Jose O. Arteaga v. John Does #2-15

District Court, E.D. California·Decided May 20, 2026·No. 1:25-cv-00357·Unknown

Opinion

JOSE O. ARTEAGA, Case No. 1:25-cv-00357-KES-EPG (PC) Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, RECOMMENDING THAT THIS ACTION BE v. DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM, FAILURE TO JOHN DOES #2-15, PROSECUTE, AND FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH A COURT ORDER Defendants. (ECF Nos. 17, 20, 22)

OBJECTIONS, IF ANY, DUE WITHIN THIRTY

Plaintiff Jose O. Arteaga is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action filed pursuant to 41 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff originally filed a one-hundred- and-seventy-one-page complaint on October 11, 2022, alleging numerous claims against numerous defendants.1 (ECF No. 1). On February 25, 2025, the district judge ordered that “Plaintiff’s claims against John Doe defendants based on events after plaintiff’s placement in administrative segregation in February 2019 [ECF No. 1 at p. 14-21] shall be severed from this action and proceed in a new action.” (ECF No. 5 at p. 2). As such, the district judge ordered the underlying case be opened to address these severed claims. (Id.). 1 Plaintiff’s complaint was first filed in Arteaga v. Garcia, et al., 1:22-cv-1292-KES-EPG (PC) (E.D. Cal.). On January 22, 2026, the Court screened the severed complaint and concluded that Plaintiff failed to state any cognizable claims. (ECF No. 17). The Court gave Plaintiff thirty days to file a first amended complaint or to notify the Court that he wanted to stand on his complaint. (Id. at p. 10). Thereafter, the Court granted Plaintiff a thirty-day extension to respond to the screening order, warning that “Plaintiff must file a response to the Screening Order no later than April 10, 2026, or the Court will issue findings and recommendations that this case be dismissed.” (ECF No. 20 (emphasis in original)). On April 2, 2026, Plaintiff filed a Motion to Proceed Against Doe’s Real Name and Stand on Original Claims. (ECF No. 21). The Court reviewed the motion and found that it did not relate to the claims pending in this case and provided leave for Plaintiff to file an amended complaint concerning the issues of administrative segregation. (ECF No. 22). Granting additional time, the Court ordered that “Plaintiff must file an amended complaint until no later than May 4, 2026,” warning “[o]therwise, the Court will recommend dismissal of the complaint for the reasons stated in its Screening Order.” (Id. emphasis in original)). The extended deadline to respond to the screening order has expired, and Plaintiff has not filed an amended complaint or otherwise responded to the Court’s order. Accordingly, for the reasons given below, the Court will recommend that Plaintiff’s case be dismissed, with prejudice, for failure to state a claim, failure to prosecute, and failure to comply with a court order. The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint, or a portion of it, if the prisoner has raised claims that are frivolous or malicious, that fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or that seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1), (2). Additionally, as Plaintiff is proceeding in forma pauperis (ECF No. 14), the Court may screen the complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915. “Notwithstanding any filing fee, or any portion thereof, that may have been paid, the court shall dismiss the case at any time if the court determines that the action or appeal fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). A complaint is required to contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). A plaintiff must set forth “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Id. (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570). The mere possibility of misconduct falls short of meeting this plausibility standard. Id. at 679. While a plaintiff’s allegations are taken as true, courts “are not required to indulge unwarranted inferences.” Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 572 F.3d 677, 681 (9th Cir. 2009) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). Additionally, a plaintiff’s legal conclusions are not accepted as true. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678. Pleadings of pro se plaintiffs “must be held to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 (9th Cir. 2010) (holding that pro se complaints should continue to be liberally construed after Iqbal). II. SUMMARY OF PLAINTIFF’S COMPLAINT As noted earlier, this case only concerns Plaintiff’s claims arising after he was placed in administrative segregation in February 2019, which were severed from a separate case. Accordingly, the Court only summarizes the events described in the complaint after Plaintiff’s placement in administrative segregation in February 2019. Plaintiff alleges that, in February of 2019, he was placed in administrative segregation for a period of about eight months. During this time, Plaintiff suffered “painful, t[ortu]ous, constant retaliatory practices by then correctional officers responsible for passing out state meals” and “also the staff who are responsible for giving this prisoner[’]s medical attention.” (ECF No. 1 at p. 16). Plaintiff alleges that he was continuously ill from the “state food” served to him and that he would report this to “medical staff,” but they ignored any 7362 (medical) request regarding illness from the food. (Id.). Plaintiff was “forced to file a petition for writ of habeas corpus as a desperate intent to make them stop the abuses mistreatment of them tampering with [Plaintiff’s] state meals.” (Id. at p. 20). Plaintiff developed a rash all over his body and was taken to a dermatologist due to the painful rash and hair loss. (Id. at p. 16). Plaintiff also suffered stomach pains, headaches, and intestinal pain in the liver and kidney. Plaintiff alleges that these reactions are caused by chemical contaminants. (Id.). Plaintiff alleges that medical would act as if Plaintiff was not experiencing these symptoms. Plaintiff’s only effective medicine was to force himself to vomit the food. (Id.). Plaintiff stopped consuming a lot of his provided meals and was forced to purchase food from the canteen prison store to stay alive. (Id. at p. 17). Plaintiff was not aware of how long he would be housed in administrative segregation. (Id.). At the time, Plaintiff hoped that the money in his account would not run out. However, when Plaintiff was ordered to pay a court fee in another § 1983 civil case, he was unable to do so. (Id.). Plaintiff was cautious to not run out of money while in administrative segregation. Plaintiff was not able to make the court awar

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