Baker v. Thorn

District Court, D. South Dakota·Decided January 31, 2022·No. 5:21-cv-05084·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF SOUTH DAKOTA WESTERN DIVISION

JOEL LUTHER BAKER, 5:21-CV-05084-KES

Plaintiff,

1915A SCREENING vs.

SHERIFF THORN,1 in his individual and official capacity; COMMANDER YANTIS, in his individual and official capacity; LT. HOUSTON, in her individual and official capacity; DR. LONG, in his individual and official capacity; MR. TRUAX, in his individual and official capacity; MRS. KAYLA G., in her individual and official capacity; SEARGENT BOAL, in his individual and official capacity; CAPTAIN ANDERSON, in his official capacity,

Defendants.

Plaintiff, Joel Luther Baker, a pretrial detainee at the Pennington County Jail, filed a pro se civil rights lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Docket 1. This court granted Baker leave to proceed in forma pauperis and ordered him to pay an initial filing fee. Docket 5. Baker timely paid his initial filing fee on December 8, 2021. This court will now screen Baker’s amended complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A.

1 Baker names Sheriff Thorn as a defendant in this lawsuit. The Sheriff’s actual name is Thom. The court will refer to the Sheriff by his actual name in this opinion. I. 1915A Screening A. Factual Background The facts alleged in Baker’s complaint are: that several conditions at the

Pennington County Jail are unsafe and abusive. See Docket 1 at 5-14. Baker alleges that the Pennington County Jail fails to properly pass out medication. Docket 1 at 5. He claims that he was denied medication by Mr. Truax, a former jail employee, because he went to the back of the medication line where he could rest his sore leg. Id. He claims that Mrs. Kayla G., a jail employee who is not a medical professional, regularly denies him his medication. Id. He alleges that this has caused him “several painful symptoms and even withdrawals[.]” Id.

Baker claims that Dr. Long, a medical provider at the Pennington County Jail, has mistreated him by overprescribing medication that has caused dependencies. Id. at 2, 6. He also claims that Dr. Long once asked him about his Hepatitis C infection, weeks after he had been cleared of active Hepatitis C, when he was complaining of back and leg pain. Id. at 6. Baker alleges that this proves Dr. Long’s neglect because he was unaware of Baker’s health. Id. Baker also alleges that Dr. Long ignored his leg and back pain, only stating that Baker would be weaned off of his pain medication because it was not working.

Id. Baker claims that he still suffers from pain and that he no longer trusts the medical staff. Id. Baker claims that the Pennington County Jail has failed to safely handle the COVID-19 pandemic. Id. at 7. He claims that family visitation has been denied because of the pandemic, but jail staff have no mask or vaccine requirements, testing requirements, or safety protocols. Id. He also claims that he has repeatedly brought this issue to the jail staff’s attention. Id. He

specifically alleges that he warned jail staff of the pandemic threat posed by increased numbers of people in the region because of the Sturgis motorcycle rally. Id. at 12-13. He alleges that jail staff required housing units to quarantine but that the issue was with the staff themselves. Id. at 7. He also alleges that he got COVID because of the jail’s failure to implement safety protocols, although he acknowledges that the jail did eventually require masks. Id. He claims that the jail failed to sanitize common surfaces and that inmates were quarantined for a few days and only allowed out for one or two hours a

day. Id. at 13. Baker claims that Pennington County Jail staff handle grievances “in an unreasonable, unwinable [sic], and biased fashion.” Id. at 8. He also claims that there is no emergency access to command staff for when inmates are hurt or abused. Id. He alleges that he once was required to lock down2 because he yelled to help other inmates get the attention of a correctional officer. Id. He also alleges that Sergeant Boal, the appeals officer at the jail, is heavily biased against inmates. Id. at 9. He claims that lockdowns have caused him atrophied

2 Baker does not explain what he means when he refers to a lockdown, but it appears that he is referring to solitary confinement used as a disciplinary measure. See Docket 1 at 8-9. He explains that he does not get enough exercise in one hour to prevent leg cramps while locked down and that he is not allowed to talk to anyone. Id. at 9. muscles and muscle cramps, as well as suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self- harm. Id. Baker claims that jail employees are quitting because of “too much strain

and too much mental assault from Mrs. Houston, Captain Anderson, and Commander Yantis.”3 Id. at 10. He claims that the jail staff is now overworked, beaten down, and exhausted. Id. He alleges that this causes mistakes and security risks, including issues with medication. Id. He also alleges that violent inmates may try to test security because of this issue. Id. Baker claims that Lieutenant Houston has retaliated against him for his “pursuit of justice.” Id. at 11. He claims that he “blew up” over being written up the wrong way when they first met and that her “vendetta” against him has

continued ever since. Id. He alleges that she has told him that his complaints would hold up in a court of law but not in the Pennington County Jail. Id. He also alleges that Lieutenant Houston and Captain Anderson work together to question inmates about their religion. Id. Baker sues all defendants in their individual and official capacities except for Captain Anderson. See id. at 2-3. Although Baker names Captain Anderson as a defendant in the caption of his complaint, he does not indicate the capacity in which he sues Anderson.4 See id. at 1-3. Baker asks the court

to award money damages. Id. at 14.

3 Baker refers to Houston as “Liutenant [sic] Houston” in the caption of his complaint but as “Lt. Houston” and “Mrs. Houston” throughout his complaint. Docket 1 at 1-2, 7-8, 10-13. The court will refer to her as Lieutenant Houston. 4 If a plaintiff does not specify the capacity in which he sues a defendant, the suit is treated as only including official capacity complaints. Egerdahl v. B. Legal Background The court must assume as true all facts well pleaded in the complaint. Estate of Rosenberg v. Crandell, 56 F.3d 35, 36 (8th Cir. 1995). Pro se and civil

rights complaints must be liberally construed. Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007); Bediako v. Stein Mart, Inc., 354 F.3d 835, 839 (8th Cir. 2004). Even with this construction, “a pro se complaint must contain specific facts supporting its conclusions.” Martin v. Sargent, 780 F.2d 1334, 1337 (8th Cir. 1985); see also Ellis v. City of Minneapolis, 518 F. App’x 502, 504 (8th Cir. 2013). Civil rights complaints cannot be merely conclusory. Davis v. Hall, 992 F.2d 151, 152 (8th Cir. 1993); Parker v. Porter, 221 F. App’x 481, 482 (8th Cir. 2007).

A complaint “does not need detailed factual allegations . . . [but] requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do[.]” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007) (internal citations omitted). If it does not contain these bare essentials, dismissal is appropriate. Beavers v.

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