Gullatt III v. Dirkse

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJuly 22, 2020
Docket1:20-cv-00473
StatusUnknown

This text of Gullatt III v. Dirkse (Gullatt III v. Dirkse) 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
Gullatt III v. Dirkse, (E.D. Cal. 2020).

Opinion

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3 4 5 6 7 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 8 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 9 JOHN JACOB GULLATT, III, CASE NO. 1:20-cv-00473-EPG 10 Plaintiff, ORDER FOR PLAINTIFF TO: 11 (1) FILE A FIRST AMENDED 12 v. COMPLAINT; OR 13 (2) NOTIFY THE COURT THAT HE JEFF DIRKSE, et al., 14 WISHES TO STAND ON THE Defendants. COMPLAINT, SUBJECT TO THE 15 COURT ISSUING FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE 16 DISTRICT JUDGE CONSISTENT WITH 17 THIS ORDER

18 THIRTY (30) DAY DEADLINE 19 (ECF No. 1) 20 John Jacob Gullatt, III (“Plaintiff”) is a pretrial detainee proceeding pro se and in forma 21 pauperis in this civil rights action filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The complaint, filed April 22 2, 2020, alleges claims against various law enforcement officers concerning searches at his 23 residence. (ECF No. 1). Plaintiff’s complaint is now before this Court for screening. 24 The Court finds that the complaint fails to state any cognizable claims that can proceed at 25 this time, in light of the ongoing state court proceedings. The Court will grant Plaintiff leave to 26 file a First Amended Complaint if he believes additional factual allegations will state a claim or 27 explain why this court can proceed at this time notwithstanding the state court action. In the 28 1 alternative, Plaintiff may notify the Court that he wishes to stand on his complaint, in which case 2 the Court will issue findings and recommendations to a district judge recommending dismissal of 3 the action consistent with this order. 4 I. SCREENING STANDARD 5 Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), in any case in which a plaintiff is proceeding in forma 6 pauperis, the Court must conduct a review of the complaint to determine whether it “state[s] a 7 claim on which relief may be granted,” is “frivolous or malicious,” or “seek[s] monetary relief 8 against a defendant who is immune from such relief.” If the Court determines that the complaint fails to state a claim, it must be dismissed. Id. An action is frivolous if it is “of little weight or 9 importance: having no basis in law or fact” and malicious if it was filed with the “intention or 10 desire to harm another.” Andrews v. King, 398 F.3d 1113, 1121 (9th Cir. 2005). Leave to amend 11 may be granted to the extent that the deficiencies of the complaint can be cured by amendment. 12 Cato v. United States, 70 F.3d 1103, 1106 (9th Cir. 1995). 13 A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the 14 pleader is entitled to relief . . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not 15 required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 16 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell 17 Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). Plaintiff must set forth “sufficient factual 18 matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim that is plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 19 at 663 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). While factual allegations are accepted as true, legal 20 conclusions are not. Id. at 678. 21 In determining whether a complaint states an actionable claim, the Court must accept the 22 allegations in the complaint as true, Hosp. Bldg. Co. v. Trs. of Rex Hospital, 425 U.S. 738, 740 23 (1976), construe pro se pleadings liberally in the light most favorable to the Plaintiff, Resnick v. 24 Hayes, 213 F.3d 443, 447 (9th Cir. 2000), and resolve all doubts in the Plaintiff’s favor. Jenkins 25 v. McKeithen, 395 U.S. 411, 421 (1969). Pleadings of pro se plaintiffs “must be held to less 26 stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 (9th Cir. 2010) (holding that pro se complaints should continue to be liberally construed after 27 Iqbal). 28 1 II. PLAINTIFF’S ALLEGATIONS 2 In February 2019, Plaintiff’s son Jaden Gullatt’s probation officer, Brooke Smith 3 (“Smith”), exercised a probation search on Plaintiff’s residence at 905 Hawthorne, Modesto, CA 4 95350. The searchable places in his home were his son’s bedroom and common areas. Smith 5 insisted that Plaintiff’s wife (“Wife”) open the Plaintiff’s and her locked bedroom door so she 6 could “clear” the area. “We” informed Smith that everyone living at the residence were in the 7 living room. Smith threatened to kick the door down. Then Wife reluctantly opened the room, 8 even though Plaintiff was not on any type of parole or probation. Smith placed Plaintiff in 9 handcuffs until she left, making Plaintiff late for work. 10 Smith asked to whom the safes in the bedroom belonged, and Wife explained that they 11 were hers. Smith asked Wife to open the safe. Wife refused, stating that they were not searchable, 12 and the key to the safe was at Plaintiff’s mother’s residence. Smith became irate and “began 13 threatening that we were being uncooperative,” and promised that she would get into the safes 14 with a warrant. 15 On April 9, 2019, Deputy Cristopher Gallo (“Gallo”) and his subordinate deputy officers 16 acting at his direction, Deputies Brock Dias, Miguel Villasenor, and Daniel Hutsell (“Dias,” 17 “Villasenor,” and “Hutsell,” respectively), each Stanislaus County Sheriff deputies, served a 18 warrant at Plaintiff’s residence. The warrant was to be served on Plaintiff’s son Jaden Gullatt for 19 a past arrest. Defendant Jeff Dirske is also sued as sheriff. 20 In the warrant application, Gallo claimed that Jaden Gullatt’s probation officer had 21 informed him that Plaintiff’s 14-year-old daughter, Jayda Gullatt, informed the probation officer 22 Smith that there were guns located in a safe in Plaintiff’s room. This was not true: there were no 23 guns there. And Plaintiff’s daughter signed a sworn affidavit stating that she never spoke with any 24 probation officer concerning that matter. 25 Plaintiff’s room was broken into, his wife’s inherited heirlooms were cut open and 26 destroyed. Plaintiff was arrested and detained for items that his wife swore were hers and 27 inherited from her late father. 28 Plaintiff complains about Smith’s false statement to Gallo, the illegal search and 1 destruction of property, false arrest, false imprisonment, and retaliation. He seeks, among other 2 things, the Court order “that any items found in me & my wifes room (locked safes) be 3 inadmissible to that warrant.” 4 III. SECTION 1983 5 The Civil Rights Act, under which this action was filed, provides:

6 Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or 7 usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the 8 jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an 9 action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.... 10 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

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Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
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Ashcroft v. Iqbal
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Hebbe v. Pliler
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Gullatt III v. Dirkse, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gullatt-iii-v-dirkse-caed-2020.