Greathouse v. City of Fresno

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedOctober 3, 2024
Docket1:24-cv-00715
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Greathouse v. City of Fresno, (E.D. Cal. 2024).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 JAMES GREATHOUSE, Case No. 1:24-cv-00715-JLT-BAM 12 Plaintiff, SCREENING ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF LEAVE TO FILE AMENDED 13 v. COMPLAINT 14 CITY OF FRESNO, et al., (Doc. 4) 15 Defendants. THIRTY-DAY DEADLINE 16 17 Plaintiff James Greathouse is proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights 18 action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff’s signed complaint, filed on July 1, 2024, is currently 19 before the Court for screening. (Doc. 4.) 20 I. Screening Requirement and Standard 21 The Court screens complaints brought by persons proceeding pro se and in forma 22 pauperis. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). Plaintiff’s complaint, or any portion thereof, is subject to 23 dismissal if it is frivolous or malicious, if it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be 24 granted, or if it seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 25 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). 26 A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the 27 pleader is entitled to relief . . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not 28 required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 1 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell 2 Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). While a plaintiff’s allegations are taken as 3 true, courts “are not required to indulge unwarranted inferences.” Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 4 572 F.3d 677, 681 (9th Cir. 2009) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). 5 To survive screening, Plaintiff’s claims must be facially plausible, which requires 6 sufficient factual detail to allow the Court to reasonably infer that each named defendant is liable 7 for the misconduct alleged. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quotation marks omitted); Moss v. U.S. Secret 8 Serv., 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The sheer possibility that a defendant acted unlawfully 9 is not sufficient, and mere consistency with liability falls short of satisfying the plausibility 10 standard. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quotation marks omitted); Moss, 572 F.3d at 969. 11 II. Plaintiff’s Allegations 12 Plaintiff brings this action against the City of Fresno and the Fresno Police Department. 13 Plaintiff alleges as follows:

14 Plaintiff brings this civil suit against each of the defendants because he was falsely arrested by the Fresno Police Department and was left in a patrol vehicle without 15 the air conditioner on in 105 degree hot weather. When he yelled at the officers and told [them] it was [too] hot in the car, the officers left the windows up in the 16 vehicle and ignored him. This resulted in the Plaintiff having to be treated by an ambulance and taken to the hospital. 17 18 (Doc. 4 at 2.) 19 Plaintiff asserts claims for violation of his First, Fourteenth, and Fourth Amendment 20 rights. He also asserts a claim for conspiracy to violate his civil rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a 21 Monell claim, and a state law claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress. As relief, 22 Plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages. 23 III. Discussion 24 Plaintiff’s complaint fails to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 and fails to 25 state a cognizable claim upon which relief may be granted. Because he is proceeding pro se, 26 Plaintiff will be granted leave to amend his complaint to the extent that he can do so in good faith. 27 To assist Plaintiff, the Court provides the pleading and legal standards that appear relevant to his 28 claims. 1 A. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 2 Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8, a complaint must contain “a short and plain 3 statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). Detailed 4 factual allegations are not required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, 5 supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (citation 6 omitted). Plaintiff must set forth “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to 7 relief that is plausible on its face.’” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 8 127 S.Ct. at 1974). While factual allegations are accepted as true, legal conclusions are not. Id.; 9 see also Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556–557. 10 Although Plaintiff's complaint is short, it is not a plain statement of his claims. As a basic 11 matter, the complaint does not clearly allege what happened, when it happened, or who was 12 involved. The complaint does not provide any factual allegations concerning the circumstances 13 preceding his arrest and placement in the patrol vehicle. If Plaintiff elects to amend his 14 complaint, he must clearly state what happened, when it happened, and who was involved. 15 B. Monell Liability 16 Plaintiff names the Fresno Police Department and the City of Fresno as defendants, but 17 does not identify any actions either entity took to violate his rights. Recent Ninth Circuit 18 authority makes clear that “both California municipalities and police departments are ‘persons’ 19 amenable to suit under § 1983.” Est. of Debbs v. County of Sacramento, No. 2:20-cv-01153-TLN- 20 DB, 2023 WL 4108320, at *4 (E.D. Cal. June 21, 2023) (quoting Duarte v. City of Stockton, 60 21 F.4th 566, 568 (9th Cir. 2023)). “Bringing a section 1983 claim against a municipal police 22 department is essentially bringing the claim against the municipality.” Robertson v. Merced 23 County, No. 1:24-CV-00009-BAM (PC), 2024 WL 3091166, at *4 (E.D. Cal. June 21, 2024) 24 (citing Annan-Yartey v. Honolulu Police Dep’t, 351 F. App’x 243, 246 (9th Cir. 2009)). 25 Municipalities “cannot be held liable [for the actions of their employees] under § 1983 on 26 a respondeat superior theory.” Monell v. Dep’t of Soc. Servs. of City of N.Y., 436 U.S. 658, 591 27 (1978). Instead, the constitutional injury must occur during the execution of an official “policy or 28 custom.” Id. at 694. “A plaintiff may assert Monell liability based on: (1) an official policy; (2) a 1 ‘longstanding practice or custom which constitutes the standard operating procedure of the local 2 government entity’; (3) the act of an ‘official whose acts fairly represent official policy such that 3 the challenged action constituted official policy’; or (4) where “an official with final policy- 4 making authority ‘delegated that authority to, or ratified the decision of, a subordinate.’” 5 Bustamante v. County of Shasta, No. 2:23-cv-01552-TLN-DMC, 2024 WL 3673529, at *2 (E.D. 6 Cal. Aug. 6, 2024) (quoting Price v. Sery, 513 F.3d 962, 966 (9th Cir. 2008)).

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Bluebook (online)
Greathouse v. City of Fresno, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/greathouse-v-city-of-fresno-caed-2024.