Griffin v. Doe

71 F. Supp. 3d 306, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 176586, 2014 WL 7343987
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedDecember 23, 2014
DocketNo. 7:14-cv-00504 (MAD/ATB)
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 71 F. Supp. 3d 306 (Griffin v. Doe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Griffin v. Doe, 71 F. Supp. 3d 306, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 176586, 2014 WL 7343987 (N.D.N.Y. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION AND ORDER

MAE A. D’AGOSTINO, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

On May 1, 2014, Plaintiff commenced this action pro se pursuant to Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388, 91 S.Ct. 1999, 29 L.Ed.2d 619 (1971), the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. See Dkt. No. 1. Plaintiff asserts that unnamed medical professionals and an unnamed general at the Fort Drum U.S. Army base provided inadequate medical care to her daughter, V.G. See id. at 5-6. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant(s)’ actions violated V.G.’s constitutional rights under the First, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as her rights under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. See id.

In an Order and Report-Recommendation dated May 6, 2014, Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter granted Plaintiffs, in forma pauperis (“IFP”) application for purposes of filing only and recommended that Plaintiffs complaint be dismissed as frivolous and for failure to state a claim. See Dkt. No. 4. Specifically, Magistrate Judge Baxter first found that Plaintiff did not have standing to sue on her own behalf for the alleged deprivations of V.G.’s constitutional and statutory rights. Id. at 316-17. To the extent that Plaintiffs complaint could be read as bringing an action on behalf of V.G., Magistrate Judge Baxter noted that Plaintiff was not permitted to bring such an action pro se. Id. at 316 n. 3. Magistrate Judge Baxter also found that Plaintiffs claims were time barred and that there was no basis for equitably tolling the applicable statutes of limitations. Id. at 317-18. Furthermore, Magistrate Judge Baxter found that Plaintiff failed to allege the personal involvement of any Defendant in a constitutional deprivation and did not allege any constitutional violation with the requisite specificity to state a claim. Id. at 318-19. With regards to Plaintiffs ADA and Rehabilitation Act claims, Magistrate Judge Baxter found that Plaintiff failed to allege that V.G. was denied the benefits of a program or services because of V.G.’s handicap. Id. at 319-20. Finally, Magistrate Judge Baxter found that permitting amendment would be futile and therefore recommended that the Court dismiss the complaint with prejudice. Id. at 319-20. The Court received Plaintiffs objections to the Order and Re-porb-Recommendation on June 2, 2014. See Dkt. No. 7.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Plaintiffs objections

In her objections to Magistrate Judge Baxter’s Order and Report-Recommendation, Plaintiff first objects to “the Court’s assignment of a Magistrate” without Plain[311]*311tiffs consent and asserts that “the Magistrate lacks authority to enter final judgment.” See id. at 1. Plaintiff also objects to Magistrate Judge Baxter’s recommendation that her complaint be dismissed based on lack of standing. See id. at 2. Plaintiff appears to agree that she cannot bring an action on behalf of V.G. pro se, but argues that the Court must permit her to obtain counsel and proceed with her action. See id. Plaintiff further objects to Magistrate Judge Baxter’s ReporNRecom-mendation on the grounds that Plaintiffs grief and “unawareness of [the] full effects” of Defendant(s)’ purported conduct justify equitable tolling of the statute of limitations. See id. at 3^4. Additionally, Plaintiff objects to Magistrate Judge Baxter’s findings that she has not alleged conduct that violates the ADA or Rehabilitation Act. See id. at 5-6. Finally, Plaintiff asserts that Defendant(s) are not entitled to qualified immunity. See id. at 7-8.

B. Standard of review

When a plaintiff seeks to proceed IFP, “the court shall dismiss the case at any time if the court determines that ... the action or appeal (i) is frivolous or malicious; (ii) fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted; or (iii) seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). In making this determination, “the court has the duty to show liberality towards pro se litigants,” however, “there is a responsibility on the court to determine that a claim has some arguable basis in law before permitting a plaintiff to proceed with an action in forma pauperis.” Moreman v. Douglas, 848 F.Supp. 332, 333-34 (N.D.N.Y.1994) (internal citations omitted).

“[I]n a pro se case, the court must view the submissions by a more lenient standard than that accorded to ‘formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.’ ” Govan v. Campbell, 289 F.Supp.2d 289, 295 (N.D.N.Y. 2003) (quoting Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520, 92 S.Ct. 594, 30 L.Ed.2d 652 (1972)) (other citations omitted). The Second Circuit has opined that the court is obligated to “make reasonable allowances to protect pro se litigants” from inadvertently forfeiting legal rights merely because they lack a legal education. Id. at 295 (quoting Traguth v. Zuck, 710 F.2d 90, 95 (2d Cir.1983)) (internal quotation marks omitted). However, this does not mean that a pro se litigant is excused from following procedural requirements. See id. (citing Showers v. Eastmond, 00 CIV. 3725, 2001 WL 527484, *2 (S.D.N.Y. May 16, 2001)).

Dispositive motions may be referred to a magistrate judge for proposed findings of fact and recommendations for the disposition of the motion by the district court. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B). For this type of referral, “[n]o consent of the parties is required because the magistrate judge is not issuing a final decision on the motion, but rather is recommending a decision to the district judge to which the plaintiff will have the opportunity to object if he disagrees with the determination.” Van Gorder v. Lira, No. 9:08-CV-281, 2010 WL 1235328, *1 n. 1 (N.D.N.Y. Mar. 15, 2010).

When a party files specific objections to a magistrate judge’s report-recommendation, the district court makes a “de novo determination of those portions of the report or specified proposed findings or recommendations to which objection is made.” 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). However, when a party files “[g]eneral or conclusory objections, or objections which merely recite the same arguments [that he presented] to the magistrate judge,” the court reviews those recommendations for clear error. O’Diah v. Mawhir, No. 9:08-CV-322, 2011 WL 933846, *1 (N.D.N.Y. Mar. 16, 2011) (citations and footnote omitted). [312]*312After the appropriate review, “the court may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings or recommendations made by the magistrate judge.” 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1).

C.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
71 F. Supp. 3d 306, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 176586, 2014 WL 7343987, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/griffin-v-doe-nynd-2014.