King v. Orange County Jail

District Court, S.D. New York·Decided August 6, 2024·No. 1:24-cv-02916·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK KEJOHNA T. KING, Plaintiff, -against- 24-CV-2916 (LTS) ORANGE COUNTY JAIL; ORANGE COUNTY JAIL, MEDICAL UNIT – ORDER TO AMEND DENTAL; ORANGE COUNTY JAIL, MENTAL HEALTH; ORANGE COUNTY JAIL, LEGAL MAILING ROOM, Defendants. LAURA TAYLOR SWAIN, Chief United States District Judge: Plaintiff, who currently is detained at the Orange County Jail, brings this action, pro se, under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that Defendants violated his federal constitutional rights. By order dated May 29, 2024, the Court granted Plaintiff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis (“IFP”), that is, without prepayment of fees.1 For the reasons set forth below, the Court grants Plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint within 60 days of the date of this order. STANDARD OF REVIEW The Prison Litigation Reform Act requires that federal courts screen complaints brought by prisoners who seek relief against a governmental entity or an officer or employee of a governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a prisoner’s IFP complaint, or any portion of the complaint, that is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim

1 Plaintiff submitted the complaint with the filing fees or an IFP application and prisoner authorization. By order dated May 2, 2024, the Court directed Plaintiff to cure that deficiency. (ECF 3.) The Court received Plaintiff’s IFP application and prisoner authorization on May 22, 2024. Prisoners are not exempt from paying the full filing fee even when they have been granted permission to proceed IFP. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). upon which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B), 1915A(b); see Abbas v. Dixon, 480 F.3d 636, 639 (2d Cir. 2007). The Court must also dismiss a complaint if the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(3).

While the law mandates dismissal on any of these grounds, the Court is obliged to construe pro se pleadings liberally, Harris v. Mills, 572 F.3d 66, 72 (2d Cir. 2009), and interpret them to raise the “strongest [claims] that they suggest,” Triestman v. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, 470 F.3d 471, 474 (2d Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted) (emphasis in original). But the “special solicitude” in pro se cases, id. at 475 (citation omitted), has its limits – to state a claim, pro se pleadings still must comply with Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which requires a complaint to make a short and plain statement showing that the pleader is entitled to relief. Rule 8 requires a complaint to include enough facts to state a claim for relief “that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). A claim is facially

plausible if the plaintiff pleads enough factual detail to allow the Court to draw the inference that the defendant is liable for the alleged misconduct. In reviewing the complaint, the Court must accept all well-pleaded factual allegations as true. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678-79 (2009). But it does not have to accept as true “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action,” which are essentially just legal conclusions. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555. After separating legal conclusions from well-pleaded factual allegations, the Court must determine whether those facts make it plausible – not merely possible – that the pleader is entitled to relief. Id. BACKGROUND Plaintiff brings this action concerning events that occurred in the Orange County Jail between January and April 2024. Named as Defendant is the Orange County Jail and several units within the jail. Plaintiff alleges, With dental first 5:00pm mental health a few days after with Risperdal – my disorder Bipolar Resperdal gave me chronic pain in my bone and joints – and [illegible] Im not schizophrenic[.] Both meds are for that disorder made me delusional from sleep deprivation. Bein[g] X-Ray by dentist 87 days ago and still noting just getting pain meds 7 days ago and still wait mail – not bein given[.] (ECF 1, at 5.)2 Plaintiff further alleges, “Dentel assistant involved she took the X-Rays – and for other party is not for sure who saw or involved.” (Id.) In the section of the complaint form for Plaintiff to describe his injuries, he states, Delusional – sleep deprivation P.T.S.D. Bipolar mood disorder migraine head ace teeth pain depressed anger from not receive my legal mail from loved ones[.] Heart ace from stress in all the above and countless days on displary loss locked in keep lock loss of money or fine food restriction loss of commissary. (Id.) Plaintiff seeks money damages. DISCUSSION The Court understands the complaint as attempting to assert constitutional claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 that Plaintiff was provided inadequate medical care and that his mail was tampered with. To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege both that: (1) a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States was violated, and (2) the right was

2 Plaintiff writes using irregular capitalization. For readability, the Court uses standard capitalization when quoting from the complaint. All other spelling, punctuation, and grammar are as in the original unless otherwise indicated. violated by a person acting under the color of state law, or a “state actor.” West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48-49 (1988). A. Claims against the Orange County Jail Plaintiff’s claims against the Orange County Jail, and any of its departments or divisions, must be dismissed. Section 1983 provides that an action may be maintained against a “person”

who has deprived another of rights under the “Constitution and Laws.” 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Orange County Jail is a correctional facility; it is not a “person” subject to liability under Section 1983. See Whitley v. Westchester Cnty. Corr. Fac. Admin., No. 97-CV-420 (SS), 1997 WL 659100, at *7 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 22, 1997) (correctional facility or jail not a “person” within the meaning of Section 1983); Marsden v. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, 856 F. Supp. 832, 836 (S.D.N.Y. June 24, 1994) (Orange County Jail is not suable under Section 1983). The Court therefore dismisses Plaintiff’s claims against Orange County Jail and its division or units for failure to state a claim on which relief may be granted. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

King v. Orange County Jail, (S.D.N.Y. 2024).

King v. Orange County Jail (King v. Orange County Jail) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Coppedge v. United States
369 U.S. 438 (Supreme Court, 1962)
Bounds v. Smith
430 U.S. 817 (Supreme Court, 1977)
Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Servs.
436 U.S. 658 (Supreme Court, 1978)
Bell v. Wolfish
441 U.S. 520 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Daniels v. Williams
474 U.S. 327 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Davidson v. Cannon
474 U.S. 344 (Supreme Court, 1986)
West v. Atkins
487 U.S. 42 (Supreme Court, 1988)
Thornburgh v. Abbott
490 U.S. 401 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Lewis v. Casey
518 U.S. 343 (Supreme Court, 1996)
Christopher v. Harbury
536 U.S. 403 (Supreme Court, 2002)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Hill v. Curcione
657 F.3d 116 (Second Circuit, 2011)
Walker v. Schult
717 F.3d 119 (Second Circuit, 2013)
Jermosen v. Coughlin
877 F. Supp. 864 (S.D. New York, 1995)
Harris v. Mills
572 F.3d 66 (Second Circuit, 2009)
Collins v. Goord
581 F. Supp. 2d 563 (S.D. New York, 2008)