1 SC 2 WO 3 4 5 6 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 7 FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA 8 9 Jason Allen Campbell, No. CV 23-08063-PCT-JAT (DMF) 10 Plaintiff, 11 v. ORDER 12 Wexford Health Source Inc., et al., 13 Defendants.
15 Plaintiff Jason Allen Campbell, who is confined in the Mohave County Jail, has 16 filed a pro se civil rights Complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Doc. 1) and an 17 Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. 2). The Court will dismiss the Complaint 18 with leave to amend. 19 I. Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and Filing Fee 20 The Court will grant Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis. 28 21 U.S.C. § 1915(a). Plaintiff must pay the statutory filing fee of $350.00. 28 U.S.C. 22 § 1915(b)(1). The Court will not assess an initial partial filing fee. Id. The statutory filing 23 fee will be collected monthly in payments of 20% of the previous month’s income credited 24 to Plaintiff’s trust account each time the amount in the account exceeds $10.00. 28 U.S.C. 25 § 1915(b)(2). The Court will enter a separate Order requiring the appropriate government 26 agency to collect and forward the fees according to the statutory formula. 27 II. Statutory Screening of Prisoner Complaints 28 The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief 1 against a governmental entity or an officer or an employee of a governmental entity. 28 2 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if a plaintiff 3 has raised claims that are legally frivolous or malicious, that fail to state a claim upon which 4 relief may be granted, or that seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from 5 such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1)–(2). 6 A pleading must contain a “short and plain statement of the claim showing that the 7 pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2) (emphasis added). While Rule 8 does 8 not demand detailed factual allegations, “it demands more than an unadorned, the- 9 defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 10 (2009). “Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 11 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Id. 12 “[A] complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a 13 claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Id. (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 14 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). A claim is plausible “when the plaintiff pleads factual content 15 that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the 16 misconduct alleged.” Id. “Determining whether a complaint states a plausible claim for 17 relief [is] . . . a context-specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial 18 experience and common sense.” Id. at 679. Thus, although a plaintiff’s specific factual 19 allegations may be consistent with a constitutional claim, a court must assess whether there 20 are other “more likely explanations” for a defendant’s conduct. Id. at 681. 21 But as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has instructed, courts 22 must “continue to construe pro se filings liberally.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 23 (9th Cir. 2010). A “complaint [filed by a pro se prisoner] ‘must be held to less stringent 24 standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.’” Id. (quoting Erickson v. Pardus, 551 25 U.S. 89, 94 (2007) (per curiam)). 26 If the Court determines that a pleading could be cured by the allegation of other 27 facts, a pro se litigant is entitled to an opportunity to amend a complaint before dismissal 28 of the action. See Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1127-29 (9th Cir. 2000) (en banc). 1 Plaintiff’s Complaint will be dismissed for failure to state a claim, but because it may 2 possibly be amended to state a claim, the Court will dismiss it with leave to amend. 3 III. Complaint 4 In his three-count Complaint, Plaintiff alleges claims for denial of constitutionally 5 adequate medical care, violation of mail rights, and retaliation. Plaintiff sues Wexford 6 Health Sources, Inc. (“Wexford”), one of its providers, Jane Lekeanjia, and “Mohave 7 County Detention.” Plaintiff seeks injunctive and compensatory relief. 8 Plaintiff designates Count I as a claim for denial of constitutionally adequate 9 medical care. Plaintiff alleges the following: 10 Plaintiff has been confined in the Mohave County Detention Facility since March 11 4, 2021. During that time, Plaintiff’s health has deteriorated. Plaintiff has repeatedly 12 sought medical care. When Plaintiff arrived at the facility, he weighed 218 pounds. 13 Plaintiff’s weight since has been as low as 171 pounds, and the last time he was weighed, 14 it was 181 pounds. According to Plaintiff, his kidneys, stomach, and heart make it difficult 15 for him to inhale full breaths. Plaintiff has “done everything,” including exhausting the 16 grievance process. Plaintiff contends that something is not right at the facility and 17 Wexford. Plaintiff’s stomach is constantly in pain, as are his kidneys. Plaintiff entered the 18 facility disabled and handicapped with “prior health concerns.” 19 Plaintiff designates Count II as a claim concerning mail. He alleges the following: 20 Since Plaintiff has been in the jail, he has had mail sent to a social security office 21 that did not arrive. After Plaintiff filed a grievance, he was told that the jail was not 22 responsible for mail after it left the jail. In a second grievance, Plaintiff stated that he 23 wanted to talk to social security and the postmaster but his request was denied. Plaintiff 24 thinks the jail and the federal government are in a conspiracy against him. He claims that 25 he knows that certain mail has not made it to the courts and that he is fighting for his life. 26 Plaintiff designates Count III as a claim for retaliation. He alleges the following: 27 Plaintiff claims that the “Sheriff” is retaliating against him out of hatred. When 28 Plaintiff arrived—shortly after a detention officer rushed him while his back was turned at 1 the top of a flight of stairs and sprayed Plaintiff when he tried to defend himself—Plaintiff 2 was locked in maximum custody and his health quickly deteriorated. His health has 3 continued to deteriorate without medical care. 4 III. Failure to State a Claim 5 To prevail in a § 1983 claim, a plaintiff must show that (1) acts by the defendants 6 (2) under color of state law (3) deprived him of federal rights, privileges or immunities and 7 (4) caused him damage. Thornton v. City of St. Helens, 425 F.3d 1158, 1163-64 (9th Cir. 8 2005) (quoting Shoshone-Bannock Tribes v. Idaho Fish & Game Comm’n, 42 F.3d 1278, 9 1284 (9th Cir. 1994)). In addition, a plaintiff must allege that he suffered a specific injury 10 as a result of the conduct of a particular defendant and he must allege an affirmative link 11 between the injury and the conduct of that defendant. Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362, 371- 12 72, 377 (1976). 13 A. Wexford 14 Plaintiff sues Wexford, a private entity contracted by Mohave County to provide 15 medical care to Mohave County prisoners. To state a claim under § 1983 against a private 16 entity performing a traditional public function, such as providing medical care to prisoners, 17 a plaintiff must allege facts to support that his constitutional rights were violated as a result 18 of a policy, decision, or custom promulgated or endorsed by the private entity. See Tsao 19 v. Desert Palace, Inc., 698 F.3d 1128, 1138-39 (9th Cir. 2012); Buckner v. Toro, 116 F.3d 20 450, 452 (11th Cir. 1997) (per curiam). A plaintiff must allege the specific policy or 21 custom and how it violated his constitutional rights. A private entity is not liable merely 22 because it employs persons who allegedly violated a plaintiff’s constitutional rights. See 23 Tsao, 698 F.3d at 1139; Buckner, 116 F.3d at 452. 24 Plaintiff mentions Wexford, but he fails to allege facts to support that his 25 constitutional rights were violated as the result of a policy, decision, or custom or to allege 26 what that policy, decision, or custom was. Accordingly, Plaintiff fails to state a claim 27 against Wexford and it will be dismissed. 28 . . . . 1 B. Lekeanjia 2 Plaintiff also sues Defendant Lekeanjia. However, Plaintiff fails to allege any facts 3 to support when, where, or how Lekeanjia violated his constitutional rights. Indeed, 4 Plaintiff fails to allege any facts against her. Accordingly, Plaintiff fails to state a claim 5 against her, and she will be dismissed. 6 C. Mohave County Detention Center 7 Plaintiff also names the Mohave County Detention Center as a Defendant; however, 8 it is not a proper defendant. Section 1983 imposes liability on any “person” who violates 9 an individual’s federal rights while acting under color of state law. Congress intended 10 municipalities and other local government units to be included among those persons to 11 whom § 1983 applies. Monell v. Dept. of Soc. Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 689-90 (1978). 12 However, the Mohave County Detention Center is a building or collection of buildings, not 13 a person or legally created entity capable of being sued. Thus, the Court will dismiss 14 Defendant Mohave County Detention Center. 15 D. Medical Care 16 In Count I Plaintiff alleges a claim for denial of constitutionally adequate medical 17 care. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has held that “claims for violations of the right 18 to adequate medical care ‘brought by pretrial detainees against individual defendants under 19 the Fourteenth Amendment’ must be evaluated under an objective deliberate indifference 20 standard.” Gordon v. County of Orange, 888 F.3d 1118, 1124-25 (9th Cir. 2018) (quoting 21 Castro v. County of Los Angeles, 833 F.3d 1060, 1070 (9th Cir. 2016)). To state a medical 22 care claim, a pretrial detainee must show 23 (i) the defendant made an intentional decision with respect to the conditions under which the plaintiff was confined; (ii) those conditions put the plaintiff 24 at substantial risk of suffering serious harm; (iii) the defendant did not take 25 reasonable available measures to abate that risk, even though a reasonable official in the circumstances would have appreciated the high degree of risk 26 involved—making the consequences of the defendant’s conduct obvious; 27 and (iv) by not taking such measures, the defendant caused the plaintiff’s injuries. 28 1 Id. at 1125. “With respect to the third element, the defendant’s conduct must be objectively 2 unreasonable, a test that will necessarily ‘turn[] on the facts and circumstances of each 3 particular case.’” Castro, 833 F.3d at 1071 (quoting Kingsley v. Hendrickson, 576 U.S. 4 389, 397 (2015); Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 396 (1989)). 5 The “‘mere lack of due care by a state official’ does not deprive an individual of 6 life, liberty, or property under the Fourteenth Amendment.” Castro, 833 F.3d at 1071 7 (quoting Daniels v. Williams, 474 U.S. 327, 330-31 (1986)). A plaintiff must “prove more 8 than negligence but less than subjective intent—something akin to reckless disregard.” Id. 9 A mere delay in medical care, without more, is insufficient to state a claim against prison 10 officials for deliberate indifference. See Shapley v. Nev. Bd. of State Prison Comm’rs, 766 11 F.2d 404, 407 (9th Cir. 1985). 12 Plaintiff generally alleges that he has lost weight since 2021, and has kidney, 13 stomach, and heart issues. Plaintiff does not, however, describe his symptoms and their 14 severity, nor does he describe any medical conditions he suffered from when he arrived at 15 the jail. Plaintiff does not allege when and how he sought medical evaluation of his 16 symptoms, or from whom; whether and when he was seen by any medical provider; or 17 whether any tests were performed, or diagnosis given. Plaintiff fails to allege facts to 18 support that any properly named Defendant acted with reckless disregard to Plaintiff’s 19 reported symptoms. Accordingly, Plaintiff fails to state a claim for denial of 20 constitutionally adequate medical care and Count I will be dismissed. 21 E. Mail 22 In Count II, Plaintiff asserts a violation of his mail rights. Generally, a prisoner 23 retains First Amendment rights not inconsistent with his status as a prisoner and with 24 legitimate penological objectives of the corrections system. See Shaw v. Murphy, 532 U.S. 25 223, 231 (2001); Clement, 364 F.3d at 1151. This includes the First Amendment right to 26 send and receive mail. Witherow v. Paff, 52 F.3d 264, 265 (9th Cir. 1995) (per curiam). 27 However, jail officials may intercept and censor outgoing mail containing escape plans, 28 proposed criminal activity, or encoded messages, Procunier v. Martinez, 416 U.S. 396, 413 1 (1974), and may screen outgoing mail for contraband, O’Keefe v. Van Boening, 82 F.3d 2 322, 326 (9th Cir. 1996); Walker v. Navarro Cty. Jail, 4 F.3d 410, 413 (5th Cir. 1993); 3 Martin v. Tyson, 845 F.2d 1451, 1456-57 (7th Cir. 1988); Murray v. Edwards Cty. Sheriff’s 4 Dep’t, 453 F. Supp. 2d 1280, 1294 (D. Kan. 2006). Jail officials may also withhold 5 incoming mail pursuant to jail regulations that are reasonably related to legitimate 6 detention concerns. See Valdez v. Rosenbaum, 302 F.3d 1039, 1048-49 (9th Cir. 2002). 7 Thus, to state a claim, a prisoner must allege facts to support that his mail was withheld 8 absent a legitimate penological purpose. Dennison v. Ryan, No. 12-15609, 522 Fed. App’x 9 414, 418 (9th Cir. Apr. 9, 2013) (citing Barrett v. Belleque, 544 F.3d 1060, 1062 (9th Cir. 10 2008)). 11 Plaintiff alleges that a letter he sent to “social security” never arrived. Plaintiff 12 alleges no facts to support that the letter was properly addressed and bore sufficient 13 postage, or any facts to support that any jail staff failed to transfer it to the United States 14 Postal Service for delivery. Indeed, Plaintiff fails to include any allegations in Count II 15 regarding any properly named Defendant. Further, Plaintiff does not explain how the 16 refusal of jail officials to allow Plaintiff to call the postmaster or the Social Security 17 Administration impaired his right to send and receive mail. Count II will be dismissed for 18 failure to state a claim. 19 F. Retaliation 20 Plaintiff designates Count III as a claim for retaliation. A viable claim of First 21 Amendment retaliation contains five basic elements: (1) an assertion that a state actor took 22 some adverse action against an inmate (2) because of (3) that prisoner’s protected conduct, 23 and that such action (4) chilled the inmate’s exercise of his First Amendment rights (or that 24 the inmate suffered more than minimal harm) and (5) did not reasonably advance a 25 legitimate correctional goal. Rhodes v. Robinson, 408 F.3d 559, 567-68 (9th Cir. 2005); 26 see also Hines v. Gomez, 108 F.3d 265, 267 (9th Cir. 1997) (retaliation claim requires an 27 inmate to show (1) that the prison official acted in retaliation for the exercise of a 28 constitutionally protected right, and (2) that the action “advanced no legitimate penological 1 interest”). The plaintiff has the burden of demonstrating that his exercise of his First 2 Amendment rights was a substantial or motivating factor behind the defendants’ conduct. 3 Mt. Healthy City Sch. Dist. Bd. of Educ. v. Doyle, 429 U.S. 274, 287 (1977); Soranno’s 4 Gasco, Inc. v. Morgan, 874 F.2d 1310, 1314 (9th Cir. 1989). 5 Plaintiff fails to allege facts to support that any properly named Defendant retaliated 6 against Plaintiff for engaging in constitutionally protected conduct. Instead, Plaintiff 7 appears to allege someone may have used excessive force or subjected him to a threat to 8 his safety. Plaintiff fails to name that person as a defendant, allege when the incident 9 occurred, and allege the circumstances involved. Count III will be dismissed for failure to 10 state a claim. 11 IV. Leave to Amend 12 For the foregoing reasons, the Court will dismiss Plaintiff’s Complaint for failure to 13 state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Within 30 days, Plaintiff may submit a 14 first amended complaint to cure the deficiencies outlined above. The Clerk of Court will 15 mail Plaintiff a court-approved form to use for filing a first amended complaint. If Plaintiff 16 fails to use the court-approved form, the Court may strike the amended complaint and 17 dismiss this action without further notice to Plaintiff. 18 Plaintiff must clearly designate on the face of the document that it is the “First 19 Amended Complaint.” The first amended complaint must be retyped or rewritten in its 20 entirety on the court-approved form and may not incorporate any part of the original 21 Complaint by reference. Plaintiff may include only one claim per count. 22 A first amended complaint supersedes the original Complaint. Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 23 963 F.2d 1258, 1262 (9th Cir. 1992); Hal Roach Studios v. Richard Feiner & Co., 896 F.2d 24 1542, 1546 (9th Cir. 1990). After amendment, the Court will treat the original Complaint 25 as nonexistent. Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1262. Any cause of action that was raised in the 26 original Complaint and that was voluntarily dismissed or was dismissed without prejudice 27 is waived if it is not alleged in a first amended complaint. Lacey v. Maricopa County, 693 28 F.3d 896, 928 (9th Cir. 2012) (en banc). 1 V. Warnings 2 A. Release 3 If Plaintiff is released while this case remains pending, and the filing fee has not 4 been paid in full, Plaintiff must, within 30 days of his release, either (1) notify the Court 5 that he intends to pay the unpaid balance of his filing fee within 120 days of his release or 6 (2) file a non-prisoner application to proceed in forma pauperis. Failure to comply may 7 result in dismissal of this action. 8 B. Address Changes 9 Plaintiff must file and serve a notice of a change of address in accordance with Rule 10 83.3(d) of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure. Plaintiff must not include a motion for other 11 relief with a notice of change of address. Failure to comply may result in dismissal of this 12 action. 13 C. Possible “Strike” 14 Because the Complaint has been dismissed for failure to state a claim, if Plaintiff 15 fails to file an amended complaint correcting the deficiencies identified in this Order, the 16 dismissal may count as a “strike” under the “3-strikes” provision of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). 17 Under the 3-strikes provision, a prisoner may not bring a civil action or appeal a civil 18 judgment in forma pauperis under 28 U.S.C. § 1915 “if the prisoner has, on 3 or more prior 19 occasions, while incarcerated or detained in any facility, brought an action or appeal in a 20 court of the United States that was dismissed on the grounds that it is frivolous, malicious, 21 or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, unless the prisoner is under 22 imminent danger of serious physical injury.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). 23 D. Possible Dismissal 24 If Plaintiff fails to timely comply with every provision of this Order, including these 25 warnings, the Court may dismiss this action without further notice. See Ferdik, 963 F.2d 26 at 1260-61 (a district court may dismiss an action for failure to comply with any order of 27 the Court). 28 . . . . ITIS ORDERED: 2 (1) Plaintiff's Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. 2) is granted. 3 (2) As required by the accompanying Order to the appropriate government 4) agency, Plaintiff must pay the $350.00 filing fee and is not assessed an initial partial filing 5 | fee. 6 (3) |The Complaint (Doc. 1) is dismissed for failure to state a claim. Plaintiff 7 | has 30 days from the date this Order is filed to file a first amended complaint in compliance 8 | with this Order. 9 (4) — If Plaintiff fails to file an amended complaint within 30 days, the Clerk of 10 | Court must, without further notice, enter a judgment of dismissal of this action with 11 | prejudice that states that the dismissal may count as a “strike” under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g) and deny any pending unrelated motions as moot. 13 (5) The Clerk of Court must mail Plaintiff a court-approved form for filing a civil rights complaint by a prisoner. 15 Dated this 25th day of May, 2023. 16 17 a 3 18 19 _ James A. Teil Org Senior United States District Judge 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
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Instructions for a Prisoner Filing a Civil Rights Complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona
1. Who May Use This Form. The civil rights complaint form is designed to help incarcerated persons prepare a complaint seeking relief for a violation of their federal civil rights. These complaints typically concern, but are not limited to, conditions of confinement. This form should not be used to challenge your conviction or sentence. If you want to challenge a state conviction or sentence, you should file a petition under 28 U.S.C. ' 2254 for a writ of habeas corpus by a person in state custody. If you want to challenge a federal conviction or sentence, you should file a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to vacate sentence in the federal court that entered the judgment.
2. The Form. Local Rule of Civil Procedure (LRCiv) 3.4 provides that complaints by incarcerated persons must be filed on the court-approved form. The form must be typed or neatly handwritten. The form must be completely filled in to the extent applicable. All questions must be answered clearly and concisely in the appropriate space on the form. If needed, you may attach additional pages, but no more than fifteen additional pages, of standard letter-sized paper. You must identify which part of the complaint is being continued and number all pages. If you do not fill out the form properly, you will be asked to submit additional or corrected information, which may delay the processing of your action. You do not need to cite law.
3. Your Signature. You must tell the truth and sign the form. If you make a false statement of a material fact, you may be prosecuted for perjury.
4. The Filing and Administrative Fees. The total fees for this action are $402.00 ($350.00 filing fee plus $52.00 administrative fee). If you are unable to immediately pay the fees, you may request leave to proceed in forma pauperis. Please review the “Information for Prisoners Seeking Leave to Proceed with a (Non-Habeas) Civil Action in Federal Court In Forma Pauperis Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. ' 1915” for additional instructions.
5. Original and Judge=s Copy. You must send an original plus one copy of your complaint and of any other documents submitted to the Court. You must send one additional copy to the Court if you wish to have a file-stamped copy of the document returned to you. All copies must be identical to the original. Copies may be legibly handwritten. This section does not apply to inmates housed at an Arizona Department of Corrections facility that participates in electronic filing.
6. Where to File. You should file your complaint in the division where you were confined when your rights were allegedly violated. See LRCiv 5.1(a) and 77.1(a). If you were confined in Maricopa, Pinal, Yuma, La Paz, or Gila County, file in the Phoenix Division. If you were confined in Apache, Navajo, Coconino, Mohave, or Yavapai County, file in the Prescott Division. If you were confined in Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham, or Greenlee County, file in the Tucson Division. Mail the original and one copy of the complaint with the $402 filing and administrative fees or the application to proceed in forma pauperis to:
1 Revised 12/1/20 Phoenix & Prescott Divisions: OR Tucson Division: U.S. District Court Clerk U.S. District Court Clerk U.S. Courthouse, Suite 130 U.S. Courthouse, Suite 1500 401 West Washington Street, SPC 10 405 West Congress Street Phoenix, Arizona 85003-2119 Tucson, Arizona 85701-5010
7. Change of Address. You must immediately notify the Court and the defendants in writing of any change in your mailing address. Failure to notify the Court of any change in your mailing address may result in the dismissal of your case.
8. Certificate of Service. You must furnish the defendants with a copy of any document you submit to the Court (except the initial complaint and application to proceed in forma pauperis). Each original document (except the initial complaint and application to proceed in forma pauperis) must include a certificate of service on the last page of the document stating the date a copy of the document was mailed to the defendants and the address to which it was mailed. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(a), (d). Any document received by the Court that does not include a certificate of service may be stricken. This section does not apply to inmates housed at an Arizona Department of Corrections facility that participates in electronic filing. A certificate of service should be in the following form:
I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing document was mailed this (month, day, year) to: Name: Address: Attorney for Defendant(s)
(Signature)
9. Amended Complaint. If you need to change any of the information in the initial complaint, you must file an amended complaint. The amended complaint must be written on the court- approved civil rights complaint form. You may file one amended complaint without leave (permission) of Court within 21 days after serving it or within 21 days after any defendant has filed an answer, whichever is earlier. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a). Thereafter, you must file a motion for leave to amend and lodge (submit) a proposed amended complaint. LRCiv 15.1. In addition, an amended complaint may not incorporate by reference any part of your prior complaint. LRCiv 15.1(a)(2). Any allegations or defendants not included in the amended complaint are considered dismissed. All amended complaints are subject to screening under the Prison Litigation Reform Act; screening your amendment will take additional processing time.
10. Exhibits. You should not submit exhibits with the complaint or amended complaint. Instead, the relevant information should be paraphrased. You should keep the exhibits to use to support or oppose a motion to dismiss, a motion for summary judgment, or at trial.
11. Letters and Motions. It is generally inappropriate to write a letter to any judge or the staff of any judge. The only appropriate way to communicate with the Court is by filing a written pleading or motion.
2 12. Completing the Civil Rights Complaint Form.
HEADING: 1. Your Name. Print your name, prison or inmate number, and institutional mailing address on the lines provided.
2. Defendants. If there are four or fewer defendants, print the name of each. If you name more than four defendants, print the name of the first defendant on the first line, write the words “and others” on the second line, and attach an additional page listing the names of all of the defendants. Insert the additional page after page 1 and number it “1- A” at the bottom.
3. Jury Demand. If you want a jury trial, you must write “JURY TRIAL DEMANDED” in the space below “CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT BY A PRISONER.” Failure to do so may result in the loss of the right to a jury trial. A jury trial is not available if you are seeking only injunctive relief.
Part A. JURISDICTION: 1. Nature of Suit. Mark whether you are filing the complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. ' 1983 for state, county, or city defendants; “Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents” for federal defendants; or “other.” If you mark “other,” identify the source of that authority.
2. Location. Identify the institution and city where the alleged violation of your rights occurred.
3. Defendants. Print all of the requested information about each of the defendants in the spaces provided. If you are naming more than four defendants, you must provide the necessary information about each additional defendant on separate pages labeled “2-A,” “2-B,” etc., at the bottom. Insert the additional page(s) immediately behind page 2.
Part B. PREVIOUS LAWSUITS: You must identify any other lawsuit you have filed in either state or federal court while you were a prisoner. Print all of the requested information about each lawsuit in the spaces provided. If you have filed more than three lawsuits, you must provide the necessary information about each additional lawsuit on a separate page. Label the page(s) as “2-A,” “2-B,” etc., at the bottom of the page and insert the additional page(s) immediately behind page 2.
Part C. CAUSE OF ACTION: You must identify what rights each defendant violated. The form provides space to allege three separate counts (one violation per count). If you are alleging more than three counts, you must provide the necessary information about each additional count on a separate page. Number the additional pages “5-A,” “5-B,” etc., and insert them immediately behind page 5. Remember that you are limited to a total of fifteen additional pages.
3 1. Counts. You must identify which civil right was violated. You may allege the violation of only one civil right per count.
2. Issue Involved. Check the box that most closely identifies the issue involved in your claim. You may check only one box per count. If you check the box marked “Other,” you must identify the specific issue involved.
3. Supporting Facts. After you have identified which civil right was violated, you must state the supporting facts. Be as specific as possible. You must state what each individual defendant did to violate your rights. If there is more than one defendant, you must identify which defendant did what act. You also should state the date(s) on which the act(s) occurred, if possible.
4. Injury. State precisely how you were injured by the alleged violation of your rights.
5. Administrative Remedies. You must exhaust any available administrative remedies before you file a civil rights complaint. See 42 U.S.C. § 1997e. Consequently, you should disclose whether you have exhausted the inmate grievance procedures or administrative appeals for each count in your complaint. If the grievance procedures were not available for any of your counts, fully explain why on the lines provided.
Part D. REQUEST FOR RELIEF: Print the relief you are seeking in the space provided.
SIGNATURE: You must sign your name and print the date you signed the complaint. Failure to sign the complaint will delay the processing of your action. Unless you are an attorney, you may not bring an action on behalf of anyone but yourself.
FINAL NOTE
You should follow these instructions carefully. Failure to do so may result in your complaint being stricken or dismissed. All questions must be answered concisely in the proper space on the form. If you need more space, you may attach no more than fifteen additional pages. But the form must be completely filled in to the extent applicable. If you attach additional pages, be sure to identify which section of the complaint is being continued and number the pages.
4 ___________________________________________ Name and Prisoner/Booking Number ___________________________________________ Place of Confinement ___________________________________________ Mailing Address ___________________________________________ City, State, Zip Code (Failure to notify the Court of your change of address may result in dismissal of this action.)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA
_________________________________________ , (Full Name of Plaintiff)
Plaintiff, v. CASE NO. __________________________________ (To be supplied by the Clerk) (1) _______________________________________ ,
(Full Name of Defendant) CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT (2) _______________________________________ , BY A PRISONER
(3) _______________________________________ , G Original Complaint (4) _______________________________________ , G First Amended Complaint G Second Amended Complaint Defendant(s).
G Check if there are additional Defendants and attach page 1-A listing them.
A. JURISDICTION
1. This Court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to: G 28 U.S.C. § 1343(a); 42 U.S.C. § 1983 G 28 U.S.C. § 1331; Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents, 403 U.S. 388 (1971). G Other: .
2. Institution/city where violation occurred: .
550/555 B. DEFENDANTS
1. Name of first Defendant: . The first Defendant is employed as: ______________________________________________ at_______________________________________. (Position and Title) (Institution)
2. Name of second Defendant: . The second Defendant is employed as: as: ______________________________________________ at_______________________________________. (Position and Title) (Institution)
3. Name of third Defendant: . The third Defendant is employed as: ______________________________________________ at_______________________________________. (Position and Title) (Institution)
4. Name of fourth Defendant: . The fourth Defendant is employed as: ______________________________________________ at_______________________________________. (Position and Title) (Institution)
If you name more than four Defendants, answer the questions listed above for each additional Defendant on a separate page.
C. PREVIOUS LAWSUITS
1. Have you filed any other lawsuits while you were a prisoner? G Yes G No
2. If yes, how many lawsuits have you filed? . Describe the previous lawsuits:
a. First prior lawsuit: 1. Parties: v. 2. Court and case number: . 3. Result: (Was the case dismissed? Was it appealed? Is it still pending?) .
b. Second prior lawsuit: 1. Parties: v. 2. Court and case number: . 3. Result: (Was the case dismissed? Was it appealed? Is it still pending?) .
c. Third prior lawsuit: 1. Parties: v. 2. Court and case number: . 3. Result: (Was the case dismissed? Was it appealed? Is it still pending?) .
If you filed more than three lawsuits, answer the questions listed above for each additional lawsuit on a separate page. 2 D. CAUSE OF ACTION
COUNT I 1. State the constitutional or other federal civil right that was violated: .
2. Count I. Identify the issue involved. Check only one. State additional issues in separate counts. G Basic necessities G Mail G Access to the court G Medical care G Disciplinary proceedings G Property G Exercise of religion G Retaliation G Excessive force by an officer G Threat to safety G Other: .
3. Supporting Facts. State as briefly as possible the FACTS supporting Count I. Describe exactly what each Defendant did or did not do that violated your rights. State the facts clearly in your own words without citing legal authority or arguments.
.
4. Injury. State how you were injured by the actions or inactions of the Defendant(s).
5. Administrative Remedies: a. Are there any administrative remedies (grievance procedures or administrative appeals) available at your institution? G Yes G No b. Did you submit a request for administrative relief on Count I? G Yes G No c. Did you appeal your request for relief on Count I to the highest level? G Yes G No d. If you did not submit or appeal a request for administrative relief at any level, briefly explain why you did not. .
3 COUNT II 1. State the constitutional or other federal civil right that was violated: .
2. Count II. Identify the issue involved. Check only one. State additional issues in separate counts. G Basic necessities G Mail G Access to the court G Medical care G Disciplinary proceedings G Property G Exercise of religion G Retaliation G Excessive force by an officer G Threat to safety G Other: .
3. Supporting Facts. State as briefly as possible the FACTS supporting Count II. Describe exactly what each Defendant did or did not do that violated your rights. State the facts clearly in your own words without citing legal authority or arguments.
4. Injury. State how you were injured by the actions or inactions of the Defendant(s).
5. Administrative Remedies. a. Are there any administrative remedies (grievance procedures or administrative appeals) available at your institution? G Yes G No b. Did you submit a request for administrative relief on Count II? G Yes G No c. Did you appeal your request for relief on Count II to the highest level? G Yes G No d. If you did not submit or appeal a request for administrative relief at any level, briefly explain why you did not. .
4 COUNT III 1. State the constitutional or other federal civil right that was violated: .
2. Count III. Identify the issue involved. Check only one. State additional issues in separate counts. G Basic necessities G Mail G Access to the court G Medical care G Disciplinary proceedings G Property G Exercise of religion G Retaliation G Excessive force by an officer G Threat to safety G Other: .
3. Supporting Facts. State as briefly as possible the FACTS supporting Count III. Describe exactly what each Defendant did or did not do that violated your rights. State the facts clearly in your own words without citing legal authority or arguments.
4. Injury. State how you were injured by the actions or inactions of the Defendant(s).
5. Administrative Remedies. a. Are there any administrative remedies (grievance procedures or administrative appeals) available at your institution? G Yes G No b. Did you submit a request for administrative relief on Count III? G Yes G No c. Did you appeal your request for relief on Count III to the highest level? G Yes G No d. If you did not submit or appeal a request for administrative relief at any level, briefly explain why you did not. .
If you assert more than three Counts, answer the questions listed above for each additional Count on a separate page.
5 E. REQUEST FOR RELIEF
State the relief you are seeking:
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed on DATE SIGNATURE OF PLAINTIFF
___________________________________________ (Name and title of paralegal, legal assistant, or other person who helped prepare this complaint)
___________________________________________ (Signature of attorney, if any)
___________________________________________ (Attorney=s address & telephone number)
ADDITIONAL PAGES
All questions must be answered concisely in the proper space on the form. If you need more space, you may attach no more than fifteen additional pages. But the form must be completely filled in to the extent applicable. If you attach additional pages, be sure to identify which section of the complaint is being continued and number all pages.