Mark R. Frisby v. The State of California Department of Justice

District Court, C.D. California·Decided November 23, 2020·No. 5:19-cv-01249·Unknown

Opinion

MARK R. FRISBY, Case No. 5:19-cv-01249-DSF (MAA) Plaintiff, MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER DISMISSING SECOND v. AMENDED COMPLAINT WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA Defendant. On July 8, 2019, Plaintiff Mark. R. Frisby (“Plaintiff”), proceeding pro se, filed a Complaint alleging violations of his civil rights pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (“Section 1983”). (Compl., ECF No. 1.) On August 7, 2019, the Court dismissed the Complaint with leave to amend. (Order Dismiss. Compl., ECF No. 8.) On October 25, 2019, Plaintiff filed a First Amended Complaint (“FAC,” ECF No. 12), which the Court dismissed with leave to amend on December 9, 2019 (Order Dismiss. FAC, ECF No. 12). After an eleven-month delay in which Plaintiff failed to comply with Court orders to file a FAC and failed to prosecute the lawsuit, Plaintiff filed a Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”) on November 2, 2020. (SAC, ECF No. 34.) The Court has screened the SAC as prescribed by 28 U.S.C. § 1915A and 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). For the reasons stated below, the SAC is DISMISSED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND. Plaintiff is ORDERED to, within thirty days after the date of this Order, either: (1) file a Third Amended Complaint (“TAC”), or (2) advise the Court that Plaintiff does not intend to pursue this lawsuit further and will not file a TAC. II. PLAINTIFF’S ALLEGATIONS AND CLAIMS1 The SAC is filed against the following defendants: (1) Officer Ruiz, clinician or psychologist at Los Angeles County Twin Towers Jail (“LACJ”); (2) L. Smith, officer at San Bernardino County Jail (“SBCJ”); (3) Lloyd, officer at SBCJ; and (4) Judge Leslie Swain, Superior Court Judge presiding over Plaintiff’s case #BA438972 (“State Case”) (each, a “Defendant,” and collectively, “Defendants”). (SAC 4–5.)2 Each Defendant is sued in his or her official capacity. (Id.) As part of the procedure set forth by SBCJ for confinement of prisoners found unfit for trial and as part of the procedure enforcing the mental health assessment program, Defendants Lloyd and Smith denied Plaintiff the ability to file a writ of habeas corpus to challenge the legality and conditions of his confinement. (Id. at 6– 7.) Defendants Lloyd and Smith made these denials to Plaintiff every time Plaintiff spoke with them—several times per week, five or six days per week, over one hundred days. (Id.) Defendant Lloyd told Plaintiff, “Sorry, we do not have that option here.” (Id. at 6.) Defendant Smith told Plaintiff that he was not allowed a writ of habeas corpus because he was unfit for trial. (Id. at 7.) Challenges contemplated by Plaintiff included “conditions of confinement, legality, lack of evidence, factual innocence, speedy trial, right to representation, Faretta rights, 1 The Court summarizes Plaintiff’s allegations and claims as set forth in the SAC, without opining on their veracity or merit. 2 Citations to pages in docketed documents reference those generated by CM/ECF. affordable bail, misdiagnosis and challenges to double jeopardy charges of assault with a deadly weapon as an element of the primary offense (which [Plaintiff] is not guilty of) of attempted murder.” (Id. at 6–7.) Such challenges can no longer be filed or remedied via writ of habeas corpus due to the statutes of limitation and because Plaintiff’s State Case is now finalized. (Id.) As part of the procedure set forth by LACJ for confinement of prisoners found not fit for trial and as part of the procedure enforcing mental health assessment, Defendant Ruiz denied Plaintiff the ability to file a writ of habeas corpus to challenge the legality and conditions of his confinement. (Id. at 8.) Plaintiff was denied a writ of habeas corpus every time he spoke with Defendant Ruiz between August 13, 2015 and July 17, 2017. (Id.) Defendant Ruiz told Plaintiff that he was unfit and had mental health issues and therefore was not authorized to assert the writ of habeas corpus challenges. (Id.) Challenges contemplated by Plaintiff included “challenges to the conditions of confinement, challenges to the legality of confinement due to lack of evidence, factual innocence, speedy trial, right to representation, right to self[-]representation, Faretta, bail, affordable bail, challenges to his diagnosis, challenges to double jeopardy charges of assault with a deadly weapon as an element of the primary offense (which [Plaintiff] is not guilty of) of attempted murder.” (Id.) Such challenges can no longer be filed or remedied via writ of habeas corpus due to the statutes of limitation and because Plaintiff’s State Case is now finalized. (Id.) As part of SBCJ’s mental health assessment program procedure, Defendants Smith and Lloyd refused to let Plaintiff out of a cell for over 100 days straight for any reason. (Id. at 9–10.) Plaintiff requested showers, medical treatment, hygiene products, and outdoor exercise several times per day, five or six days per week from Defendants Smith and Lloyd. (Id.) Defendant Smith refused Plaintiff’s requests every time, often responding “sorry, you’re unfit,” or simply ignoring the request. (Id. at 9.) Defendant Lloyd also refused Plaintiff’s request every time, often responding “sorry, we do not have that option here.” (Id. at 10.) The deprivation resulted in a skin rash that developed over twenty days and spread all over Plaintiff’s body for eighty days. (Id. at 9–10.) The rash was severe and unbearable and made Plaintiff unit for trial. (Id.) The rash required intensive medical treatment. (Id.) Plaintiff suffered severe emotional and physical pain after forty-two days of continuous denial of outdoor exercise, followed by another fifty-eight days of denial of outdoor exercise. (Id.) As part of the policies set forth by LACJ for confinement of prisoners found unit for trial, Defendant Ruiz of LACJ ordered Plaintiff to be kept in administrative segregation for over one year between August 13, 2015 and July 17, 2015.3 (Id. at 11.) Plaintiff was denied clothing, hygiene products, and blankets on every occasion. (Id.) Plaintiff suffered pneumonia from the cold without blankets, which went untreated. (Id.) Plaintiff was threatened with genital mutilation every time he requested adequate food, clothing, to be placed in general population, access to the courts, and medical treatment. (Id.) Plaintiff’s requests for grievance forms also were denied. (Id.) Plaintiff lost thirty pounds as a result of malnourishment and lack of exercise. (Id.) Plaintiff suffered visible physical and emotional trauma from the deprivation and has never fully recovered. (Id.) Defendant Swain denied Plaintiff adequate confinement and the ability to file writs of habeas corpus in the State Case. (Id. at 12.) Plaintiff verbally reported violations made by Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County officers to Defendant Swain since Plaintiff was physically restrained. (Id.) Defendant Swain ignored the reports and ordered Plaintiff to be returned to the same conditions and to be forced on medication if necessary. (Id.) Defendant Swain was aware of the violations to Plaintiff’s civil rights by Los Angeles County and San Bernardino 3 This date appears to be an error, as July 17, 2015 cannot follow August 13, 2015. The SAC previously alleged that Plaintiff was at LACJ from August 13, 2015 to July 17, 2017. (See SAC 8.) County. (Id.) Defendant Swain acted outside her jurisdiction since Plaintiff refused to waive his right to a speedy trial and representation, and more than ninety days had passed. (Id.) Defendant Swain denied Plaintiff the ability to file a writ of habeas corpus, obtain safe living conditions, and obtain a dismissal of charges in the State Case, in which Plaintiff was found not guilty of the primary offense. (Id.) Based

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Mark R. Frisby v. The State of California Department of Justice, (C.D. Cal. 2020).

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