Hawkins v. Washoe County

CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedOctober 24, 2024
Docket3:24-cv-00330
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Hawkins v. Washoe County, (D. Nev. 2024).

Opinion

1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 2 DISTRICT OF NEVADA 3 LONNIE T. HAWKINS, Case No.: 3:24-cv-00330-MMD-CSD

4 Plaintiff Report & Recommendation of U.S. Magistrate Judge 5 v. Re: ECF Nos. 1-1, 4 6 WASHOE COUNTY, et al.,

7 Defendants

8 9 This Report and Recommendation is made to the Honorable Miranda M. Du, United 10 States District Judge. The action was referred to the undersigned Magistrate Judge pursuant to 11 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and the Local Rules of Practice, LR 1B 1-4. 12 Plaintiff, who is a detainee at the Washoe County Detention Facility (WCDF) has filed an 13 application to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP) (ECF No. 4) and pro se complaint (ECF No. 1-1). 14 I. IFP APPLICATION 15 A person may be granted permission to proceed IFP if the person “submits an affidavit 16 that includes a statement of all assets such [person] possesses [and] that the person is unable to 17 pay such fees or give security therefor. Such affidavit shall state the nature of the action, defense 18 or appeal and affiant’s belief that the person is entitled to redress.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1). 19 The Local Rules of Practice for the District of Nevada provide: “Any person who is 20 unable to prepay the fees in a civil case may apply to the court for authority to proceed [IFP]. 21 The application must be made on the form provided by the court and must include a financial 22 affidavit disclosing the applicant’s income, assets, expenses, and liabilities.” LSR 1-1. 23 1 “[T]he supporting affidavits [must] state the facts as to [the] affiant’s poverty with some 2 particularity, definiteness and certainty.” U.S. v. McQuade, 647 F.2d 938, 940 (9th Cir. 1981) 3 (quotation marks and citation omitted). A litigant need not “be absolutely destitute to enjoy the 4 benefits of the statute.” Adkins v. E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co., 335 U.S. 331, 339 (1948).

5 An inmate submitting an application to proceed IFP must also “submit a certificate from 6 the institution certifying the amount of funds currently held in the applicant’s trust account at the 7 institution and the net deposits in the applicant’s account for the six months prior to the date of 8 submission of the application.” LSR 1-2; see also 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). If the inmate has been 9 at the institution for less than six months, “the certificate must show the account’s activity for 10 this shortened period.” LSR 1-2. 11 If a prisoner brings a civil action IFP, the prisoner is still required to pay the full amount 12 of the filing fee. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). The court will assess and collect (when funds exist) an 13 initial partial filing fee that is calculated as 20 percent of the greater of the average monthly 14 deposits or the average monthly balance for the six-month period immediately preceding the

15 filing of the complaint. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1)(A)-(B). After the initial partial filing fee is paid, 16 the prisoner is required to make monthly payments equal to 20 percent of the preceding month’s 17 income credited to the prisoner’s account. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). The agency that has custody 18 of the prisoner will forward payments from the prisoner’s account to the court clerk each time 19 the account exceeds $10 until the filing fees are paid. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). 20 Plaintiff’s certified account statement indicates that his average monthly balance for the 21 last six months was $18.21 and his average monthly deposits were $48.08. 22 Plaintiff’s application to proceed IFP should be granted. Plaintiff is required to pay an 23 initial partial filing fee in the amount of $9.62 (20 percent of $48.08). Thereafter, whenever his 1 prison account exceeds $10, he must make monthly payments in the amount of 20 percent of the 2 preceding month’s income credited to his account until the $350 filing fee is paid. 3 II. SCREENING 4 A. Standard

5 Under the statute governing IFP proceedings, “the court shall dismiss the case at any time 6 if the court determines that-- (A) the allegation of poverty is untrue; or (B) the action or appeal-- 7 (i) is frivolous or malicious; (ii) fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted; or (iii) 8 seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.” 28 U.S.C. 9 § 1915(e)(2)(A), (B)(i)-(iii). 10 In addition, under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, “[t]he court shall review, before docketing, if 11 feasible or, in any event, as soon as practicable after docketing, a complaint in a civil action in 12 which a prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a 13 governmental entity.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In conducting this review, the court “shall identify 14 cognizable claims or dismiss the complaint, or any portion of the complaint, if the complaint--

15 (1) is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted; or (2) seeks 16 monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1)-(2). 17 Dismissal of a complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted is 18 provided for in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), and 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) and 19 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1) track that language. As such, when reviewing the adequacy of a 20 complaint under these statutes, the court applies the same standard as is applied under Rule 21 12(b)(6). See e.g. Watison v. Carter, 668 F.3d 1108, 1112 (9th Cir. 2012). Review under Rule 22 12(b)(6) is essentially a ruling on a question of law. See Chappel v. Lab. Corp. of America, 232 23 F.3d 719, 723 (9th Cir. 2000) (citation omitted). 1 The court must accept as true the allegations, construe the pleadings in the light most 2 favorable to the plaintiff, and resolve all doubts in the plaintiff’s favor. Jenkins v. McKeithen, 3 395 U.S. 411, 421 (1969) (citations omitted). Allegations in pro se complaints are “held to less 4 stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers[.]” Hughes v. Rowe, 449 U.S. 5, 9

5 (1980) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

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Hawkins v. Washoe County, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hawkins-v-washoe-county-nvd-2024.