Hudson v. Simon

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedMarch 13, 2024
Docket3:23-cv-02229
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Hudson v. Simon, (S.D. Cal. 2024).

Opinion

1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 2 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 3 Case No.: 3:23-cv-2229-AGS-LR Hakim N. HUDSON, 4 CDCR #BV-7888, ORDER: (1) GRANTING MOTION 5 TO PROCEED IN FORMA Plaintiff, PAUPERIS (ECF 2); 6

7 (2) DISMISSING AMENDED v. COMPLAINT WITHOUT 8 PREJUDICE FOR FAILURE TO

9 STATE A CLAIM; AND G. SIMON, San Diego Sheriff’s Dep’t, 10 (3) DENYING REQUESTS FOR Defendants. 11 STIPULATION AND MOTION FOR SERVICE (ECF 3, 4, 6) 12

13 14 In his First Amended Complaint, plaintiff Hakim N. Hudson alleges he was arrested 15 without a warrant or probable cause, strip searched, and subsequently detained without 16 charges for four days, in violation of his constitutional rights. (ECF 5, at 3–11.) For the 17 reasons discussed below, the Court grants Plaintiff’s motion to proceed without prepaying 18 the filing fee and dismisses the complaint without prejudice and with leave to amend. The 19 Court denies Plaintiff’s other motions as moot. 20 I. MOTION TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS 21 All parties instituting any civil action, suit or proceeding in a district court of the 22 United States, except an application for writ of habeas corpus, must pay a filing fee of 23 $402.1 See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a). A party may initiate a civil action without prepaying the 24 25 1 In addition to the $350 statutory fee, civil litigants must pay an additional 26 administrative fee of $52. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a) (Judicial Conference Schedule of Fees, District Court Misc. Fee Schedule, § 14 (eff. Dec. 1, 2021)). The $52 administrative fee 27 does not apply to persons granted leave to proceed without prepayment. Id. 1 required filing fee if the Court grants leave to proceed based on indigency. 28 U.S.C. 2 § 1915(a); Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, 1051 (9th Cir. 2007). 3 To proceed without prepaying the fee, plaintiffs must establish their inability to pay 4 by filing an affidavit regarding their income and assets. See Escobedo v. Applebees, 5 787 F.3d 1226, 1234 (9th Cir. 2015). Prisoners seeking to establish an inability to pay must 6 also submit a “certified copy of the [prisoner’s] trust fund account statement (or 7 institutional equivalent) for . . . the 6-month period immediately preceding the filing of the 8 complaint.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). From the certified trust account statement, the Court 9 assesses an initial payment of 20% of (a) the average monthly deposits in the account for 10 the past six months, or (b) the average monthly balance in the account for the past six 11 months, whichever is greater, unless the prisoner has no assets. See 28 U.S.C. 12 § 1915(b)(1)&(4). Prisoners who proceed this way must repay the entire fee in installments 13 regardless of whether their action is ultimately dismissed. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2); Bruce 14 v. Samuels, 577 U.S. 82, 84 (2016). 15 In support of his motion, Hudson provided a copy of his trust account statement and 16 prison certificate authorized by an accounting officer. (See ECF 2, at 5–6.) During the six 17 months prior to filing suit, Plaintiff had an average monthly balance of $0, average monthly 18 deposits of $0, and an available account balance of $0 at the time he filed suit. (Id. at 6.) 19 Accordingly, Plaintiff’s motion is GRANTED, and the Court assesses no partial filing fee. 20 Hudson remains obligated to pay the $350.00 fee in monthly installments even if this action 21 is ultimately dismissed. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(b)(1) & (2). 22 II. SCREENING 23 A. Legal Standards 24 The Court must screen a prisoner’s IFP complaint and sua sponte dismiss it to the 25 extent that it is frivolous, malicious, fails to state a claim, or seeks damages from defendants 26 who are immune. See Rhodes v. Robinson, 621 F.3d 1002, 1004 (9th Cir. 2010); see also 27 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B), 1915A(b). “The standard for determining whether Plaintiff 1 has failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted under § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) is the 2 same as the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) standard for failure to state a claim.” 3 Watison v. Carter, 668 F.3d 1108, 1112 (9th Cir. 2012). Rule 12(b)(6) requires that a 4 complaint “contain sufficient factual matter . . . to state a claim to relief that is plausible on 5 its face.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (internal quotation marks omitted). 6 And while detailed factual allegations are not required, “[t]hreadbare recitals of the 7 elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice” to 8 state a claim. Id. The “mere possibility of misconduct” or “unadorned, the defendant- 9 unlawfully-harmed me accusation[s]” fall short of the plausibility standard. Id. 10 Title 42 U.S.C. § 1983 “creates a private right of action against individuals who, 11 acting under color of state law, violate federal constitutional or statutory rights.” Devereaux 12 v. Abbey, 263 F.3d 1070, 1074 (9th Cir. 2001). Section 1983 “is not itself a source of 13 substantive rights, but merely provides a method for vindicating federal rights elsewhere 14 conferred.” Graham v. Connor, 40 U.S. 386 U.S. 386, 393–94 (1989) (internal quotation 15 marks omitted). To establish liability under section 1983, a plaintiff must show both 16 (1) deprivation of a right secured by the Constitution and laws of the United States, and 17 (2) that the deprivation was committed by a person acting under color of state law.” Tsao 18 v. Desert Palace, Inc., 698 F.3d 1128, 1138 (9th Cir. 2012). 19 B. Plaintiff’s Allegations 20 Hudson alleges that on November 30, 2020, San Diego Police Officer G. Simon 21 stopped him and asked to see his identification. (ECF 5, at 3.) Hudson provided Simon 22 with his state ID. (Id.) At some point thereafter, Simon told Hudson he was under arrest. 23 Initially, Simon stated he was arresting Hudson for failing to check in with felony 24 probation. (Id.) Hudson told Simon he was no longer on probation or parole. (Id. at 3–4.) 25 Ultimately, Simon arrested Hudson for failing to check in or register pursuant to California 26 Penal Code section 290.018. (Id. at 3–4; see also ECF 5-1, at 7.) But Hudson states that the 27 information Simon relied on was incorrect and he (Hudson) was “properly registered in 1 El Cajon.” (ECF 5, at 4; see also ECF 5-1, at 1–5.) Nonetheless, Simon arrested Hudson, 2 and transported him to the San Diego Central Jail. (ECF 5, at 7.) During the intake process, 3 San Diego Sheriff’s Department (“SDSD”) staff conducted a strip search of Hudson. (Id. 4 at 7–8.) Hudson was held in jail from November 30 until December 3, 2020, when he was 5 released without charges. (Id.

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Hudson v. Simon, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hudson-v-simon-casd-2024.