Citrano v. Allen Correctional Center

891 F. Supp. 312, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8598, 1995 WL 371327
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedJune 14, 1995
DocketCV 94-1076
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 891 F. Supp. 312 (Citrano v. Allen Correctional Center) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Citrano v. Allen Correctional Center, 891 F. Supp. 312, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8598, 1995 WL 371327 (W.D. La. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM RULING

TRIMBLE, District Judge.

Presently before the court is a civil rights complaint filed in forma pauperis by pro se petitioners Joseph V. Citrano and Kevin R. Chapman. The petition is based upon 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and was filed in the United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana. The plaintiffs are currently confined at Allen Correctional Center in Kinder, Louisiana.

The plaintiffs allege that on or about March 29, 1994, plaintiffs were taken from their dormitory quarters and assaulted by the defendants, Sgt. Whittington, Sgt. Sten-son, and Sgt. Jacobs. Plaintiffs allege that this physical assault was without lawful cause and in derogation of the plaintiffs’ civil rights. Said assault resulted in significant and permanent personal injuries. The plaintiffs further allege that after the alleged assault, the defendant, Captain Bellon, hindered, prevented, discouraged and prohibited the plaintiffs from receiving adequate medical for their injuries. It is alleged that this action by Capt. Bellon constitutes deliberate indifference to the medical needs of the plaintiffs, which is actionable pursuant to 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983.

It is further alleged that the remaining defendants, Sgt. Jowel, Sgt. Austin, Warden Terry Terrell, Deputy Warden Andrews and Deputy Warden Crutcher, acting individually and in concert with each other, then prevented discouraged, hindered and prohibited the plaintiffs from seeking legal redress for their injuries and engaged in a concerted and individual effort to cover up, hide, negate, and otherwise avoid disclosure of the alleged incident. Warden Andrews allegedly received a telephone call from Lucille Gwenn, Chapman’s grandmother, concerning his injuries, but was advised that he was jumped by other inmates.

*315 The defendants filed a Motion to Dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b) F.R.Civ.P. stating that:

1) The Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution bars official capacity suits against state officials;
2) The defendants are entitled to qualified immunity;
3) The plaintiffs failed to state a cause of action upon which relief can be granted.

The defendants move for dismissal pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6), failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Rule 12(b) states that “[I]f, on a motion asserting the defense numbered (6) to dismiss for failure of the pleading to state a claim upon which, relief can be granted, matters outside the pleading are presented to and not excluded by the court, the motion shall be treated as one for summary judgment and disposed of as provided in Rule 56, and all parties shall be given reasonable opportunity to present all material made pertinent to such a motion by Rule 56.” The movers did not introduce matters outside the pleadings in this case, therefore the court will consider this a Rule 12(b) motion.

On a F.R.Civ.P. Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the Court must view the plaintiffs’ complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs and must accept as true all of the factual allegations in the complaint. 1 The motion will be denied if the allegations support relief on any possible theory. 2 The court will “bend over backwards, to avoid granting a 12(b) motion to dismiss.” 3

“The court’s inquiry is directed to whether the allegations constitute a statement of a claim under Rule 8(a).” 4 All that is required is ■ that the petition include “a short and plain statement of the claim that gives the defendants fair notice of what the plaintiffs’ claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” 5

There is no requirement that the plaintiff “set out in detail the facts upon which he bases his claim.” 6 General factual allegations are sufficient and the court “will presume that general allegations embrace those specific facts that are necessary to support the claim.” 7 However, conclusory allegations concerning the legal affect of the events alleged do not have to be accepted by the court. 8

Qualified Immunity ■

Allen .Correctional Center (ACC) is a state corrections facility under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. It is operated by a private contractor, Wackenhut Corporation (Wackenhut), in accordance with the provisions of the Louisiana Corrections Private Management Act, LSA-R.S. 39:1800.1 et seq. Thus, the personnel operating the prison are émployees of a private corporation rather than direct employees of the state. One issue before the court is whether the prison officials and correction officers at ACC are entitled to the qualified immunity afforded state prison officials. See Procunier v. Navarette, 434 U.S. 555, 98 S.Ct. 855, 55 L.Ed.2d 24 (1978). There is little authority on point and the authority that does exist is in conflict. Manis v. Corrections Corporation of America, 859 F.Supp. 302 (M.D.Tenn. *316 1994) (no immunity); Smith v. United States, 850 F.Supp. 984 (M.D.Fla.1994) (immunity); Tinnen v. Corrections Corporation of America, 1993 WL 738121 (W.D.Tenn.1993) (immunity). This court concludes that the defense of qualified immunity is available to ACC personnel.

The Supreme Court recognized qualified immunity for government officials in Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974). In doing so the Court relied on the common law for guidance.

... the common law soon recognized the necessity of permitting officials to perform their official functions free from the threat of suits for personal liability. This official immunity apparently rested, in its genesis, on two mutually dependent rationales: (1) the injustice, particularly in the absence of bad faith, of subjecting to liability an officer who is required, by the legal obligations of his position, to exercise discretion; (2) the danger that the threat of such liability would deter his willingness to execute his office with the decisiveness and the judgment required by the public good.

416 U.S. at 239-40, 94 S.Ct. at 1688

In extending qualified immunity to school officials the Court stated:

The imposition of monetary costs for mistakes which were not unreasonable in the fight of all the circumstances would undoubtedly deter even the most conscientious school decision maker from exercising his judgment independently, forcefully, and in a manner best serving the long-term interest of the school and the students.

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Bluebook (online)
891 F. Supp. 312, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8598, 1995 WL 371327, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/citrano-v-allen-correctional-center-lawd-1995.