Mark Bitzan v. Jerry Bartruff, Former IDOC Director

United States Court of Appeals
For the Eighth Circuit
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No. 21-2078
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Mark Bitzan
lllllllllllllllllllllPlaintiff - Appellant
v.
Jerry Bartruff, Former IDOC Director; John Baldwin, Former IDOC Director;
Dorothy Faust, Former IDOC Director; Sheryl Dahm, Former IDOC Director;
Jay Nelson, Former IDOC Director; Nick Ludwick, Former IDOC Director
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendants
Mark Roberts, ISP Deputy Warden; Rebecca Bowker, ISP Executive Officer;
Mike Schierbrock, ISP A/W Treatment; Jill Johnson, ISP Administrative Assistant
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendants - Appellees
Debbie Ferril, Former IDOC Director
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendant
David DeGrange, ISP Investigator
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendant - Appellee
Randy VanWye, Former IDOC Director; Nikki Eaves, Former IDOC Director;
Cynthia Phillips, Former IDOC Director
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendants
Berl Wilcox, ISP Segregation Unit Manager; Mike Eisnnicher, ISP Segregation Committee
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendants - Appellees

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Bradley Hoenig, Former IDOC Director; Statewide Religion Review Committee;
Julie Johnson, ISP Former A/W Administration;
Debbie Nichols, ISP Former A/W Security; Jane Doe, ISP Mailroom
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendants
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Appeal from United States District Court
for the Southern District of Iowa
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Submitted: April 19, 2022
Filed: April 25, 2022
[Unpublished]
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Before LOKEN, KELLY, and GRASZ, Circuit Judges.
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PER CURIAM.
Iowa inmate Mark Bitzan appeals the district court’s1 adverse judgment
following a bench trial on his retaliation claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. After careful
review, we affirm for the reasons stated by the district court. See Muhammad v.
Mayfield, 933 F.3d 993, 1000 (8th Cir. 2019) (reviewing factual findings for clear
error and legal conclusions de novo for appeal from bench trial). The judgment is
affirmed. See 8th Cir. R. 47B.
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1The Honorable John A. Jarvey, then Chief Judge, United States District Court
for the Southern District of Iowa, now retired, adopting the report and
recommendation of the Honorable Helen C. Adams, Chief United States Magistrate
Judge for the Southern District of Iowa.
-2-

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