Karl B. Manuel v. Superintendent Mark Capozza, C/O John Doe #1, C/O John Doe #2, C/O Sergent Wiles, C/O Lt. Dailey, Medical Provider, M.P.A. Mrs. Darla Cowden, Assistant Superintendent Eric Armel

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJuly 14, 2022
Docket2:20-cv-01759
StatusUnknown

This text of Karl B. Manuel v. Superintendent Mark Capozza, C/O John Doe #1, C/O John Doe #2, C/O Sergent Wiles, C/O Lt. Dailey, Medical Provider, M.P.A. Mrs. Darla Cowden, Assistant Superintendent Eric Armel (Karl B. Manuel v. Superintendent Mark Capozza, C/O John Doe #1, C/O John Doe #2, C/O Sergent Wiles, C/O Lt. Dailey, Medical Provider, M.P.A. Mrs. Darla Cowden, Assistant Superintendent Eric Armel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Karl B. Manuel v. Superintendent Mark Capozza, C/O John Doe #1, C/O John Doe #2, C/O Sergent Wiles, C/O Lt. Dailey, Medical Provider, M.P.A. Mrs. Darla Cowden, Assistant Superintendent Eric Armel, (W.D. Pa. 2022).

Opinion

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

KARL B. MANUEL, ) ) Plaintiff, ) Civil Action No. 20-1759 ) District Judge David S. Cercone v. ) Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly ) SUPERINTENDENT MARK CAPOZZA, ) Re: ECF No. 42 C/O JOHN DOE #1; C/O JOHN DOE #2; C/O ) SERGENT WILES; C/O LT. DAILEY; ) MEDICAL PROVIDER; M.P.A. MRS. ) DARLA COWDEN; ASST ) SUPERINTENDENT ERIC ARMEL, ) ) Defendant. )

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

I. RECOMMENDATION

Pending before the Court is a Motion to Dismiss filed on behalf of Defendants Superintendent Mark Capozza, Assistant Superintendent Eric Armel, Sgt. Wiles, and Lt. Dailey (collectively, the “Corrections Defendants”). ECF No. 42. For the following reasons, it is respectfully recommended that the Motion to Dismiss be granted as to Plaintiff’s claims against Defendants Capozza and Armel and as to any claim arising out of Plaintiff’s placement in a Restricted Housing Unit, but denied as to Defendants Wiles and Dailey. II. REPORT A. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND Plaintiff brings this pro se prisoner civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and asserts claims against administrators, corrections staff, and a contracted medical provider employed at the State Correctional Institution at Fayette (“SCI – Fayette”). ECF Nos. 36, 39. Plaintiff alleges that on January 23, 2019, two “John Doe” corrections officers attacked and beat him without provocation during a property exchange. Plaintiff asserts that after the attack, Defendants were negligent and deliberately indifferent to his need for medical treatment. Id. As a result, Plaintiff suffered an untreated asthma attack, tooth loss, knee and lower back pain, and

permanent injury to his right hand and wrist. Id. As relevant to the pending Motion to Dismiss, Plaintiff alleges that: (1) On January 14, 2019, Plaintiff was incarcerated at the State Correction Institution at Camp Hill (“SCI – Camp Hill”) and was charged with a misconduct that he believes was “bogus.” Plaintiff was immediately placed in the facility’s Restricted Housing Unit (“RHU”). ECF No. 36 at 2. Plaintiff was transferred the next day to SCI – Fayette, and placed in the RHU pending adjudication of the misconduct from SCI – Camp Hill. (2) During the property exchange on January 23, 2019, Defendant Daily stood by and failed to protect him from physical assault perpetrated by two “John Doe” corrections officers. ECF No. 39 ¶ 6.

(3) After the attack, Defendant Wiles denied Plaintiff necessary medical treatment despite being informed that Plaintiff was suffering from an asthma attack. ECF No. 39 ¶ 7. In response to the report of respiratory distress, Wiles told Plaintiff, “nobody cares for you here,” and “when you die nobody will care.” ECF No. 36 at 3. (4) Defendant Capozza, Superintendent of SCI – Fayette, is responsible for policies and customs at the prison related to the safety and protection of inmates and, pursuant to the Interstate Corrections Compact (“ICC”) (incorrectly identified as the “Interstate Compact

2 Agreement”), is responsible for Plaintiff’s health and safety based on his status as a prisoner incarcerated under the ICC. ECF No. 39 ¶¶ 1, 3 (5) Defendant Armel, as Assistant Superintendent at SCI – Fayette, is responsible for policies and customs at the prison related to the safety and protection of inmates and, pursuant to

the ICC, is responsible for Plaintiff’s health and safety based on his status as a prisoner incarcerated under the ICC. Id. ¶¶ 2, 3. Plaintiff commenced this action on November 17, 2020, with a Motion for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis. ECF No. 1. Due to Plaintiff’s failure to provide the Court with necessary service papers and documentation, the Court issued deficiency orders and closed the action. ECF Nos. 4, 8. Plaintiff failed to comply with each order and on March 25, 2021, the Court ordered Plaintiff to show cause why this action should not be dismissed. ECF No. 10. Plaintiff failed to timely respond, and the Court dismissed Plaintiff’s Complaint. ECF No. 11. Two days later, the Court received Plaintiff’s Response to the Order to Show Cause and the missing paperwork to effect service of the Complaint. ECF No. 12. This action was reopened, and service

was accomplished as to all identified Defendants. ECF Nos. 13 – 15. Defendants filed Motions to Dismiss, and Plaintiff followed with a Motion to Amend Complaint.1 Plaintiff was granted leave to file an amended complaint, but the Court cautioned Plaintiff that his amended complaint must specifically allege every claim he wishes to pursue arising out of the incidents described in his initial Complaint and must be a pleading that stands by itself without reference to the original complaint. ECF No. 38. Despite the clarity of this

1 Plaintiff also filed a Motion to Appoint Counsel. ECF No. 34. Based on Plaintiff’s demonstrated ability to adequately represent himself in this uncomplicated prisoner civil rights action at this early stage of the litigation, the Court denied Plaintiff’s Motion without prejudice. ECF No. 37.

3 instruction, Plaintiff has filed his “Amending Civil Complaint” that includes only “Amending Facts.”2 ECF No. 39. Defendant Darla Cowden filed her Answer to both the initial Complaint and the Amending Civil Complaint, and the Corrections Defendants have filed the pending Motion to Dismiss. ECF

Nos. 42, 44. Plaintiff has filed a Brief in Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss, and the Corrections Defendants have filed a Reply Brief. ECF Nos. 46, 47. The Motion to Dismiss is ripe for consideration. B. STANDARD OF REVIEW 1. Motion to Dismiss A complaint may be dismissed under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) for “failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” “[D]etailed pleading is not generally required.” Connelly v. Lane Const. Corp., 809 F.3d 780, 786 (3d Cir. 2016). Rather, the rules require “‘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.’” Id.

(quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)) (internal quotations omitted).

2 Rather than dismiss Plaintiff’s Amending Complaint as requested by Defendants, the Court acknowledges that Plaintiff’s Amending Civil Complaint appears to adopt the initial Complaint and thus, in the interest of justice and this time only, the Court will treat the initial Complaint as the operative Complaint, as amended by the Amending Complaint. See W. Run Student Hous. Assocs., LLC v. Huntington Nat. Bank, 712 F.3d 165, 171 (3d Cir. 2013) (“[T]he amended complaint ‘supersedes the original and renders it of no legal effect, unless the amended complaint specifically refers to or adopts the earlier pleading.’” New Rock Asset Partners, L.P. v. Preferred Entity Advancements, Inc., 101 F.3d 1492, 1504 (3d Cir. 1996) (quoting Boelens v. Redman Homes, Inc., 759 F.2d 504, 508 (5th Cir.1985)). This approach “ensures that a particular claim will be decided on the merits rather than on technicalities.” Dole v. Arco Chem. Co., 921 F.2d 484, 487 (3d Cir. 1990); see also 6 Charles Alan Wright & Arthur R. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 1474 (3d ed.

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Karl B. Manuel v. Superintendent Mark Capozza, C/O John Doe #1, C/O John Doe #2, C/O Sergent Wiles, C/O Lt. Dailey, Medical Provider, M.P.A. Mrs. Darla Cowden, Assistant Superintendent Eric Armel, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/karl-b-manuel-v-superintendent-mark-capozza-co-john-doe-1-co-john-pawd-2022.