McCormick v. Reinkey

CourtDistrict Court, D. Idaho
DecidedMay 5, 2022
Docket1:21-cv-00454
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
McCormick v. Reinkey, (D. Idaho 2022).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF IDAHO

DWAYNE LEE McCORMICK, Case No. 1:21–cv-00454-DCN Plaintiff, INITIAL REVIEW ORDER BY v. SCREENING JUDGE

COUNTY COMMISSIONER BRENT REINKEY; LT. CHRISTOPHER HOGAN; SGT. JUSTIN KIMBALL; DEP. SETH BOWEN; CAPT. DOUGLAS HUCHES; and SHERIFF TOM CARTER,

Defendants.

The Clerk of Court conditionally filed Plaintiff Dwayne Lee McCormick’s Complaint as a result of Plaintiff’s status as an inmate and in forma pauperis request. Plaintiff has since filed an Amended Complaint. See Dkt. 8. The Court now reviews the Amended Complaint to determine whether it should be summarily dismissed in whole or in part under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915 and 1915A. Having reviewed the record, and otherwise being fully informed, the Court enters the following Order dismissing the Amended Complaint and directing Plaintiff to file a second amended complaint if Plaintiff intends to proceed. 1. Pleading Standards and Screening Requirement A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Under modern pleading standards,

Rule 8 requires a complaint to “contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). The Iqbal/Twombly “facial plausibility” standard is met when a complaint contains “factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct

alleged.” Id. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). “[D]etailed factual allegations” are not required, but a plaintiff must offer “more than ... unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully- harmed-me accusation[s].” Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). If the facts pleaded are “merely consistent with a defendant’s liability,” or if there is an “obvious alternative explanation” that would not result in liability, the complaint has

not stated a claim for relief that is plausible on its face. Id. at 678, 682 (internal quotation marks omitted). Bare allegations that amount to a mere restatement of the elements of a cause of action, without adequate factual support, are not enough. The Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”)1 requires that the Court review complaints filed by prisoners seeking relief against a governmental entity or an officer or

employee of a governmental entity, as well as complaints filed in forma pauperis, to determine whether summary dismissal is appropriate. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915 & 1915A. In

1 Pub. L. No. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 1997e, et seq. screening a complaint under §§ 1915 and 1915A, a court may, but is not required to, consider documents attached to the Complaint, as well as “matters properly submit to judicial notice.” See Akhtar v. Mesa, 698 F.3d 1202, 1212 (9th Cir. 2012) (motion to

dismiss context). The Court must dismiss any claims that do not have adequate factual support or are frivolous or malicious. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) & 1915A. The Court also must dismiss claims that fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted or that seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. Id. These last two categories—

together with claims that fall outside a federal court’s narrow grant of jurisdiction— encompass those claims that might, or might not, have factual support but nevertheless are barred by a well-established legal rule. The Court liberally construes the pleadings to determine whether a case should be dismissed for a failure to plead sufficient facts to support a cognizable legal theory or for

the absence of a cognizable legal theory. The critical inquiry is whether a constitutional claim, however inartfully pleaded, has an arguable factual and legal basis. See Jackson v. Arizona, 885 F.2d 639, 640 (9th Cir. 1989) (discussing Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)), superseded by statute on other grounds as stated in Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1130 (9th Cir. 2000) (stating that Rule 12(b)(6) authority to dismiss claims was

expanded by the PLRA, giving courts power to dismiss deficient claims, sua sponte, before or after opportunity to amend). 2. Factual Allegations Plaintiff is an inmate currently held in the Twin Falls County Jail.2 Plaintiff alleges that his fiancée attempted to mail a document to him at the jail. The document was “printed in black printer ink, on loose leaf paper, not bound, glued, and with no soft or hard cover.”

See Am. Compl., Dkt. 8, at 3. The document was confiscated by jail staff and not delivered to Plaintiff. According to Plaintiff, jail staff deemed the document a “book,” which, by policy, the jail does not permit to be mailed directly to inmates. Rather, the jail permits books to be sent to its library, based on safety and security concerns. As explained to Plaintiff during

the grievance process, Books can be mailed in and donated to the library if you like. Books to be sent in to individual people who are incarcerated is not allow [sic]. This was established due to fights and destruction of inmate personal property, it became a [sic] institutional safety and security problem. If it is a religious book we provide them. All other publication [sic] can be found on the tablet or in our library. Ex. to Am. Compl., Dkt. 8-1, at 2. Plaintiff alleges that failing to deliver his fiancée’s document to Plaintiff in jail violated the United States Constitution. Plaintiff sues a county commissioner, the Twin Falls County Sheriff, and various jail deputies. Plaintiff seeks damages and injunctive relief.

2 It is unclear whether Plaintiff was a pretrial detainee or a convicted inmate at the time his claims arose. Because different legal standards may apply to Plaintiff’s claims depending on his detention or incarceration status, Plaintiff must clarify that status in any second amended complaint. 3. Discussion Plaintiff has not alleged sufficient facts to proceed with the Complaint. The Court will, however, grant Plaintiff 60 days to amend the Complaint. Any amended complaint

should take into consideration the following. A. Standards of Law Governing Plaintiff’s Claims Plaintiff brings claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the civil rights statute.

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