Gazlay v. Lombardo

CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedJanuary 3, 2022
Docket2:21-cv-01318
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Gazlay v. Lombardo, (D. Nev. 2022).

Opinion

3 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

4 DISTRICT OF NEVADA

5 * * *

6 STEVEN C. GAZLAY, Case No. 2:21-cv-1318-RFB-BNW

7 Plaintiff, ORDER SCREENING COMPLAINT v. AND DENYING MOTION TO APPOINT 8 COUNSEL JOSEPH LOMBARDO, et al., 9 (ECF No. 7) Defendants. 10 11 Plaintiff Steven C. Gazlay, who was detained at the Clark County Detention Center 12 (“CCDC”), has submitted a civil-rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and paid the full filing 13 fee for a civil action. (ECF Nos. 1-1, 3.) Gazlay also filed a motion for the Court to appoint him a 14 lawyer. (ECF No. 7.) The Court now screens Gazlay’s civil-rights complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 15 1915A and determines his motion to appoint him counsel. 16 I. SCREENING STANDARD 17 Federal courts must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which an incarcerated 18 person seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 19 See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the Court must identify any cognizable claims and dismiss 20 any claims that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or 21 seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. See id. §§ 1915A(b)(1), 22 (2). Pro se pleadings, however, must be liberally construed. See Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 23 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1990). To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege 24 two essential elements: (1) the violation of a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United 25 States; and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a person acting under color of state 26 law. See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). 27 / / / 28 2 Reform Act (“PLRA”), a federal court must dismiss an incarcerated person’s claim if “the 3 allegation of poverty is untrue” or if the action “is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim on 4 which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from 5 such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). Dismissal of a complaint for failure to state a claim upon 6 which relief can be granted is provided for in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), and the 7 Court applies the same standard under § 1915 when reviewing the adequacy of a complaint or an 8 amended complaint. When a court dismisses a complaint under § 1915(e), the plaintiff should be 9 given leave to amend the complaint with directions as to curing its deficiencies, unless it is clear 10 from the face of the complaint that the deficiencies could not be cured by amendment. See Cato v. 11 United States, 70 F.3d 1103, 1106 (9th Cir. 1995). 12 Review under Rule 12(b)(6) is essentially a ruling on a question of law. See Chappel v. 13 Lab. Corp. of Am., 232 F.3d 719, 723 (9th Cir. 2000). Dismissal for failure to state a claim is 14 proper only if the plaintiff cannot prove any set of facts in support of the claim that would entitle 15 him or her to relief. See Morley v. Walker, 175 F.3d 756, 759 (9th Cir. 1999). In making this 16 determination, the Court takes as true all allegations of material fact stated in the complaint, and 17 the Court construes them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Warshaw v. Xoma Corp., 18 74 F.3d 955, 957 (9th Cir. 1996). Allegations of a pro se complainant are held to less stringent 19 standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers. See Hughes v. Rowe, 449 U.S. 5, 9 (1980). 20 While the standard under Rule 12(b)(6) does not require detailed factual allegations, a plaintiff 21 must provide more than mere labels and conclusions. See Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 22 544, 555 (2007). A formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action is insufficient. See id. 23 Additionally, a reviewing court should “begin by identifying pleadings [allegations] that, 24 because they are no more than mere conclusions, are not entitled to the assumption of truth.” 25 Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 679 (2009). “While legal conclusions can provide the framework 26 of a complaint, they must be supported with factual allegations.” Id. “When there are well-pleaded 27 factual allegations, a court should assume their veracity and then determine whether they plausibly 28 give rise to an entitlement to relief.” Id. “Determining whether a complaint states a plausible claim 2 experience and common sense.” Id. 3 Finally, all or part of a complaint filed by an incarcerated person may be dismissed sua 4 sponte if that person’s claims lack an arguable basis either in law or in fact. This includes claims 5 based on legal conclusions that are untenable (e.g., claims against defendants who are immune 6 from suit or claims of infringement of a legal interest which clearly does not exist), as well as 7 claims based on fanciful factual allegations (e.g., fantastic or delusional scenarios). See Neitzke v. 8 Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 327–28 (1989); see also McKeever v. Block, 932 F.2d 795, 798 (9th Cir. 9 1991). 10 II. SCREENING OF COMPLAINT 11 In his Complaint, Gazlay sues multiple Defendants for events that took place while he was 12 detained at CCDC and arrested in Idaho. (ECF No. 1-1 at 3.) Gazlay sues Defendants Joseph 13 Lombardo, Carlos Miranda, Colleen Baharav, Binu Palal, Daniel Hawkins, Janifer Baker, and John 14 Does 1–10. (Id. at 3–4.) Gazlay brings five claims and seeks declaratory, monetary, and injunctive 15 relief. (Id. at 8–19.) 16 Gazlay alleges the following. On January 29, 2021, he was released from CCDC on bail 17 pending trial and under house arrest. (Id. at 5.) But before Gazlay could leave the facility, three 18 officers approached and told Gazlay that, under Sergeant Miranda’s orders, he was being returned 19 to custody. (Id.) Days earlier Gazlay had been quoted in the news as stating that “he had posted 20 his bail but house arrest at the jail were denying him release.” (Id. at 6.) The officers told Gazlay 21 that he was being returned to custody in “‘retaliation for exercising [his] First Amendment right.’” 22 (Id.) 23 Gazlay was told to strip and return his street clothes, but an officer refused to provide him 24 alternative clothes to wear and threatened to beat him if he did not comply. (Id. at 6–7.) Because 25 the officer did not provide alternative clothing, Gazlay put his street clothes on when the officer 26 left the room. (Id. at 7.) The officer saw this, said “you[‘re] gonna be sorry when I return[,] left 27 and returned with a tear gas dispenser and holding batons.

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