Johnson v. Ohio

166 F. Supp. 3d 931, 2016 WL 680829, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19932
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedFebruary 18, 2016
DocketCase No. 3:15-cv-447
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 166 F. Supp. 3d 931 (Johnson v. Ohio) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Ohio, 166 F. Supp. 3d 931, 2016 WL 680829, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19932 (S.D. Ohio 2016).

Opinion

DECISION AND ENTRY ADOPTING THE REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE (Doc. 5)

Timothy S. Black, United States District Judge

This case is before the Court pursuant to the Order of General Reference in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Western Division to United States Magistrate Judge Michael J. Newman. Pursuant to such reference, the Magistrate Judge reviewed the pleadings filed with this Court and, on January 19, 2016, submitted a Report and Recommendation (Doc. 5). No objections were filed.

As required by 28 U.S.C. § 636(b) and Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b), the Court has reviewed the comprehensive findings of the Magistrate Judge and considered de novo all of the filings in this matter. Upon consideration of the foregoing, the Court does determine that such Report and Recommendation should be and is hereby adopted in its entirety. Accordingly:

1. The Report and Recommendation (Doc. 5) is ADOPTED;
2. Plaintiffs Complaint (Doc. 3) is DISMISSED with prejudice pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 1915(e), for failure to state a claim;
3. Plaintiffs request for injunctive relief (Doc. 2) is DENIED;
4. The Court certifies that pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 1915(a)(3), an appeal of this Order would not be taken in good faith and therefore Petitioner is denied leave to appeal in forma pauperis; and
5. The Clerk shall enter judgment accordingly, whereupon this civil action is TERMINATED in this Court.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION1 THAT: (1) PLAINTIFF’S COMPLAINT (DOC. 3) BE DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE; (2) PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR INJUNCTION (DOC. 2) BE DENIED; (3) SERVICE NOT ISSUE; (4) THIS CASE BE TERMINATED ON THE COURT’S DOCKET; AND (5) A CERTIFICATE OF APPEALABILITY NOT ISSUE, AND PLAINTIFF BE DENIED INFORMA PAUPER-IS STATUS ON APPEAL

Michael J. Newman, United States Magistrate Judge

This civil case is before the Court, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), for a sua [933]*933sponte review of the complaint filed by pro se Plaintiff James Richard Johnson (“Johnson”). Johnson filed a motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis (“IFP”) on December 12, 2015. Doc. 1. The Court granted Johnson’s motion to proceed IFP, but held service of the complaint pending a review under § 1915(e)(2). See Notation Order dated Dec. 18, 2015. It is appropriate for the Court to conduct this review sua sponte prior to issuance of process “so as to spare prospective defendants the inconvenience and expense of answering such complaints.” Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 324, 109 S.Ct. 1827, 104 L.Ed.2d 338 (1989).

I.

In accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), this Court must perform an initial review of the instant action. McGore v. Wrigglesworth, 114 F.3d 601, 604-05 (6th Cir.1997). Upon review, the Court must dismiss any case it determines is “frivolous or malicious,” fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B).

A complaint should be dismissed as frivolous if it lacks an arguable basis in law or fact. Denton v. Hernandez, 504 U.S. 25, 31, 112 S.Ct. 1728, 118 L.Ed.2d 340 (1992); Neitzke, 490 U.S. at 325, 109 S.Ct. 1827. A plaintiff sets forth no arguable factual basis where the allegations asserted are “fantastic or delusional”; and presents no arguable legal basis when advancing “indisputably meritless” legal theories, i.e., when the defendant is immune from suit, or when the plaintiff claims a violation of a legal interest which clearly does not exist. Neitzke, 490 U.S. at 327-28, 109 S.Ct. 1827; Brown v. Bargery, 207 F.3d 863, 866 (6th Cir.2000).

Courts may also dismiss a complaint sua sponte for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). While pro se pleadings are “to be liberally construed” and are “held to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers,” Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94, 127 S.Ct. 2197, 167 L.Ed.2d 1081 (2007) (per curiam), pro se plaintiffs must still satisfy basic pleading requirements. Wells v. Brown, 891 F.2d 591, 594 (6th Cir.1989). Specifically, the complaint “must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.”’ Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 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)); see also Ogle v. Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC, 513 Fed.Appx. 520, 522 (6th Cir.2013). “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955); see also Hill v. Lappin, 630 F.3d 468, 470-71 (6th Cir.2010) (applying the Iqbal and Twombly standards to a § 1915 review).

II.

This is the second case in which Johnson seeks relief from this Court with regard to child support obligations and enforcement proceedings. See Johnson v. Rogers, No. 1:15-CV-638, 2015 WL 9471606, at *2 (S.D.Ohio Dec. 4, 2015) Report and Recommendation adopted, 2015 WL 9460561 (S.D.Ohio Dec. 28, 2015) (hereafter referred to as “Johnson I”). Similar to the circumstances here, in Johnson I, Johnson sought, among other requested relief, an [934]*934Order dismissing the child support enforcement actions pending against him in the Domestic Relations Division of the Butler County Court of Common Pleas. Id.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
166 F. Supp. 3d 931, 2016 WL 680829, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19932, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-ohio-ohsd-2016.