Gavino Macias v. David Haehl, et al.

CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedApril 14, 2026
Docket5:26-cv-03035
StatusUnknown

This text of Gavino Macias v. David Haehl, et al. (Gavino Macias v. David Haehl, et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gavino Macias v. David Haehl, et al., (D. Kan. 2026).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF KANSAS

GAVINO MACIAS,

Plaintiff,

v. CASE NO. 26-3035-JWL

DAVID HAEHL, et al.,

Defendants.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

Plaintiff Gavino Macias is hereby required to show good cause, in writing to the undersigned, why this action should not be dismissed due to the deficiencies in Plaintiff’s Complaint that are discussed herein. Plaintiff should also indicate if he is seeking a stay of this case pending resolution of his state court proceedings. I. Nature of the Matter before the Court Plaintiff brings this pro se civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff is incarcerated at the Lansing Correctional Facility in Lansing, Kansas (“LCF”). The Court grants Plaintiff’s motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. Plaintiff alleges in his Amended Complaint that he is being denied court access based on the seizure of legal mail regarding his state criminal proceedings. (Doc. 4, at 2.) Plaintiff alleges that his outgoing legal mail to his attorney and to the clerk of the District Court of Miami County, Kansas, was seized by Defendants because they recognized Pat Lynn’s handwriting on the mail. Id. Plaintiff alleges that Defendants failed to ascertain whether the addresses were for Plaintiff’s attorney and the court clerk and failed to determine whether there was a K.S.A. 22-3210 proceeding pending with Mr. Lowry serving as Plaintiff’s attorney. Id. at 3. Plaintiff alleges that on February 6, 2026, Pat Lynn (Plaintiff’s cellmate) was served with two seizure notices for mail sent to him by clerk Stephanie Gerken and attorney Forest Lowery. Id. Plaintiff claims that Defendants’ actions are criminal under 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 and 242 “& other offenses & must be prosecuted.” Id. Plaintiff claims that this deserves investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the appointment of a special master, and class action certification. Id. Plaintiff claims that K.S.A. 44-12-702 entitles him to obtain the services of his cellmate—Mr.

Lynn.1 Id. at 3–4. Plaintiff acknowledges that he contacted his defense attorney (through his mother) to have his attorney seek injunctive and mandamus relief and protective orders in his state criminal case. Id. at 4. He claims he has only spoken to his attorney once by phone, he is not receiving copies of pleadings in his state criminal case, and his attorney has committed malpractice and colluded/conspired with Defendants. Id. at 5. Plaintiff alleges that the state court judge presiding over his criminal Case No. 24-CR-0147 in Miami County District Court should recuse, and the district attorney should disqualify himself and his office. Id. at 6. As Count I, Plaintiff alleges that the LCF and KDOC defendants have violated his

constitutional rights by seizing and opening his mail, by refusing to mail out Plaintiff’s legal mail, and by violating his legal rights under K.A.R. 44-12-702. Id. at 8. Plaintiff also claims that these defendants have violated criminal laws. Id. For his supporting facts, Plaintiff refers the Court to

1 The regulation provides that “[i]n accordance with applicable rules of the facility, an inmate may give, but shall not charge for, assistance in legal matters to another inmate if the assistance is requested by the other inmate. Violation of this regulation shall be a class II offense.” K.A.R. 44-12-702. The allegation that a state regulation has been violated does not state a constitutional violation. See D.L. v. United Sch. Dist. No. 497, 596 F.3d 768, 776 (10th Cir. 2010) (finding that “Plaintiffs’ citations to Kansas case law to support their claim . . . is unavailing, as § 1983 affords a remedy for violations of federal law and does not ‘provide a basis for redressing violations of state law.’ ”) (citation omitted). The Tenth Circuit has held that an inmate has no constitutional right to work as a jailhouse lawyer. Brooks v. Colorado Dep’t of Corr., 762 F. App’x 551, 559 (10th Cir. 2019) (unpublished) (citing Smith v. Maschner, 899 F.2d 940, 950 (10th Cir. 1990); cf. Shaw v. Murphy, 532 U.S. 223, 231, 121 S.Ct. 1475, 149 L.Ed.2d 420 (2001) (declining “to cloak the provision of legal assistance [by prisoners] with any First Amendment protection above and beyond the protection normally accorded prisoners’ speech” because “it is indisputable that inmate law clerks are sometimes a menace to prison discipline” (internal quotations omitted)). his attached Exhibits 1 through 3.2 Id. As Count II, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants Lowry, Harth, Harding, Morrison, and Dersch violated his 6th and 14th Amendment rights, violated state statutes and rules, and conspired to deprive Plaintiff of his right to redress under K.S.A. 22-3210(d)(1). Id. For his supporting facts, Plaintiff again refers the Court to his Exhibits 1 through 3. Id.

As Count III, Plaintiff alleges that various Defendants have violated his right to receive personal mail from family members without just cause or explanation. Id. at 9. Plaintiff believes that his personal mail from his mother and cousin that includes copies of responses and orders in his state criminal case, has been unlawfully seized to prevent him from filing pro se rebuttals. Id. at 6. The Exhibits that Plaintiff refers to for his factual support include his Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus filed on February 19, 2026, in the District Court of Leavenworth County, Kansas, in Case No. 26-CV-069. (Doc. 5, at 2–19.) Plaintiff also attaches two “Notice and Protest of Mail Withholding” from LCF addressing the withholding of mail on February 6, 2026, from Stephanie

Gerken and on the same date from Forest Lowry. Id. at 20–21. The Notices indicate that the mail was withheld due to “Third-party communication – sending out legal mail for other residents.” Id. He also attaches his grievance regarding mail from his family members. Id. at 23. Plaintiff names thirty defendants in his Amended Complaint. Plaintiff names as defendants: David Haehl, Acting Special Agent Supervisor of EAI at LCF; Michael Segretto, Mailroom Supervisor at LCF; Jennifer Crouse, Mailroom Staff at LCF; Nicholas Ball, Deputy Warden of Operations at LCF; Veronica Waters, Staff Attorney at LCF; Gloria Geither, LCF Warden; the Kansas Department of Corrections (“KDOC”); Jeff Zmuda, KDOC Secretary of

2 Plaintiff failed to attach the exhibits to his Amended Complaint, but filed them later as Doc. 5. Corrections; the State of Kansas; Andre Sandridge, EAI at LCF; Daniel Bryan, EAI at LCF; Christopher Tomlinson, EAI at LCF; (fnu) West, EAI at LCF; (fnu) (lnu) EAI Male Agent, LCF; Laura Kelly, Governor of Kansas; Todd Thompson, Leavenworth County District Attorney; (fnu) Dedeke, Leavenworth County Sheriff; Joan Lowdon, Leavenworth County Chief Judge; (fnu) (lnu) (2) KDOC Chief Counsel and Other Attorneys; Ryan Reece, LCF Deputy Warden; Kimberly

Betzhold, LCF Deputy Warden; (fnu) (lnu) (3), Mail Censor, KDOC; Paul Morrison, Attorney; Veronica Dersch, Attorney; Forest Lowery, Former Attorney; Kenton Harding, Miami County District Attorney; and Amy Harth, Miami County Chief Attorney.

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

Related

Robb v. Connolly
111 U.S. 624 (Supreme Court, 1884)
Younger v. Harris
401 U.S. 37 (Supreme Court, 1971)
Steffel v. Thompson
415 U.S. 452 (Supreme Court, 1974)
West v. Atkins
487 U.S. 42 (Supreme Court, 1988)
Erickson v. Pardus
551 U.S. 89 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Wallace v. Kato
127 S. Ct. 1091 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Lynn v. Kunen
162 F.3d 1173 (Tenth Circuit, 1998)
Fymbo v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co.
213 F.3d 1320 (Tenth Circuit, 2000)
Winnebago Tribe v. Stovall
341 F.3d 1202 (Tenth Circuit, 2003)
D.L. v. Unified School District No. 497
392 F.3d 1223 (Tenth Circuit, 2004)
Anderson v. Blake
469 F.3d 910 (Tenth Circuit, 2006)
Nasious v. Two Unknown B.I.C.E. Agents
492 F.3d 1158 (Tenth Circuit, 2007)
Buck v. Myers
244 F. App'x 193 (Tenth Circuit, 2007)
Kay v. Bemis
500 F.3d 1214 (Tenth Circuit, 2007)
Smith v. United States
561 F.3d 1090 (Tenth Circuit, 2009)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Gavino Macias v. David Haehl, et al., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gavino-macias-v-david-haehl-et-al-ksd-2026.