Blodgett v. Silver Bow County District Court

CourtDistrict Court, D. Montana
DecidedMarch 12, 2024
Docket2:23-cv-00092
StatusUnknown

This text of Blodgett v. Silver Bow County District Court (Blodgett v. Silver Bow County District Court) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Montana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blodgett v. Silver Bow County District Court, (D. Mont. 2024).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MONTANA BUTTE DIVISION

JAMES ROBERT BLODGETT, CV 23–92–BU–BMM–JTJ CV 23–93–BU–BMM Plaintiff,

vs. ORDER SILVER BOW DISTRICT COURT, ROBERT J. WHELAN, ANN M. SHEA, KELLI FIVEY, and J. BLAINE ANDERSON,

Defendants. _______________________________

JAMES ROBERT BLODGETT,

Plaintiff,

vs.

SILVER BOW COUNTY DETENTION CENTER, MARK JOHNSON, OFFICER RAY VAUGHN, and TRACY ADAMS,

Defendants.

Plaintiff James Robert Blodgett has filed two civil rights complaints under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging violations of his constitutional rights by the Montana state district court and at the Butte-Silver Bow City-County Detention Facility in Butte, Montana. (See CV 23–92–BU–BMM–JTJ, Doc. 5; CV 23–93–BU–BMM, Doc. 2.) Although Cause No. CV 23–92–BU–BMM–JTJ is dismissed with prejudice, Blodgett will be given the opportunity to amend certain claims pled in

Cause No. CV 23–93–BU–BMM. I. Prescreening Because Blodgett is a prisoner proceeding in forma pauperis, his complaint

must be reviewed under 28 U.S.C. § 1915. A court is required to dismiss a complaint filed in forma pauperis before the complaint is served if it: “(i) is frivolous or malicious; (ii) fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted; or (iii) seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief.” 28

U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B)(i)–(iii), 1915A(b). “The standard for determining whether a plaintiff has failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted under § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) is the same as the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

12(b)(6) standard for failure to state a claim.” Watison v. Carter, 668 F.3d 1108, 1112 (9th Cir. 2012). To proceed on the merits, “a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’”

Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that

the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. Dismissal is appropriate “where there is no cognizable legal theory or an absence of sufficient facts alleged to support a cognizable legal theory.” L.A. Lakers, Inc. v. Fed. Ins. Co., 869 F.3d

795, 800 (9th Cir. 2017) (internal quotation marks omitted). Nevertheless, pro se pleadings are construed liberally to “afford the petitioner the benefit of any doubt.” Watison, 668 F.3d at 1112 (internal quotation marks omitted); cf. Fed. R. Civ. P.

8(e) (“Pleadings must be construed so as to do justice.”). II. Statement of the Case(s) Blodgett is a pretrial detainee at Silver Bow City-County Detention Facility. He is proceeding in forma pauperis and without counsel. (See CV 23–92–BU–

BMM, Doc. 7; CV 23–93–BU–BMM–JTJ, Doc. 5.) A. CV 23–92–BU–BMM–JTJ In his first cause of action, Blodgett names the following defendants:

Montana state district court for Silver Bow County, Montana state District Judge Robert J. Whelan, Deputy County Attorneys Ann M. Shea and Kelli Fivey, and Defense Counsel J. Blaine Anderson. (See CV 23–92–BU–BMM–JTJ.) The crux of this pleading is that Defendants have denied him effective assistance of counsel

and a speedy trial by failing to bring him to trial in a timely manner. Blodgett claims that those denials have led to his prolonged detention under unconstitutional conditions of confinement—specifically, he has been denied proper nutrition,

consistent blood pressure monitoring, and proper responses to his grievances. (See id., Doc. 5.) For relief, he asks that the criminal cases against him be dropped, $1,500 per day for each day his speedy trial rights have been violated, and

$450,000 for pain and suffering. (Id. at 3.) B. CV 23–93–BU–BMM In his second cause of action, Blodgett names the following defendants:

Butte-Silver Bow County Detention Center, Mark Johnson, Officer Ray Vaughn, and Tracy Adams. (See CV 23–93–BU–BMM–JTJ.) This pleading specifically outlines the following ten claims: (1) speedy trial rights violation, (2) health care rights violation, (3) the fact he should be released on bond and is being charged for

his medication, (4) the fact he should be eligible for release because his “current revocation was only a 2 year revocation,” (5) delays in mail delivery, (6) inadequate nutrition, (7) a violation of his rights under the Prison Rape Elimination

Act (“PREA”), (8) the use of mass/group punishment, (9) the failure to properly retrieve and respond to grievance forms, and (10) the general negligence of the staff. (See CV 23–93–BU–BMM–JTJ, Doc. 2-1.) Similar to the relief requested above, Blodgett seeks to have his state charges dropped, “medical reimbursement,”

$100,000, and “staff to be held accountable.” (Id., Doc. 2 at 5.) III. Claims Section 1983 confers a tort remedy upon individuals “whose constitutional

rights have been violated by state officials acting ‘under color of’ law.” Whalen v. McMullen, 907 F.3d 1139, 1145 (9th Cir. 2018) (quoting 42 U.S.C. § 1983). Consistently, “[t]o state a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two essential

elements: (1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States was violated, and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a person acting under the color of State law.” Benavidez v. Cnty. of San Diego, 993 F.3d 1134,

1144 (9th Cir. 2021) (internal quotation marks omitted). For the reasons outlined below, Cause No. CV 23–92–BU–BMM is dismissed without leave to amend. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). As it relates to Cause No. CV 23–93–BU–BMM, Blodgett will be given the opportunity to

amend the following claims: delayed mail, unjustified lockdown, inadequate medical care, inadequate meals, and retaliation. A. CV 23–92–BU–BMM–JTJ

Blodgett first claims that the Montana state court, the Montana state judge, the Montana state prosecutor, and Montana state defense counsel violated his Sixth Amendment rights to effective assistance of counsel and to a speedy trial by failing to try him in a timely matter. Blodgett further alleges that this delay has forced

him to remain in custody unnecessarily and the conditions of his continued confinement violate his Fourteenth Amendment rights as a pretrial detainee. Section 1983 provides no avenue for relief for these claims against these

Defendants. Blodgett fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and this matter is dismissed with prejudice. Blodgett’s claims against the Montana state district court and the Montana

state district judge fail as a matter of law because “[a]bsolute immunity is generally accorded to judges . . . functioning in their official capacities.” Olsen v. Idaho St. Bd. of Med., 363 F.3d 916, 922 (9th Cir. 2004). Judicial immunity remains subject

to certain limitations, such as when a judge’s acts are not taken in a judicial capacity or when there is an absence of jurisdiction. See Stump v. Sparkman, 435 U.S. 349, 356–57 (1978).

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