Chambers v. Copeland

CourtDistrict Court, D. Alaska
DecidedJuly 28, 2025
Docket4:25-cv-00011
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Chambers v. Copeland, (D. Alaska 2025).

Opinion

THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF ALASKA MARCUSAZIA CHAMBERS, Plaintiff, v. Case No. 4:25-cv-00011-SLG JILL COPELAND and THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA POLICE DEPARTMENT, Defendants. SCREENING ORDER

On March 13, 2025, self-represented prisoner Marcusazia Chambers, also known as Apollo Knight,1 (“Plaintiff”) filed a civil complaint, a civil cover sheet, and an application to waive prepayment of the filing fee.2 Plaintiff’s Complaint alleges that he was subjected to police brutality and wrongfully arrested on school grounds in June 2023.3 Plaintiff claims he was found innocent after a trial by jury, but the “University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Department… continued to deprive [him] of

[his] basic human rights.”4 For relief, Plaintiff seeks $750,000 in damages.5

1 Plaintiff’s name was legally changed from Marcusazia Chambers to Apollo Anthony Knight in February 2025. In the Matter of: Chambers, Marcusazia New Name: Knight, Apollo Anthony AKW, Case No. 4FA-25-01219CI. 2 Dockets 1-4. 3 Docket 1 at 2. 4 Docket 1 at 2. 5 Docket 1 at 2. As an initial matter, this action is deficient because Plaintiff has not paid the filing fee or filed a completed application to waive prepayment of the fee with a statement from his prison trust account for the six months preceding the date this

case was filed.6 Although at Docket 3, Plaintiff filed a motion to waive prepayment of the filing fee on a state court form, that filing does not satisfy the requirements for proceeding without prepayment of fees under federal law. Therefore, Plaintiff’s motion at Docket 3 is DENIED without prejudice to filing a completed application that complies with federal law.

The Court has now screened Plaintiff’s Complaint in accordance with 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e) and 1915A. For the reasons discussed in this order, Plaintiff's Complaint fails to adequately state a claim for which relief may be granted. Therefore, the Complaint is DISMISSED. However, Plaintiff is accorded 60 days to file an amended complaint that attempts to correct the deficiencies

identified in this order. If Plaintiff chooses to file an amended complaint, he must also file a completed application to waive prepayment of the filing fee and a statement of his prisoner trust account for the past six months. Should Plaintiff proceed with this

6 Plaintiff lists his address as the Fairbanks Correctional Center. For a prisoner to properly commence a civil action against a government actor, the litigant must either pay the filing fee of $405.00 or file an application to waive prepayment of the filing fee. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). See also Alaska Local Civil Rule 3.1(c)(3) (“Applications to proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915 must be fully completed and signed before an application to waive prepayment of fees will be considered. Prisoners must include a certified copy of their prison trust account statement, dating back six months.”). Case No. 4:25-cv-00011-SLG, Chambers v. Copeland, et al. case, the Court will issue a separate order on the collection of the filing fee. Alternatively, Plaintiff may file a notice of voluntarily dismissal in which he elects to close this case.

Pursuant to Rule 201 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, the Court takes judicial notice of the Courtview records of the Alaska Court System.7 SCREENING STANDARD Under the Prison Litigation Reform Act, a federal district court must screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a governmental entity or

officer or employee of a governmental entity.8 In this screening, a district court shall dismiss the case at any time if the court determines that the action: (i) is frivolous or malicious; (ii) fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted; or (iii) seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.9

In conducting its screening review, a district court must accept as true the allegations of the complaint, construe the complaint in the light most favorable to

7 Judicial notice is the “court’s acceptance, for purposes of convenience and without requiring a party’s proof, of a well-known and indisputable fact; the court’s power to accept such a fact.” Black’s Law Dictionary (12th ed. 2024); See also United States ex rel. Robinson Rancheria Citizens Council v. Borneo, Inc., 971 F.2d 244, 248 (9th Cir. 1992) (“We may take notice of proceedings in other courts, both within and without the federal judicial system, if those proceedings have a direct relation to matters at issue”) (internal citations and quotation marks omitted.). 8 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915, 1915A. 9 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). Case No. 4:25-cv-00011-SLG, Chambers v. Copeland, et al. the plaintiff, and resolve all doubts in the plaintiff's favor.10 However, a court is not required to accept as true conclusory allegations, unreasonable inferences, or unwarranted deductions of fact.11 Although the scope of review generally is limited

to the contents of the complaint, a court may also consider documents attached to the complaint, documents incorporated by reference in the complaint, or matters of judicial notice.12 Such documents that contradict the allegations of a complaint may fatally undermine the complaint's allegations.13 Before a court may dismiss any portion of a complaint, a court must provide

a plaintiff with a statement of the deficiencies in the complaint and an opportunity to file an amended complaint, unless to do so would be futile.14 Futility exists when “the allegation of other facts consistent with the challenged pleading could not possibly cure the deficiency.”15 DISCUSSION

I. Requirements to State a Claim

10Bernhardt v. L.A. County, 339 F.3d 920, 925 (9th Cir. 2003) (holding that a court must construe pleadings filed by self-represented litigants liberally and afford the complainant the benefit of any doubt). 11 Doe I v. Wal–Mart Stores, Inc., 572 F.3d 677, 681 (9th Cir. 2009) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). 12 United States v. Ritchie, 342 F.3d 903, 908 (9th Cir. 2003). 13 Sprewell v. Golden State Warriors, 266 F.3d 979, 988 (9th Cir. 2001), amended by 275 F.3d 1187 (2001) (noting that a plaintiff can “plead himself out of a claim by including . . . details contrary to his claims”). 14 Gordon v. City of Oakland, 627 F.3d 1092, 1094 (9th Cir. 2010) (citing Albrecht v. Lund, 845 F.2d 193, 195 (9th Cir. 1988)). 15 Schreiber Distributing Co. v. Serv-Well Furniture Co., 806 F.2d 1393, 1401 (9th Cir. 1986). Case No. 4:25-cv-00011-SLG, Chambers v. Copeland, et al. Rule 8 of the

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