Burns v. State of Hawaii

CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedApril 6, 2023
Docket1:23-cv-00143
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Burns v. State of Hawaii, (D. Haw. 2023).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF HAWAII

NICHOLAS DONALD BURNS, Civ. No. 23-00143 JMS-KJM #A5003928, ORDER DISMISSING PRISONER Plaintiff, CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT, ECF NO. 1, WITH PARTIAL LEAVE TO v. AMEND

STATE OF HAWAII, et al.,

Defendants.

ORDER DISMISSING PRISONER CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT, ECF NO. 1, WITH PARTIAL LEAVE TO AMEND

Before the court is a Prisoner Civil Rights Complaint (“Complaint”), ECF No. 1, filed by pro se Plaintiff Nicholas Donald Burns (“Burns”) pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.1 Burns alleges that Defendants2 violated his constitutional rights by failing to follow agency guidelines while setting his minimum term of imprisonment (Count I), by denying him additional time to prepare for trial (Count

1 Burns is currently incarcerated at the Halawa Correctional Facility, a state prison. See ECF No. 1 at PageID.1; see also VINE, https://vinelink.vineapps.com/search/HI/Person (select “ID Number”; enter “A5003928”; and select “Search”) (last visited Apr. 6, 2023).

2 Burns names as Defendants the State of Hawaii, Edmund “Fred” Hyun (chairperson, Hawaii Paroling Authority), Melvin H. Fujino (former circuit judge, Circuit Court of the Third Circuit, State of Hawaii), and Marco Secobia (sergeant, Hawaii Police Department). ECF No. 1 at PageID.1–PageID.2. Burns names the individual defendants in both their individual and official capacities. Id. II), by denying his two requests to “fire” his court-appointed counsel (Count III), by revoking his bail (Count IV), and by arresting him pursuant to a previously

executed warrant (Count V). Id. at PageId.5–PageID.9. After conducting the required screening pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(a), the court DISMISSES the Complaint with partial leave granted to amend. If Burns wants

this action to proceed, he must file an amended pleading that cures the noted deficiencies in his claims on or before May 8, 2023. In the alternative, Burns may inform the court in writing on or before May 8, 2023, that he would like to dismiss voluntarily this action pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1), and

such a dismissal will not count as a “strike” under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). I. STATUTORY SCREENING The court is required to screen all in forma pauperis prisoner

complaints filed against government officials, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(a). See Byrd v. Phx. Police Dep’t, 885 F.3d 639, 641 (9th Cir. 2018). Claims or complaints that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim for relief, or seek damages from defendants who are immune from suit must be dismissed. See

Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1126–27 (9th Cir. 2000) (en banc); Rhodes v. Robinson, 621 F.3d 1002, 1004 (9th Cir. 2010). Screening under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(a) involves the

same standard of review as that used under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). See Rosati v. Igbinoso, 791 F.3d 1037, 1039 (9th Cir. 2015) (per curiam). Under this standard, 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) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). A claim is “plausible” when the facts alleged support a reasonable inference that the

plaintiff is entitled to relief from a specific defendant for specific misconduct. See id. In conducting this screening, the court liberally construes pro se litigants’ pleadings and resolves all doubts in their favor. See Hebbe v. Pliler, 627

F.3d 338, 342 (9th Cir. 2010) (citations omitted). The court must grant leave to amend if it appears the plaintiff can correct the defects in the complaint. See Lopez, 203 F.3d at 1130. When a claim cannot be saved by amendment, however,

dismissal with prejudice is appropriate. See Sylvia Landfield Tr. v. City of Los Angeles, 729 F.3d 1189, 1196 (9th Cir. 2013). II. BACKGROUND3 Burns signed the Complaint on March 15, 2023, and the court

received and filed the Complaint on March 22, 2023. ECF No. 1. The court

3 Burns’ factual allegations are accepted as true for purposes of screening. See Nordstrom v. Ryan, 762 F.3d 903, 908 (9th Cir. 2014). granted Burns’ Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis by a Prisoner, ECF No. 2, on March 23, 2023, ECF No. 3.

In Count I, Burns alleges that the Hawaii Paroling Authority (“HPA”) failed to follow its own guidelines while setting his minimum term of imprisonment.4 ECF No. 1 at PageID.5. According to Burns, the HPA did not

consider all the enumerated criteria in setting his minimum term, and it failed to provide him with “adverse material.” Id. In Count II, Burns alleges that Judge Fujino denied him additional time to prepare for trial. Id. at PageID.6. Because of this, Burns asserts, he was

denied a fair trial. Id. In Count III, Burns alleges that Judge Fujino also violated his constitutional rights by denying two requests to “fire” his court-appointed counsel. Id. at PageID.7. In Count IV, Burns alleges that Judge Fujino violated

his constitutional rights by revoking his bail. Id. at PageID.8.

4 Under Hawaii law, after a person is “sentenced to an indeterminate or an extended term of imprisonment, the Hawaii paroling authority shall . . . hold a hearing, and on the basis of the hearing make an order fixing the minimum term of imprisonment to be served before the prisoner shall become eligible for parole.” Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-669(1). In establishing a minimum term of imprisonment, the HPA considers various factors including the nature of the offense, the degree of injury or loss, the offender’s criminal history, the character and attitude of the offender, the offender’s efforts to live a “pro-social” life, and the offender’s role in the offense. See Guidelines for Establishing Minimum Terms of Imprisonment, https:// dps.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/HPA-Guidelines-for-Establishing-Minimum- Terms-of-Imprisonment.pdf (last visited Apr. 5, 2023); see also Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-669(8) (“The authority shall establish guidelines for the uniform determination of minimum sentences which shall take into account both the nature and degree of the offense of the prisoner and the prisoner’s criminal history and character.”). In Count V, Burns alleges that he was arrested on June 17, 2022. At some point during the arrest, a Hawaii Police Department officer referred to a

“warrant for [p]robation [r]evocation.” Id. at PageID.9.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Kaytrena Francis v. United States of America (Ftca
376 F. App'x 792 (Ninth Circuit, 2010)
Rizzo v. Goode
423 U.S. 362 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Servs.
436 U.S. 658 (Supreme Court, 1978)
Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman
465 U.S. 89 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Pembaur v. City of Cincinnati
475 U.S. 469 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Board of Pardons v. Allen
482 U.S. 369 (Supreme Court, 1987)
West v. Atkins
487 U.S. 42 (Supreme Court, 1988)
City of Canton v. Harris
489 U.S. 378 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Will v. Michigan Department of State Police
491 U.S. 58 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Mireles v. Waco
502 U.S. 9 (Supreme Court, 1991)
Hafer v. Melo
502 U.S. 21 (Supreme Court, 1991)
Heck v. Humphrey
512 U.S. 477 (Supreme Court, 1994)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Hebbe v. Pliler
627 F.3d 338 (Ninth Circuit, 2010)
Krainski v. Nevada Ex Rel. Board of Regents
616 F.3d 963 (Ninth Circuit, 2010)
Wolfson v. Brammer
616 F.3d 1045 (Ninth Circuit, 2010)
Rhodes v. Robinson
621 F.3d 1002 (Ninth Circuit, 2010)
Wilkinson v. Austin
545 U.S. 209 (Supreme Court, 2005)
Michael Lacey v. Joseph Arpaio
693 F.3d 896 (Ninth Circuit, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Burns v. State of Hawaii, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burns-v-state-of-hawaii-hid-2023.