file an internal grievance, which itself provided for three levels of review.

Discussion

It is well established that prisoners retain First Amendment rights. As the Supreme Court has emphasized, “[pjrison walls do not form a barrier separating prison inmates from the protections of the Constitution.” Thornburgh v. Abbott, 490 U.S. 401, 407, 109 S.Ct. 1874, 1878, 104 L.Ed.2d 459 (1989) (quoting Turner v. Safley, 482 U.S. 78, 84, 107 S.Ct. 2254, 2259, 96 L.Ed.2d 64 (1987)). However, the Court has also recognized that “these rights must be exercised with due regard for the ‘inordinately difficult undertaking’ that is modern prison administration.” Thornburgh, 490 U.S. at 407, 109 S.Ct. at 1878 (quoting Turner, 482 U.S. at 85, 107 S.Ct. at 2259-60).

In Thornburgh, the Supreme Court held that “regulations affecting the sending of a ‘publication’ ... to a prisoner must be analyzed under the Turner reasonableness standard. Such regulations are ‘valid if [they are] reasonably related to legitimate penological interests.’” Thornburgh, 490 U.S. at 413, 109 S.Ct. at 1881 (quoting Turner, 482 U.S. at 89, 107 S.Ct. at 2261-62) (bracketed text in Thornburgh). The Supreme Court then enunciated the factors that inform this reasonableness inquiry: (1) whether the governmental objective underlying the regulations at issue is legitimate and neutral, and whether the regulations are rationally related to that objective; (2) whether there are alternative means of exercising the right that remain open to prison inmates at de minimis cost to penological interests; and (3) the impact that accommodation of the asserted constitutional right will have on others (guards and inmates) in the prison. Thornburgh, 490 U.S. at 414-18, 109 S.Ct. at 1882-84. Additionally, in approving the prison regulations at issue in Thornburgh, [2] the Court relied on “the individualized nature of the determinations required by the regulation” specifically noting that the policy there contained a “prohibition against establishing an excluded list of publications” and that “the regulations expressly reject certain shortcuts that would lead to needless exclusions.” Id. at 416, 417, 109 S.Ct. at 1883, 1883. In our circuit, Guajardo v. Estelle, 580 F.2d 748, 762 (5th Cir.1978), held that “before delivery of a publication may be refused, prison administrators must review the particular issue of the publication in question....” [3] See also Pepperling v. Crist, 678 F.2d 787, 791 (9th Cir.1982) (“We note, however, that the blanket prohibition against the receipt of the publications by any prisoner carries a heavy presumption of uneonstitutionality.”).

Defense counsel does not contest that a blanket ban on nude photographs would be unconstitutional, [4] but argues that this record[*1238] reflects that Owen’s constitutional rights were protected by specific examinations of the publication in question. In support of their motion for summary judgment, the affidavit by the prison official indicates that, in practice, each publication sent to a prisoner is reviewed by at least three prison officials before it is rejected. These assertions have not been contradicted, and on this record there is no evidence that Owen has suffered any injury. Owen’s response to the affidavit consists of unauthenticated copies of the prison’s response to his grievance forms. His response does not address the sworn affidavit’s assertion that each publication is individually reviewed and rejected. Thus, there is no disputed issue of material fact. On the state of this record, we cannot say that the district court erred in granting summary judgment.

AFFIRMED.

1

. Owen appeared pro se before the district court, but was represented by counsel on appeal.

2

. The Supreme Court there considered 28 C.F.R. §§ 540.70, .71 (1988), which govern federal prisons.

3

. All cases from the former Fifth Circuit handed down by the close of business on September 30, 1981, are binding on the Eleventh Circuit. Bonner v. City of Prichard, 661 F.2d 1206 (11th Cir.1981).

4

.At oral argument, defense counsel was asked, “You agree that a blanket prohibition against nude photographs would he unconstitutional?” to which counsel responded, "Facility-wide, yes.”