Hall v. Poppell

CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedAugust 13, 2021
Docket2:20-cv-00380
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Hall v. Poppell, (M.D. Fla. 2021).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA FORT MYERS DIVISION

WENDALL HALL,

Plaintiff,

v. Case No. 2:20-cv-380-JES-MRM

CHAD POPPELL, DONALD SAWYER, ELIZABETH PORFERT, PATRICK MCCAWLEY, and JON CARNER,

Defendants.

OPINION AND ORDER This cause is before the Court on consideration of the following: Plaintiff’s Motion for Sanctions for Failure to Serve (Doc. 32, filed Feb. 26, 2021); Plaintiff’s Motion for the Marshal to Serve Defendant Chad Poppell (Doc. 33, filed Feb. 26, 2021); Defendants Donald Sawyer, Elizabeth Porfert; Patrick McCawley, and Jon Carner’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff’s Amended Complaint (Doc. 35, filed March 29, 2021); Plaintiff’s Response in Opposition to Defendants Donald Sawyer, Elizabeth Porfert; Patrick McCawley, and Jon Carner’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff’s Amended Complaint (Doc. 36, filed April 8, 2021); Plaintiff’s Motion for Default Judgment against Defendant Poppell (Doc. 38, filed April 21, 2021); and Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel Discovery (Doc. 40, filed May 14, 2021). For the reasons given in this Order, the defendants’ motion to dismiss Plaintiff’s amended complaint is granted in part and denied in part. All claims against Defendant Sawyer are dismissed

for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. All retaliation claims against Defendants Porfert, McCawley, and Carner are dismissed without prejudice to Plaintiff filing the retaliation claims in a new action if Plaintiff’s disciplinary reports are overturned. The motion is denied as to Plaintiff’s procedural due process claims against Defendants Porfert, McCawley, and Carner, and these defendants shall file an answer to Plaintiff’s amended complaint within twenty-one days from the date of this Order. On its own motion, the Court dismisses Defendant Secretary Chad Poppell from this action for Plaintiff’s failure to state a claim on which relief may be granted.

I. Procedural History and Pleadings Plaintiff initiated this action on May 26, 2020 by filing a pro se civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (Doc. 1). Plaintiff’s amended complaint (Doc. 9) is the operative pleading before the Court. Plaintiff is civilly committed to the Florida Civil Commitment Center (“FCCC”) under the Sexually Violent Predators Act (“SVPA”). Fla. Stat. §§ 394.910–.913.1 He was committed on October 18, 2019 and was diagnosed with “a mental abnormality, personality disorder, and lack of volitional control and an

exhibitionist mental disorder or an exhibitioners disorder (masturbation disorder), suicide ideation, and depression.” (Doc. 9 at ¶ 21). Liberally construing his amended complaint, Plaintiff raises claims against Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Chad Poppell2 and FCCC Director Donald Sawyer because the FCCC has an unconstitutional policy that punishes residents who violate institutional rules. (Doc. 9 at 3). Plaintiff raises claims against FCCC Security Chief Jon Carner and FCCC Clinicians Patrick McCawley and Elizabeth Porfert for retaliating against him for filing lawsuits and grievances. (Id.) Finally, Plaintiff argues that Defendants Carner, McCawley, and Porfert violated

procedural due process by failing to provide advance written notice

1 Under the SVPA, a person found to be a sexually violent predator must be housed in a secure facility “for control, care, treatment, and rehabilitation of criminal offenders, until such time as the person’s mental abnormality or personality disorder has so changed that it is safe for the person to be at large.” Fla. Stat. § 394.917(2). 2 The Court takes notice that, Shevaun Harris is now the Secretary of the Department of Children and Families. See https://www.myflfamilies.com/about-us/office-secretary/ However, because Chad Poppell, the former Secretary, is dismissed from the action, the Court will not direct the Clerk to change the name of the defendant. of disciplinary charges against him or an opportunity for him to present witnesses at his hearing on the charges. (Id.) Plaintiff claims that the FCCC uses a disciplinary

confinement procedure (PRG-11) similar to that of the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC), “with similar rules and penalties for violations thereof.” (Doc. 9 at ¶ 3). He asserts that Defendant Donald Sawyer “created and implemented PRG-11.” (Id. at ¶ 7). Plaintiff describes the FCCC’s progressive disciplinary system (PRG-11) as calling for a disciplinary report followed by placement in lockdown status, and “retribution” for the rule infraction. (Doc. 9 at ¶ 16). He contrasts this system with the regressive discipline “delineated in CF Operating Procedure 1455- 20.” (Id. at ¶ 17). Plaintiff urges that in a “regressive disciplinary system the resident receives an incident report and

is placed on time out, temporary restraint, or temporary seclusion and a mental health professional immediately evaluates the resident to determine if it’s safe to release him from said status.” (Id.) Plaintiff argues that the Florida statutes require Defendant Poppell to “exercise executive and administrative supervision” over the FCCC and that the services rendered at the FCCC are governed by both the Baker Act and the SVPA. (Id. at ¶¶ 8, 9). Plaintiff asserts that PRG-11 was wrongfully used to “punish” 3 him at the FCCC on two occasions. First, on May 1, 2020, Defendant Porfert wrote a disciplinary report against Plaintiff for a lewd and lascivious act (masturbating). (Doc. 9 at ¶ 22). Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Porfert could not have seen Plaintiff’s hands or penis, as they were hidden behind the bathroom stall door. (Id.) He asserts that the disciplinary report was in retaliation for filing grievances and lawsuits against Defendant Porfert and her friends. (Id.) Next, on May 4, 2020, Plaintiff was on suicide observation status in an isolation cell. (Doc. 9 at ¶ 24). Defendant McCawley wrote a disciplinary report against Plaintiff for “disrespect or violation of institutional rules or verbal assault[.]” (Id.) Plaintiff asserts that the disciplinary report was false and made

in retaliation for Plaintiff’s lawsuits against “Ms. Salema and Donald Sawyer.” (Id.) On May 14, 2020, Defendant Carner found Plaintiff guilty of both disciplinary reports and placed him on secure management. (Doc. 9 at ¶ 25). Plaintiff asserts that Defendant Carner found him guilty in retaliation for Plaintiff’s grievances and lawsuits.

3 Plaintiff also appears to argue that the FCCC defendants failed to comply with PRG-11 when they responded to his disciplinary infractions. The Court will address Plaintiff’s claim regarding the constitutionality pf PRG-11 separately from his claims of procedural due process and retribution. (Id.) Plaintiff asserts that he did not receive a copy of either disciplinary report and was denied an opportunity to obtain witnesses or witness statements in his defense. (Id. at ¶ 26).

Plaintiff seeks five million dollars in damages, a permanent injunction disallowing the FCCC from “issuing and writing disciplinary reports against” any FCCC resident, and a permanent injunction, forcing the FCCC to use other disciplinary procedures. (Doc. 9 at 11).

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Hall v. Poppell, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hall-v-poppell-flmd-2021.