Knight v. Elko County

CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedOctober 3, 2022
Docket3:22-cv-00331
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Knight v. Elko County, (D. Nev. 2022).

Opinion

3 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

4 DISTRICT OF NEVADA

5 * * *

6 WADE ALAN KNIGHT, Case No. 3:22-cv-00331-MMD-CSD

7 Plaintiff, ORDER SCREENING FIRST AMENDED v. COMPLAINT, GRANTING APPLICATION 8 TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS, ELKO COUNTY, et al., AND DIRECTING SERVICE 9 Defendants. 10 11 This action began with a civil-rights complaint and an application to proceed in 12 forma pauperis filed by state prisoner Wade Knight, who is currently held in the custody 13 of the Elko County Sheriff’s office at the Elko County Detention Center (“ECDC”). (ECF 14 Nos. 1-1, 1, 3, 4.) In screening Knight’s Complaint, the Court allowed the medical- 15 indifference and bodily-privacy claims to proceed, dismissed the shower-condition- 16 indifference claim with leave to amend by October 3, 2022, and dismissed the other 17 claims with prejudice and without leave to amend. (ECF No. 5 at 13.) Knight has timely 18 filed his First Amended Complaint (“FAC”). (ECF No. 7.) The Court now screens the FAC 19 under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, grants Knight’s third application to proceed in forma pauperis, 20 and directs that service of process be effectuated. 21 I. SCREENING STANDARD 22 Federal courts must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which an 23 incarcerated person seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of 24 a governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the Court must identify 25 any cognizable claims and dismiss any claims that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a 26 claim upon which relief may be granted, or seek monetary relief from a defendant who is 27 immune from such relief. See id. §§ 1915A(b)(1), (2). Pro se pleadings, however, must 28 be liberally construed. See Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 2 elements: (1) the violation of a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United 3 States; and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a person acting under color 4 of state law. See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). 5 Additionally, under the Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”), a federal court must 6 dismiss an incarcerated person’s claim if “the allegation of poverty is untrue” or if the 7 action “is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted, or 8 seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.” 28 U.S.C. 9 § 1915(e)(2). Dismissal of a complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be 10 granted is provided for in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), and the Court applies 11 the same standard under § 1915 when reviewing the adequacy of a complaint or an 12 amended complaint. When a court dismisses a complaint under § 1915(e), the plaintiff 13 should be given leave to amend the complaint with directions as to curing its deficiencies, 14 unless it is clear from the face of the complaint that the deficiencies could not be cured 15 by amendment. See Cato v. United States, 70 F.3d 1103, 1106 (9th Cir. 1995). 16 Review under Rule 12(b)(6) is essentially a ruling on a question of law. See 17 Chappel v. Lab. Corp. of Am., 232 F.3d 719, 723 (9th Cir. 2000). Dismissal for failure to 18 state a claim is proper only if the plaintiff clearly cannot prove any set of facts in support 19 of the claim that would entitle him or her to relief. See Morley v. Walker, 175 F.3d 756, 20 759 (9th Cir. 1999). In making this determination, the Court takes as true all allegations 21 of material fact stated in the complaint, and the Court construes them in the light most 22 favorable to the plaintiff. See Warshaw v. Xoma Corp., 74 F.3d 955, 957 (9th Cir. 1996). 23 Allegations of a pro se complainant are held to less stringent standards than formal 24 pleadings drafted by lawyers. See Hughes v. Rowe, 449 U.S. 5, 9 (1980). While the 25 standard under Rule 12(b)(6) does not require detailed factual allegations, a plaintiff must 26 provide more than mere labels and conclusions. See Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 27 544, 555 (2007). A formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action is insufficient. 28 See id. 2 that, because they are no more than mere conclusions, are not entitled to the assumption 3 of truth.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 679 (2009). “While legal conclusions can provide 4 the framework of a complaint, they must be supported with factual allegations.” Id. “When 5 there are well-pleaded factual allegations, a court should assume their veracity and then 6 determine whether they plausibly give rise to an entitlement to relief.” Id. “Determining 7 whether a complaint states a plausible claim for relief . . . [is] a context-specific task that 8 requires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial experience and common sense.” Id. 9 Finally, all or part of a complaint filed by an incarcerated person may be dismissed 10 sua sponte if that person’s claims lack an arguable basis either in law or in fact. This 11 includes claims based on legal conclusions that are untenable (e.g., claims against 12 defendants who are immune from suit or claims of infringement of a legal interest which 13 clearly does not exist), as well as claims based on fanciful factual allegations (e.g., 14 fantastic or delusional scenarios). See Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 327-28 (1989); 15 see also McKeever v. Block, 932 F.2d 795, 798 (9th Cir. 1991). 16 II. SCREENING OF FAC 17 In his FAC, Knight sues five Defendants for events that allegedly took place at 18 ECDC. (ECF No. 7 at 1.) Knight sues Defendants Elko County, Aitor Narvaiza, Adrian 19 Parry, Starla Ricks, and Taylor Crowther. (Id. at 2-3.) Knight brings three claims and seeks 20 monetary relief.1 (Id. at 4-18.) 21 A. Factual allegations2 22 Knight is a state prisoner who has been sentenced to a 16-40-month term within 23 the NDOC but is housed at ECDC while he awaits trial in another case. (Id. at 3-4.) Knight 24 is housed in an open dorm block with 24 other detainees or inmates. (Id. at 4.) The 25 plumbing is damaged in Knight’s dorm block. (Id. at 4.) Only one shower works; the other 26 showers have been shut off by maintenance. (Id.) 27 1Kody Holland prepared or helped prepare the FAC. (ECF No. 7 at 18.) 28 2The Court uses any job title or position that Knight ascribes to Defendants. This 2 present. (Id.) The only working shower does not drain properly. (Id. at 5.) The bottom-tier 3 bathroom—where the one working shower is located—is constantly covered with dirt and 4 feces and has a terrible stench. (Id.) These conditions have existed for over two months.

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Knight v. Elko County, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/knight-v-elko-county-nvd-2022.