Erskine v. James T. Vaughn Correctional Center C/O Dennis

District Court, D. Delaware·Decided October 6, 2021·No. 1:21-cv-01016·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE

JUSTIN ERSKINE, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) C.A. No. 21-1016 (MN) ) C/O DENNIS, et al., ) ) Defendants. )

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Justin Erskine, Georgetown, DE – Pro Se Plaintiff

October 6, 2021 Wilmington, Delaware ee. Marge en Neri Plaintiff Justin Erskine (‘Plaintiff’), an inmate at Sussex Correctional Institution (“SCT”), filed this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (D.I. 1). He appears pro se and has been granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis. (D.I. 3). This Court proceeds to screen the Complaint (D.I. 1) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(b) and § 1915A(a). I. BACKGROUND Plaintiff filed a complaint with three distinct claims. (D.I. 1). This Court severed the claims into three separate cases so that the litigation could proceed in a logical fashion. (See D.I. 4). The instant Complaint consists of pages 14 through 17 and 24. (D.I. 1). Plaintiff complains of actions by C/O Dennis (“Dennis”), Cpl. Amari Brooks-Coleman (‘“Brooks- Coleman”), Lt. Kevin Lorick (“Lorick”), Lt. Orlando DeJesus (“DeJesus”), Lt. Richard Parsons (“Parsons”), C/O Majea (“Majea”), Sgt. Snyder (“Snyder”), and Lt. Heishman (“Heishman”) that took place at JTVCC between July 7, 2020 and September 24, 2020. (/d. at 13-17). While housed at SCI, Plaintiff contracted COVID-19 and, on July 7, 2020, he was transferred to James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (“JTVCC”). (D.I. 1 at 14). Plaintiff was housed in the COVID wing and alleges that the conditions were so deplorable that one of his friends organized citizen-led protests. (/d.). Plaintiff alleges that at one point, Dennis threatened to mace him after Plaintiff left laundry on the floor, “ostensibly in retaliation” for the actions of Plaintiff's friend who organized the protests against the conditions and treatment of prisoners.

Plaintiff alleges that JTVCC placed a moratorium on write-ups. (/d.). Despite the moratorium, Brooks-Coleman issued Plaintiff a disciplinary write-up for possession of a tablet device. (/d.). The tablets are issued by, and are the property of, the DOC. (/d.). Plaintiff alleges

that Brooks-Coleman falsified several details in the writeup, contradicted herself, and that Brooks- Coleman failed to collect the tablet from Plaintiff. (Id. at 14-15). Lorick conducted the disciplinary hearing. (Id. at 15). Plaintiff alleges that the write-up was retaliatory and false and violated his due process rights.

The next day Plaintiff was presented with another write-up for engaging in sexually explicit conduct during a video visit. (Id.). The write-up was drafted by DeJesus. (Id.). Plaintiff alleges that several inmates were engaged in identical behavior and inmates were told that no write-ups would be issued. (Id.). Parsons conducted the disciplinary hearing. (Id.). Plaintiff requested, and was denied, 24 hours’ notice of the hearing and was told that it did not matter, because Parsons was going to find Plaintiff guilty. (Id.). Plaintiff appealed both infractions. (Id.). He was immediately sanctioned and segregated. His recreation was reduced and he was refused legal calls on several occasions. (Id. at 16). Plaintiff also alleges that he was singled out for treatment, that both Majea and Snyder verbally abused him, taunted him, and shortened his recreation periods, that others committed the same

actions, and that Snyder also verbally harassed and berated him, denied him access to tablets to communicate with his family, and did not allow him to speak to other inmates. (Id.). On August 26, 2020, another inmate used Plaintiff’s PIN number to make a telephone call. (Id. at 17). Plaintiff alleges that because of the pandemic no inmate was written up for this. (Id.). Plaintiff alleges that DeJesus was monitoring Plaintiff’s communications and issued Plaintiff a write-up. (Id.). Plaintiff alleges that although he did not receive a hearing or a disciplinary infraction, the write-up establishes a pattern of retaliation and harassment by the Delaware Department of Correction and DeJesus. (Id.). Plaintiff received another write-up from DeJesus on September 24, 2020, when Plaintiff made a three-way telephone call after DeJesus had removed three telephone numbers from Plaintiff’s allowed call list. (Id.). Plaintiff alleges that due process violations occurred during the hearing presided over by Heishman. (Id.). Plaintiff alleges that he was not given counsel, the

hearing took place prior to 24 hours of his notification of the disciplinary infraction, Heishman was not impartial because he was a childhood friend of Plaintiff’s uncle and Heishman had been romantically rejected by Plaintiff’s mother, and he was not allowed to appeal the disciplinary finding because he transferred back to SCI. (Id.). Plaintiff served the sanction while housed in the COVID unit at JTVCC. (Id.). Plaintiff seeks injunctive relief and compensatory damages. (Id. at 6). II. LEGAL STANDARDS A federal court may properly dismiss an action sua sponte under the screening provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B) and § 1915A(b) if “the action is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is

immune from such relief.” Ball v. Famiglio, 726 F.3d 448, 452 (3d Cir. 2013); see also 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) (in forma pauperis actions); 28 U.S.C. § 1915A (actions in which prisoner seeks redress from a governmental defendant); 42 U.S.C. § 1997e (prisoner actions brought with respect to prison conditions). The Court must accept all factual allegations in a complaint as true and take them in the light most favorable to a pro se plaintiff. See Phillips v. County of Allegheny, 515 F.3d 224, 229 (3d Cir. 2008); Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 93 (2007). Because Plaintiff proceeds pro se, his pleading is liberally construed and his Complaint, “however inartfully pleaded, must be held to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Erickson, 551 U.S. at 94 (citations omitted). A complaint is not automatically frivolous because it fails to state a claim. See Dooley v. Wetzel, 957 F.3d. 366, 374 (3d Cir. Apr. 27, 2020) (quoting Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 331 (1989)); see also Grayson v. Mayview State Hosp., 293 F.3d 103, 112 (3d Cir. 2002). “Rather, a claim is frivolous only where it depends ‘on an “indisputably meritless legal theory” or a “clearly

baseless” or “fantastic or delusional” factual scenario.’” Dooley v. Wetzel, 957 F.3d at 374 (quoting Mitchell v. Horn, 318 F.3d 523, 530 (2003) and Neitzke, 490 U.S. at 327-28). The legal standard for dismissing a complaint for failure to state a claim pursuant to § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) and § 1915A(b)(1) is identical to the legal standard used when deciding Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) motions. See Tourscher v.

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Erskine v. James T. Vaughn Correctional Center C/O Dennis, (D. Del. 2021).

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