GILLIS v. SMITH

District Court, M.D. Georgia·Decided May 13, 2022·No. 5:22-cv-00027·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF GEORGIA MACON DIVISION

FRANK GILLIS, : : Plaintiff : : CASE NO. 5:22-CV-00027-TES-CHW VS. : : WARDEN TAMARSHE SMITH, : DEPUTY WARDEN McKENZIE, : UNIT MANAGER McKELLER, : COUNSELOR JEFFERIES, : DR. KENNETH COWENS, : NP LARRY HELMSLEY, : NURSE DEBORAH TYMES, : NURSE MAXIE,1 : : PROCEEDINGS UNDER 42 U.S.C. §1983 Defendants : BEFORE THE U. S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE __________________________________ ORDER AND RECOMMENDATION This case is currently before the United States Magistrate Judge for screening as required by the Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”), 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). Pro se Plaintiff Frank Gillis, an inmate at the Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Georgia, filed a civil rights complaint (ECF No. 1) and an amended complaint (ECF No 5) pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Court ordered the Plaintiff to recast his complaint. ECF No. 8. Plaintiff has filed his recast complaint. ECF No. 11. Plaintiff also filed a motions for leave

1 Plaintiff has amended his complaint. ECF No. 11. In his amended complaint, Plaintiff does not name Unit Manager Jackson as a Defendant. Id. at 4. Plaintiff adds Nurse Maxie as a Defendant. Id. Therefore, the Clerk’s office is DIRECTED to terminate Unit Manager Jackson as a Defendant and to add Nurse Maxie as a Defendant. See Lowery v. Ala. Power Co., 483 F.3d 1184, 1219 (11th Cir. 2007) (citations omitted) (noting that an amended complaint generally supersedes an original complaint. to proceed in forma pauperis. ECF Nos. 2 and 6. Plaintiff’s motions for leave to proceed in forma pauperis are GRANTED as outlined below. Because Plaintiff is permitted to proceed without prepayment of the filing fee, Plaintiff’s motion for help with filing fee

(ECF No. 12) and motion for order to pay the filing fee (ECF No. 13) are DENIED as moot. Lastly, Plaintiff’s request for the appointment of an attorney (ECF No. 15) is DENIED as explained below. Plaintiff’s complaint is now ripe for preliminary review. On preliminary review, Plaintiff’s due process and conditions of confinement claims against Defendant Smith shall

proceed for further factual development. It is RECOMMENDED, however, that Plaintiff’s deliberate indifference to a serious medical need and retaliation claim against Defendant Smith be DISMISSED without prejudice. It is further RECOMMENDED that Plaintiff’s claims as to Defendants Cowens, Helmsley, Tymes, Maxie, McKenzie, McKellar, and Jefferies be DISMISSED without prejudice. It is also

RECOMMENDED that Plaintiff’s request for preliminary injunctive relief (ECF No. 10) be DENIED. MOTION FOR LEAVE TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS Plaintiff seeks leave to proceed without prepayment of the filing fee or security therefor pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). ECF Nos. 2 and 6. As it appears Plaintiff is

unable to pay the cost of commencing this action2, his application to proceed in forma

2 Plaintiff’s account statement indicates that he received a “stimulus payment” in the amount of $1400. ECF No. 6 at 4 and 5. However, those funds have not been generally released to the incarcerated within the Georgia Department of Corrections for personal use. See e.g. https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/02/06/stimulus-debit-cards-unusable-for-prison-inmates-in-at- pauperis is hereby GRANTED. However, even if a prisoner is allowed to proceed in forma pauperis, he must nevertheless pay the full amount of the $350.00 filing fee. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). If the prisoner has sufficient assets, he must pay the filing fee in a

lump sum. If sufficient assets are not in the account, the court must assess an initial partial filing fee based on the assets available. Despite this requirement, a prisoner may not be prohibited from bringing a civil action because he has no assets and no means by which to pay the initial partial filing fee. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4). In the event the prisoner has no assets, payment of the partial filing fee prior to filing will be waived.

Plaintiff’s submissions indicate that he is unable to pay the initial partial filing fee. Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that his complaint be filed and that he be allowed to proceed without paying an initial partial filing fee. I. Directions to Plaintiff’s Custodian Hereafter, Plaintiff will be required to make monthly payments of 20% of the

deposits made to his prisoner account during the preceding month toward the full filing fee. The clerk of court is DIRECTED to send a copy of this Order to the facility in which the Plaintiff is housed. It is ORDERED that the warden of the institution wherein Plaintiff is incarcerated, or the sheriff of any county wherein he is held in custody, and any successor custodians, shall each month cause to be remitted to the Clerk of this Court twenty percent

(20%) of the preceding month’s income credited to Plaintiff’s account at said institution until the $350.00 filing fee has been paid in full. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). In accordance

least-four-states. Plaintiff’s account statement reflects this trend in that his “spendable amount” of funds is indicated as $0. ECF No. 6 at 4 and 5. with provisions of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”), Plaintiff’s custodian is hereby authorized to forward payments from the prisoner’s account to the Clerk of Court each month until the filing fee is paid in full, provided the amount in the account exceeds

$10.00. It is ORDERED that collection of monthly payments from Plaintiff’s trust fund account shall continue until the entire $350.00 has been collected, notwithstanding the dismissal of Plaintiff’s lawsuit or the granting of judgment against him prior to the collection of the full filing fee. II. Plaintiff’s Obligations Upon Release

An individual’s release from prison does not excuse his prior noncompliance with the provisions of the PLRA. Thus, in the event Plaintiff is hereafter released from the custody of the State of Georgia or any county thereof, he shall remain obligated to pay those installments justified by the income to his prisoner trust account while he was still incarcerated. The Court hereby authorizes collection from Plaintiff of any balance due on

these payments by any means permitted by law in the event Plaintiff is released from custody and fails to remit such payments. Plaintiff’s Complaint may be dismissed if he is able to make payments but fails to do so or if he otherwise fails to comply with the provisions of the PLRA. MOTION FOR AN APPOINTED ATTORNEY

Plaintiff has moved this Court to appoint him an attorney. ECF No. 15. As this is Plaintiff’s first request for counsel, the Court advises Plaintiff that “[a]ppointment of counsel in a civil case is not a constitutional right.” Wahl v McIver, 773 F.2d 1169, 1174 (11th Cir. 1986). Appointment of counsel is a privilege that is justified only by exceptional circumstances. Id. In deciding whether legal counsel should be provided, the Court considers, among other factors, the merits of Plaintiff’s claim and the complexity of the issues presented. Holt v. Ford, 862 F.2d 850, 853 (11th Cir. 1989).3

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