Brooks v. Roman

District Court, D. Nevada·Decided November 6, 2024·No. 2:23-cv-01575·Unknown

Opinion

1 DISTRICT OF NEVADA 3

4 Shane D. Brooks, Case No. 2:23-cv-01575-CDS-DJA

5 Plaintiff Screening Order For First Amended Complaint 6 v.

7 Roman, et al., [ECF Nos. 4, 7, 8]

8 Defendants

9 10 Plaintiff Shane Brooks, who is incarcerated in the custody of the Nevada Department of 11 Corrections (“NDOC”), has submitted duplicate first amended complaints (individually “FAC”) 12 under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and an application to proceed in forma pauperis. ECF Nos. 4, 7, 8. The matter 13 of the filing fee will be temporarily deferred. I now dismiss the duplicate FAC (ECF No. 8) 14 without prejudice and screen the operative FAC (ECF No. 7) under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A.1 15 I. Screening standard 16 Federal courts must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which an 17 incarcerated person seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a 18 governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the Court must identify any 19 cognizable claims and dismiss any claims that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim upon 20 which relief may be granted, or seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such 21 relief. See id. §§ 1915A(b)(1), (2). Pro se pleadings, however, must be liberally construed. See 22 Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1990). To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 23 1983, a plaintiff must allege two essential elements: (1) the violation of a right secured by the 24 Constitution or laws of the United States; and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a 25 person acting under color of state law. See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). 26 27

1 While the FAC at ECF No. 8 is the same as the FAC at ECF No. 7, it is missing two pages. Compare ECF 1 In addition to the screening requirements under § 1915A, under the Prison Litigation 2 Reform Act (“PLRA”), a federal court must dismiss an incarcerated person’s claim if “the 3 allegation of poverty is untrue” or if the action “is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim on 4 which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from 5 such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). Dismissal of a complaint for failure to state a claim upon which 6 relief can be granted is provided for in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), and the Court 7 applies the same standard under § 1915 when reviewing the adequacy of a complaint or an 8 amended complaint. When a court dismisses a complaint under § 1915(e), the plaintiff should be 9 given leave to amend the complaint with directions as to curing its deficiencies, unless it is clear 10 from the face of the complaint that the deficiencies could not be cured by amendment. See Cato v. 11 United States, 70 F.3d 1103, 1106 (9th Cir. 1995). 12 Review under Rule 12(b)(6) is essentially a ruling on a question of law. See Chappel v. Lab. 13 Corp. of Am., 232 F.3d 719, 723 (9th Cir. 2000). Dismissal for failure to state a claim is proper only if 14 it is clear that the plaintiff cannot prove any set of facts in support of the claim that would entitle 15 him or her to relief. See Morley v. Walker, 175 F.3d 756, 759 (9th Cir. 1999). In making this 16 determination, the Court takes as true all allegations of material fact stated in the complaint, and 17 the Court construes them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Warshaw v. Xoma Corp., 74 18 F.3d 955, 957 (9th Cir. 1996). Allegations of a pro se complainant are held to less stringent 19 standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers. See Hughes v. Rowe, 449 U.S. 5, 9 (1980). While 20 the standard under Rule 12(b)(6) does not require detailed factual allegations, a plaintiff must 21 provide more than mere labels and conclusions. See Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 22 (2007). A formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action is insufficient. See id. 23 Additionally, a reviewing court should “begin by identifying pleadings [allegations] that, 24 because they are no more than mere conclusions, are not entitled to the assumption of truth.” 25 Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 679 (2009). “While legal conclusions can provide the framework of a 26 complaint, they must be supported with factual allegations.” Id. “When there are well-pleaded 27 factual allegations, a court should assume their veracity and then determine whether they 1 plausible claim for relief . . . [is] a context-specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw 2 on its judicial experience and common sense.” Id. 3 Finally, all or part of a complaint filed by an incarcerated person may be dismissed sua 4 sponte if that person’s claims lack an arguable basis either in law or in fact. This includes claims 5 based on legal conclusions that are untenable (e.g., claims against defendants who are immune 6 from suit or claims of infringement of a legal interest which clearly does not exist), as well as 7 claims based on fanciful factual allegations (e.g., fantastic or delusional scenarios). See Neitzke v. 8 Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 327–28 (1989); see also McKeever v. Block, 932 F.2d 795, 798 (9th Cir. 1991). 9 II. Screening of FAC 10 In his FAC, Brooks sues multiple defendants for events that took place while he was 11 incarcerated at Ely State Prison (“ESP”). ECF No. 7 at 1. Brooks sues Defendants Chet Rigney, 12 Joshua Weiland, Warden William Gittere, Warden William Reubart, Warden David Drummond, 13 Officer Serle, Officer Guzman, Officer C. Cooke, T. Cooke, and Lt. John Doe.2 Id. at 1–3. Brooks 14 brings three claims and seeks monetary relief. Id. at 4–32. 15 Brooks alleges the following facts. While incarcerated at ESP, Brooks had a medical 16 incident that required him to be sent to a local hospital. Id. at 3. During his visit, Brooks spoke 17 with the attending nurse and asked if a nurse who previously worked at ESP worked at the 18 hospital. Id. at 4. She told him that the nurse did not work at the hospital and then left the room. 19 Id. After she left, Rigney and Weiland, who were guarding Brooks, told him to stop “talk[ing] to 20 the nurses.” Id. The situation escalated when Rigney punched Brooks’ face four times, causing his 21 face to bleed. Id. at 5. During the incident Brooks was immobilized. Id. at 4. Weiland tried to hide 22 the injuries by placing a spit-mask on Brooks. Id. at 5.3 23 Nurse Henry and Officer Heatherly asked Brooks what happened to his face when he 24 returned to ESP. Id.

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