Kanae v. Mock

CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedApril 6, 2021
Docket1:20-cv-00562
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Kanae v. Mock, (D. Haw. 2021).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF HAWAII KEOLA NATHAN KANAE, CIVIL NO. 20-00562 HG-KJM #A5010358, ORDER DISMISSING FIRST Plaintiff, AMENDED COMPLAINT IN PART AND DIRECTING SERVICE vs.

KEVIN MOCK; SCOTT JINBO; JOHN DOE,

Defendants.

ORDER DISMISSING FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT IN PART AND DIRECTING SERVICE

Before the Court is Plaintiff Keola Nathan Kanae’s (“Kanae”) first amended prisoner civil rights complaint (“FAC”) brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. ECF No. 6. Kanae alleges that Defendants1 violated his constitutional rights during his incarceration at the Halawa Correctional Facility (“HCF”).2 Specifically, Kanae claims that Defendants Mock and Jinbo violated the First

1 Kanae names Kevin Mock and Scott Jinbo in their individual and official capacities. ECF No. 6 at 2–3. He also names “John Doe” in his official capacity. Id. at 2. Kanae describes John Doe as the Director of the Hawaii Department of Public Safety (“DPS”). Id.

2 Kanae is currently incarcerated at the Saguaro Correctional Center (“SCC”) in Eloy, Arizona. See VINE, https://www.vinelink.com/classic/#/home (select “Hawaii” from “Please Select Your State of Interest” drop-down menu, follow “Find an Offender,” and enter Kanae in “Last Name” and Keola in “First Name”). Amendment by retaliating against him. Id. at 5–13. He further claims that John Doe violated the Fourteenth Amendment by transferring him to the Saguaro

Correctional Center (“SCC”) within a year of his possible parole date. Id. at 14– 20.

For the following reasons, the Court concludes that Kanae states colorable First Amendment claims against Mock and Jinbo. These claims shall be served and require a response after service is perfected. Kanae fails to state a plausible Fourteenth Amendment claim against John Doe. This claim is DISMISSED

without prejudice pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A(b). I. STATUTORY SCREENING

The Court must conduct a pre-Answer screening of any case in which a prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity, or in which a plaintiff proceeds in forma pauperis. 28 U.S.C.

§§ 1915(e)(2), 1915A(a). During this screening, the Court must dismiss any complaint, or any portion thereof, that is frivolous, malicious, fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted, or seeks damages from defendants who are immune from suit. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B), 1915A(b); Andrews v.

Cervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, 1055 (9th Cir. 2007) (noting that 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A(b) “are directed at screening out meritless suits early on”); see also Harris v. Harris, 935 F.3d 670, 675 (9th Cir. 2019) (describing screening under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A(a)–(b)).

The Court construes pro se litigants’ pleadings liberally and affords them the benefit of any doubt. See Byrd v. Phoenix Police Dep’t, 885 F.3d 639, 642 (9th

Cir. 2018) (per curiam). Liberal interpretation of a pro se civil rights complaint, however “may not supply essential elements of the claim that were not initially pled.” Litmon v. Harris, 768 F.3d 1237, 1241 (9th Cir. 2014) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

The Court cannot dismiss a pro se litigant’s pleading without leave to amend unless it is absolutely clear that the deficiencies of the complaint could not be cured by amendment. Rosati v. Igbinoso, 791 F.3d 1037, 1039 (9th Cir. 2015) (per

curiam). Before dismissing a pro se complaint, the Court must provide the litigant with notice of the deficiencies in his complaint “to ensure that the litigant uses the opportunity to amend effectively.” Akhtar v. Mesa, 698 F.3d 1202, 1212 (9th Cir.

2012) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). In determining whether a complaint should be dismissed for failure to state a claim under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) and 1915A(b)(1), the Court applies the

same standard as that under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) (“Rule 12”). See Rosati, 791 F.3d at 1039. Under this standard, a 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 (2009) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted); Byrd, 885 F.3d at 642. A claim is “plausible” when the facts

alleged support a reasonable inference that the plaintiff is entitled to relief from a specific defendant for specific misconduct. See Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678. Although this plausibility standard does not equate to a “probability requirement,” “it asks

for more than sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.” Id.; see also Dent v. Nat’l Football League, 968 F.3d 1126, 1130 (9th Cir. 2020) (same). Rule 12 is read in conjunction with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule

8(a) (“Rule 8”) when screening a complaint. Rule 8 “requires only ‘a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief,’ in order to ‘give the defendant fair notice of what the . . . claim is and the grounds upon

which it rests.’” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007) (quoting Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 47 (1957)). Although Rule 8 does not require detailed factual allegations, “it demands more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (citation

omitted). “A pleading that offers ‘labels and conclusions’ or ‘a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.’” Id. (citation omitted). “Nor does a complaint suffice if it tenders ‘naked assertion[s]’ devoid of ‘further

factual enhancement.’” Id. (citation omitted) (brackets in original); see also Woods v. U.S. Bank N.A., 831 F.3d 1159, 112 (9th Cir. 2016) (same). II. BACKGROUND3

On April 24, 2020, prison officials escorted Kanae from his general population housing module to meet with Defendant Mock, the HCF’s chief of security, regarding an allegation that Kanae had asked a gang member to harm his

wife. ECF No. 6 at 6–7. Kanae denied the allegation and “calm[ly]” told Mock that he had not made any calls that day. Id. at 6. Mock allegedly “became hostile and verbally abusive.” Id. Kanae threatened to sue Mock if he continued to “harass” him. Id. Mock allegedly responded by saying, “I was just about to let

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