Jordanoff v. Troxel

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Oklahoma
DecidedApril 11, 2022
Docket5:20-cv-00403
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Jordanoff v. Troxel, (W.D. Okla. 2022).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA

JAMES JORDANOFF IV, ) ) Plaintiff, ) v. ) Case No. CIV-20-403-R ) AMANDA HAEZE TROXEL, ) et al., ) ) Defendants. )

ORDER Before the Court is Plaintiff James Jordanoff IV’s pro se action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1983. Doc. No. 1. United States Magistrate Judge Amanda Maxfield Green entered her Report and Recommendation [Doc. No. 72], in which she recommends the Court grant Defendant Amanda Haeze Troxel’s Motion to Dismiss [Doc. No. 62] and grant summary judgment for the remaining Defendants. Mr. Jordanoff has timely filed his objection [Doc. No. 81], and the matter is ripe for decision. For the reasons set forth on de novo review below, the Court ADOPTS the Report and Recommendation and DISMISSES Plaintiff’s Complaint. Doc. No. 1. The Court further DENIES as moot Mr. Jordanoff’s motion for evidentiary hearing [Doc. Nos. 82, 83], request for injunction [Doc. No. 1 at 29], and his request for the appointment of counsel [Doc. No. 84].1

1 Many of Mr. Jordanoff’s filings relate to events that are outside the scope of the current litigation because they relate to non-defendants and their actions. These filings can be broadly categorized into three categories: (1) requests for injunctive relief against non-defendants for events that allegedly took place after the Plaintiff filed his Complaint [Doc. Nos. 7, 14, 29, 37, 39, 75]; (2) attempts to submit evidence regarding alleged events not complained about in his Complaint [Doc. Nos. 15, 18, 19, 20, 49, 83]; and (3) motions for discovery seeking information about incidents that allegedly took place after Plaintiff initiated his current case and that were allegedly caused by non-defendants [Doc. Nos. 22, 28, 36, 55, 67, 85]. The Court will not consider these filings because a pro se plaintiff must still properly file motions to amend his complaint in order to add defendants and allegations. Submitting evidence and motions which seek injunctions or relate to discovery outside the bounds of the current lawsuit is not the proper way for Mr. Jordanoff’s action stems from Ms. Troxel allegedly kicking Plaintiff in the face through the food slot in his cell door on February 7, 2020. Doc. No. 1 at 8–9. At the time, Mr. Jordanoff was at the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center (LARC). Doc No.

60 at 4. A nurse reported the incident, and the facility launched an investigation, which ultimately determined there was a lack of evidence to substantiate the allegations. Id. at 4– 5. On March 9, 2020, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) moved Mr. Jordanoff to the Mental Health Unit (MHU) at Joseph Harp Correctional Center (JHCC). Id. at 7. There, Plaintiff claims Captain Weaver, in her official capacity, and case worker

Kembrel retaliated against him for the instant litigation against Ms. Troxel by illegally confiscating his property, impeding his legal actions, placing him in dangerously unsanitary conditions, and administering him medication that he is allergic to. Doc. No. 1 at 14–18. Judge Green recommends the Court dismiss Plaintiff’s claims for two reasons. First,

Mr. Jordanoff has had ample time to serve Ms. Troxel in this case but has failed to do so. Doc. No. 72 at 7. Accordingly, Judge Green recommends the Court dismiss Plaintiffs claims against Ms. Troxel for failure to comply with Fed. R. Civ. P. 4. Id. 5, 7. Second, the Report and Recommendation reasons that regardless of Plaintiff’s failure to serve the Defendants, Mr. Jordanoff has failed to exhaust his administrative remedies regarding any

Plaintiff to expand the scope of his case. See Garrett v. Selby Connor Maddux & Janer, 425 F.3d 836, 840 (10th Cir. 2005) (pro se litigants are required to follow the same procedures as other litigants); see also Walters v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 703 F.3d 1167, 1173 (10th Cir. 2013) (liberal construction of pro se filings does not extend to curing omissions and supplying arguments for them that they have failed to raise on their own). The Court therefore examines only the allegations against the Defendants in the Complaint and the evidence submitted regarding those allegations henceforth. of the claims with the ODOC before filing his lawsuit, violating the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) [42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a)]. Id. at 9, 11–14. Consequently, Judge Green recommends the Court dismiss the Complaint without prejudice. Id. at 14.

Mr. Jordanoff objects to both lines of reasoning. First, he argues that JHCC has inhibited his ability to serve Ms. Troxel because prison staff took his legal materials, interfered with his legal mail, and told him incorrect information regarding how to serve Ms. Troxel. Doc. No. 81 at 66, 13. Second, Plaintiff contends the ODOC ensured that administrative remedies were unavailable. Id. at 18–23. Mr. Jordanoff claims he filed an

emergency grievance at the LARC, but never received a response. Id. at 18. He also argues that he attempted to follow up on the alleged kick in the face at JHCC, but staff told him there were no forms available. Id. 19–21. Plaintiff further contends that he was afraid of utilizing the ODOC’s grievance system because he feared further retaliation after Ms. Troxel allegedly kicked him and JHCC employees allegedly retaliated against him. Id. at

21, 24, 26–27. Mr. Jordanoff thus concludes that the Court should grant him more time to effect service, find the ODOC’s grievance system was not available to him, and provide him the opportunity to present his arguments at an evidentiary hearing. Id. at 4–7. Regarding Judge Green’s first line of reasoning, the Court agrees with her that Plaintiff has failed to timely effect service on Defendants. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4 sets out

“[d]etailed instructions on how to serve a summons and complaint” on a defendant in a civil action. Martinez-Jones v. Dulce Indep. Sch., No. CIV-07-0703, 2008 WL 2229472, at *5 (D.N.M. Mar. 5, 2008). “Personal service under Rule 4 serves two purposes: notifying a defendant of the commencement of an action against him and providing a ritual that marks the court’s assertion of jurisdiction over the lawsuit.” Okla. Radio Assocs. v. FDIC, 969 F.2d 940, 943 (10th Cir. 1992). Further, Rule 4 service of process “provides the mechanism” for the court to “assert[] jurisdiction over the person of the party served.” Id.;

see also Murphy Bros., Inc. v. Michetti Pipe Stringing, Inc., 526 U.S. 344, 350 (1999); Omni Capital Int’l, Ltd. v. Rudolf Wolff & Co., 484 U.S. 97, 104 (1987). Proper “service is a precondition [for a] suit.” Jenkins v. City of Topeka, 136 F.3d 1274, 1276 (10th Cir. 1998). Accordingly, a plaintiff’s unexcused failure to comply with Rule 4 allows a district court to dismiss the action. See Jones v. Frank, 973 F.2d 872, 873-74 (10th Cir. 1992).

A Rule 12(b)(5) motion challenges the plaintiff’s mode or method of serving process on the objecting party. Craig v.

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Jordanoff v. Troxel, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jordanoff-v-troxel-okwd-2022.