Lucus v. Koenig

District Court, N.D. California·Decided July 21, 2020·No. 5:19-cv-07938·Unknown

Opinion

JESSE LUCUS,1 Case No. 19-07938 BLF (PR) Plaintiff, ORDER OF DISMISSAL WITH LEAVE TO AMEND v.

CRAIG KOENIG, et al.,

Defendants.

Plaintiff, a former California inmate who has been paroled, filed the instant pro se civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against CDCR officials and employees at Correctional Training Facility (“CTF”) where he was formerly incarcerated. Dkt. Nos. 1, 13. Plaintiff filed an amended complaint, Dkt. No. 15, which the Court deemed as operative complaint in this matter. Dkt. No. 16. Plaintiff has also been granted permission for electronic case-filing. Id. /// 1 Plaintiff states that the proper spelling of his last name is “Lucus” and not “Lucas.” Dkt. No. 13. The Court shall direct the Clerk to update the docket to reflect the correct spelling A. Standard of Review A federal court must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which a prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the court must identify any cognizable claims and dismiss any claims that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted or seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. See id. § 1915A(b)(1),(2). Pro se pleadings must, however, be liberally construed. See Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1988). To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two essential elements: (1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States was violated, and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a person acting under the color of state law. See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). B. Plaintiff’s Claims Plaintiff claims that beginning in 2018, the CDCR began to convert Sensitive Needs Yard (“SNY”) inmates to General Population (“GP”) at “Non-Designated Programming Facilities” (“NDPF”). Plaintiff claims this plan was published in several memoranda by Defendant Kathleen Allison, the Director of the Division of Adult Institutions, and Secretary Ralph Diaz. Id. at 2-3. Defendant Capt. Julie Garry was the designated point of contact in Defendant Diaz’s memoranda. Id. at 3. Plaintiff was an SNY inmate. Id. at 4. Plaintiff met with Defendant Laura Mendez, Correctional Counselor I, in early December 2018, to discuss his transfer to a NDPF. Id. at 3. Plaintiff claims he agreed to a transfer to CRC Norco, but at the actual hearing on December 14, 2018, for which he waived his appearance, Defendant Mendez placed him for a transfer to CTF’s Facility D. Id. Plaintiff claims he was not advised of the change nor provided with a copy of the action that was taken, and therefore deprived of his right to due process. Id. at 3-4. Then transferred from Facility A to Facility D, and that Plaintiff had 10 minutes to gather his property. Id. at 4. Because Plaintiff was aware that many other inmates who had been transferred from Facility A to Facility D just the day before were being hurt, he requested protected administrative segregation (“ad-seg”). Id. However, Defendant Stephens informed him that if he refused to be moved, she was supposed to issue him a Rules Violation Report (“RVR”) for “refusing housing,” that he would be deemed a “program failure,” transferred to a “Level III or IV” institution, and potentially lose good conduct credits. Id. Plaintiff claims he agreed to the transfer in order avoid this “retaliation.” Id. at 4-5. He was moved to Facility D that same day. Id. at 5. When he and several other inmates arrived at Facility D, staff informed them that there had been multiple incidents the day before and there had been at least 10 physical altercations in the last three days of “converting.” Id. Defendant Warden Craig Koenig met with the inmates that afternoon to discuss the situation. Id. at 5. Defendant Koenig repeated the consequences for those who refused housing in Facility D: they would be issued an RVR, deemed “program failures,” and transferred to a higher security level institution. Id. He agreed to house the new transfers from Facility A together in Dorm 5, so they could protect one another and use bathrooms and showers with less fear, as well as assigning an additional officer for protection. Id. at 6. The next day on December 21, 2018, Plaintiff and 9 other inmates were using the phones when they were rushed by a group of 28 attackers. Id. Plaintiff was kicked repeatedly by five inmates, and suffered injuries to his head, face, neck, hands, and body. Id. He was also soaked with pepper spray by Defendant John Doe 1 who arrived on the scene to quell the riot. Id. Plaintiff was taken to medical triage, and then to Natividad Hospital for evaluation and treatment. Id. He was escorted by Defendant John Doe 2, who did not allow him a change of clothes or a chance to wash the spray off his face or body. Id. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with a closed head injury but no broken bones. Id. at various injuries. Id. at 7. Fearful for his life, Plaintiff refused to return to his housing and was placed in ad-seg. Id. Defendant John Doe 3 wrote on his ad-seg notice that the reason for the placement was “refusing house/program on a non-designated facility” due to “self- expressed” safety concerns, and that Plaintiff was involved in a riot. Id. Plaintiff claims that Defendant Jane Doe twice refused to allow Plaintiff to decontaminate with a shower and get new clothes. Id. Then at ad-seg, Defendant John Doe 4 gave him clothes that did not fit, forcing Plaintiff to wear his contaminated clothes, and denied Plaintiff a shower. Id. Plaintiff was not allowed to shower until the next day, December 22, 2018, at 2 pm. Id. Liberally construed, Plaintiff has stated cognizable claims for failure to protect from other inmates against Defendants Sgt. Stephens and Warden Craig Koenig, and excessive force against Defendant John Doe 1. See Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 832-33 (1994); Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 6-7 (1992). The denial of showers by Defendants Jane Doe and John Doe 4 is also cognizable under § 1983 as a violation of the Eighth Amendment. See Toussaint v. McCarthy, 597 F. Supp. 1388, 1411 (N.D. Cal. 1984), aff'd in part and vacated in part, 801 F.2d 1080 (9th Cir. 1986), cert. denied, 481 U.S. 1069 (1987); Toussaint v. Rushen, 553 F. Supp. 1365, 1385 (N.D. Cal. 1983), aff'd in part and vacated in part, 722 F.2d 1490 (9th Cir. 1984); see also Shapley v. Wolff, 568 F.2d 1310 (9th Cir. 1978). Although the use of “John Doe” to identify a defendant is not favored in the Ninth Circuit, see Gillespie v. Civiletti, 629 F.2d 637, 642 (9th Cir. 1980); Wiltsie v. Cal. Dep't of Corrections, 406 F.2d 515, 518 (9th Cir. 1968), situations may arise where the identity of alleged defendants cannot be known prior to the filing of a complaint. In such circumstances, the plaintiff should be given an opportunity through discovery to identify the unknown defendants, unless it is clear that discovery would not uncover their identities or that the complaint should be dismissed on other grounds. See Gillespie, 629 F.2d at 642; Velasquez v. Senko, 643 F. Supp. 1172, 1180 (N.D. Cal. 1986).

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