Holloman v. Clarke

236 F. Supp. 3d 493, 2017 WL 722575, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25496
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedFebruary 23, 2017
DocketCivil Action No. 14-12594-NMG
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 236 F. Supp. 3d 493 (Holloman v. Clarke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Holloman v. Clarke, 236 F. Supp. 3d 493, 2017 WL 722575, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25496 (D. Mass. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

GORTON, J.

Pro se Plaintiff Tajuan Holloman (“Hol-loman” or “plaintiff) alleges that defendant David Deakin, an Assistant District Attorney in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, (“Deakin or “defendant”) violated his substantive and procedural due process rights, as well as his right to equal protection, when Deakin argued in state court that Holloman should not be transferred to-the Suffolk County Nashua Street Jail. Dea-kin’s motion to dismiss is now pending before this Court. For the reasons that follow, the motion to dismiss will be .allowed.

I. Background

A. Factual Background

Tajuan Holloman is an inmate currently incarcerated at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Shirley, Massachusetts (“MCI-Shirley”). In December, 2010, he was transferred from Suffolk County Nashua Street Jail (“Nashua Street Jail”) to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Concord, Massachusetts (“MCI-Concord”) as a pretrial detainee.

Holloman contends that the transfer from Nashua Street Jail to MCI-Concord, made pursuant to M.G.L. c. 276 § 52A, was unconstitutional and in violation of Massachusetts law. He maintains that his treatment 1) deprived him of his substantive and procedural due process rights and his right to equal protection under the" law and 2) subjected him to “infamous punishment” without having been previously found guilty, in violation of Article 12 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights.

Following his transfer to MCI-Concord, plaintiff purportedly began to suffer mental, emotional and physical harm. His alleged symptoms included headaches, high blood pressure, anxiety attacks, heightened pulse, stress and insomnia.

Holloman contacted his attorney and sought to be transferred back to Nashua Street Jail. David Deakin, an Assistant District Attorney for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, argued against Holloman’s request in state court in or around February, 2011. Deakin’s arguments prevailed and plaintiff remained at MCI-Concord.

Plaintiff was eventually transferred to MCI-Shirley in Shirley, Massachusetts, where he is currently incarcerated.

B. Procedural History

In June, 2014, Holloman filed a complaint in this Court against Deakin and 25 co-defendants. All defendants are sued in their official and individual capacities. They are state employees and prison officials allegedly involved in 1) the transfer of plaintiff from Nashua Street Jail to MCI-Concord and/or 2) his treatment as a pretrial detainee. The case was originally assigned to United States District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock but was reassigned to this session in June, 2015, when Judge Woodlock took senior status.

Plaintiff initially listed only Deakin as the named defendant. In November, 2014, plaintiff moved to substitute, as the lead defendant, Harold Clarke (“Clarke”), the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. Judge Woodlock allowed that motion in April, 2015.

That same month, Judge Woodlock directed plaintiff to show good cause, in writing, why the claims against Deakin and co-defendants Clarke, James Bender, Lois Russo, John Brodbeck, Jorma Maenpaa, James Thornton, Gregory Berdard, Shelley Williams, Seargent Fasoli, Thomas [496]*496Tocci, Nick Palodian, Brian MacDonald, Michael Rodrigues and f/n/u Wendover should not be dismissed.

In October, 2015, plaintiff responded to that show cause order. He averred, with respect to Deakin’s co-defendants, that 1) his claims were preserved by equitable tolling and 2) he pled sufficient facts to state claims against them for, inter alia, cruel and unusual punishment and unlawful denial of his right to access the courts. With respect to Deakin, plaintiff stressed that, although his claims might have been untimely, they were preserved by the, principle of equitable tolling. He explained that he was required to exhaust administrative remedies prior to filing his complaint and that he had suffered from a mental health crisis which made it impossible for him to take legal action. He also maintained that he had set forth sufficient facts to survive dismissal for failure to state a claim.

In May, 2016, Deakin moved to dismiss the claims against him pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) and Fed. R. Civ., P. 12(b)(6), contending that this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction and that .plaintiff failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. That motion is the subject of this memorandum.

II. Motion to Dismiss

A. Legal Standards

1. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) Motion

In opposing a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1), the plaintiff bears the burden of establishing that the Court has jurisdiction. Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, 504 U.S. 555, 561, 112 S.Ct. 2130, 119 L.Ed.2d 351 (1992). If the defendant mounts a “sufficiency challenge”, the court will assess the sufficiency of the plaintiffs jurisdictional allegations by construing the complaint liberally, treating all well-pled facts as true and drawing all reasonable inferences in the plaintiffs favor. Valentin v. Hospital Bella Vista, 254 F.3d 368, 363 (1st Cir. 2001).

If,- however, the defendant advances' a “factual challenge” by controverting the accuracy, rather than the sufficiency, of the alleged jurisdictional facts, “the plaintiffs jurisdictional averments are entitled to no presumptive weight” and the court will consider the allegations by both parties and resolve the factual disputes. Id. The court has “broad authority” in conducting the inquiry and can, in its discretion, consider extrinsic evidence in determining its own jurisdiction. Id. at 363-64.

2. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) Motion

To survive a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6), a complaint must contain “sufficient factual matter” to state a claim for relief that is, actionable as a matter of law and “plausible on its face.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 667, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). A claim is facially plausible if, after accepting as true all non-conclusory factual allegations, the court can draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Ocasio-Hernandez v. Fortuno-Burset, 640 F.3d 1, 12 (1st Cir. 2011). A court may not disregard properly pled factual allegations even if actual proof of those facts is improbable. H.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
236 F. Supp. 3d 493, 2017 WL 722575, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25496, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/holloman-v-clarke-mad-2017.