Moringlane-Ruiz v. Trujillo-Panisse

This appeal from a grant of summary judgment in a political discrimination case under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 raises one procedural and one substantive issue. The procedural issue concerns the district court’s decision to reject the plaintiffs’ opposition to summary judgment as untimely, and the substantive issue concerns the district court’s ultimate ruling that the defendants were entitled to summary judgment.

The underlying dispute involves a decision by defendant Marcelo Trujillo-Panisse, the Mayor of the Municipality of Humacao, Puerto Rico, to terminate a lease with plaintiff Aida…