Johnson v. Paparozzi

219 F. Supp. 2d 635, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17337, 2002 WL 31055409
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedSeptember 16, 2002
DocketCivil 02-2942(WGB)
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 219 F. Supp. 2d 635 (Johnson v. Paparozzi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Paparozzi, 219 F. Supp. 2d 635, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17337, 2002 WL 31055409 (D.N.J. 2002).

Opinion

OPINION

BASSLER, District Judge.

Plaintiff, James Johnson (“Johnson”), currently incarcerated at East Jersey State Prison, Rahway, New Jersey, seeks relief pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for alleged violations of his civil and constitutional rights. At this time, the Court must review the complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A to determine whether the plaintiff states cognizable claims or whether the complaint should be dismissed as frivolous or malicious, for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or because it seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. For the reasons set forth below, the Court concludes that plaintiffs complaint will be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.

BACKGROUND

In 1975, plaintiff James Johnson was convicted and sentenced to 52 to 70 years for rape and other related offenses. (Complaint, ¶ 9). Since 1988, Johnson has been attempting to be released on parole. *638 Parole hearings occurred in 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, and 2002. (Complt., ¶¶ 16, 17, 24, 27, 30, 32, 35, 43, 49).

In 1990, a three-member panel of the New Jersey Parole Board (“NJPB”) issued plaintiff a future eligibility term (“FET”) of 120 months. (Complt., ¶ 18). Plaintiff appealed the FET to the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, who remanded the case for reconsideration of the FET. (Complt., ¶ 23). In 1992, the NJPB issued an FET of 96 months. (Complt., ¶ 24). In 1995, after being denied parole, the plaintiff was given a 72 month FET. (Complt., ¶ 36). In 2001, after again being denied parole, the plaintiff was issued a 120 month FET. (Complt., ¶ 44).

Sometime before 1992, the plaintiff filed a § 1983 action challenging the delay of an exceptional progress hearing by the NJPB until after the plaintiffs first parole board hearing. (Complt., ¶ 21). Plaintiffs claims were denied as moot. (Complt., ¶ 22). 1 In 1994, the plaintiff filed a second § 1983 action, which was dismissed without prejudice. (Complt., ¶ 31). Plaintiff also filed a habeas corpus petition in 1995. (Complt., ¶ 37). The petition was denied for failure to exhaust state remedies. (Complt., ¶ 38). In addition to these actions, the plaintiff filed numerous appeals to the NJPB and the Appellate Division for his various parole denials and impositions of FETs. (Complt., ¶¶ 19, 20, 25, 29, 45, 48).

The plaintiff now seeks injunctive relief and monetary damages based upon the following arguments:

1.The NJPB has unconstitutionally imposed FETs outside of its own guidelines. (Complt., ¶ 52);
2. “The decisions of the NJPB to impose FETs of 120 months, 96 months, 72 months, and then 120 months again, absent any guidelines for the imposition of such FETs which differs from the date otherwise established by the schedule pursuant to N.J.S.A. 30:4-123.56, is unconstitutional.” (Complt., ¶ 54);
3. The actions of the NJPB in failing to provide timely hearings and fading to render timely decisions,, then “covering up those actions by outrageous FETs” is unconstitutional. (Complt., ¶ 55);
4. The actions of the NJBP are a “continuous flagrant abuse of power, vindictive, unconstitutional, and are likely to continue without intervention of this Court.” (Complt., ¶ 56);
5. The actions of the NJPB are vindictive and are imposed in retaliation for plaintiffs various lawsuits and appeals. (Complt., ¶ 57);
6. The actions of the NJPB deny the plaintiff equal protection of the laws because the NJPB has released convicted murderers who were sentenced to the death penalty, (Complt., ¶ 58), as well as “white inmates who were either friends and acquaintances with members of the NJPB, or relatives of political and/or judicial officials.” (Complt., ¶ 60).

The plaintiff asks that this Court issue declaratory judgments stating that the NJPB violated plaintiffs due process rights by conducting late parole hearings and issuing late decisions, that the NJPB’s “unbridled discretion” in setting FETs is unconstitutionally vindictive, and that the decisions of the NJPB have been arbitrary *639 and capricious against the plaintiff and violative of his equal protection rights. (Complt., ¶¶ 62-66). Additionally, plaintiff seeks declaratory judgment that the increase of his FET from 72 months to 120 months in March 2001 was arbitrary, capricious, and vindictive, “and done to make the NJPB’s denial of plaintiffs right to a timely hearing moot.” (Complt., ¶ 67). Further, plaintiff seeks injunctive relief ordering the NJPB to grant him immediate release on parole. (Complt., ¶ 69). He also asks for an injunction to force the NJPB to establish a schedule for release for when it decides to go outside of the guidelines for imposing an FET. (Complt., ¶ 70). Finally, plaintiff seeks punitive damages in the amount of $10.00 per day for every day of incarceration from the first day he became eligible for parole in 1989. (Complt., ¶ 68).

DISCUSSION

A. Section 1915 Review

In 1996, Congress enacted the Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”), Title VIII of the Omnibus Consolidated Rescis-sions and Appropriations Act of 1996, Pub.L. No. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321 (April 26, 1996). Congress’s purpose in enacting the PLRA was “primarily to curtail claims brought by prisoners under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the Federal Tort Claims Act ... many of which are routinely dismissed as legally frivolous.” Santana v. United States, 98 F.3d 752, 755 (3d Cir.1996). A crucial part of the congressional plan for curtailing meritless prisoner suits is the requirement, embodied in 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, that a court must dismiss, at the earliest practicable time, any prisoner actions that are frivolous or malicious, fail to state a claim, or seek monetary relief from immune defendants.

When determining the sufficiency of a complaint, the Court must be mindful to construe it liberally in favor of the plaintiff. See Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 92 S.Ct. 594, 30 L.Ed.2d 652 (1972); United States v. Day, 969 F.2d 39, 42 (3d Cir.1992). The Court should “accept as true all of the allegations in the complaint and reasonable inferences that can be drawn therefrom, and view them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.” Morse v. Lower Merion School Dist., 132 F.3d 902, 906 (3d Cir.1997). The Court need not, however, lend credit to a pro se plaintiffs “bald assertions” or “legal conclusions.” Id.

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219 F. Supp. 2d 635, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17337, 2002 WL 31055409, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-paparozzi-njd-2002.