MCLEOD v. NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

District Court, D. New Jersey·Decided November 23, 2020·No. 2:19-cv-08379·Unknown

Opinion

Not For Publication

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

YANK C. MCLEOD, JR.,

Plaintiff, Civil Action No. 19-8379 (ES)

(CLW) v.

MEMORANDUM OPINION & NEW JERSEY DEP’T OF CORR., et ORDER al., Defendants. MCNULTY, DISTRICT JUDGE Before the Court is plaintiff Yank McLeod’s motion seeking relief from the Court’s January 24, 2020 Opinion and Order dismissing his Complaint on screening pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915. (DE 5).1 For the reasons that follow, the Motion is denied. I. BACKGROUND Plaintiff is a civil detainee confined at the Special Treatment Unit (“STU”) in Avenel, New Jersey pursuant to the Sexually Violent Predator (“SVP”) Act.

1 Citations to the record will be abbreviated as follows: Complaint = Plaintiff’s complaint, DE 1 McLeod Cert. = Plaintiff’s certification in support of his Motion, DE 5-2 Motion = Plaintiff’s motion for relief pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b), DE 5 Opinion = The Court’s January 24, 2020 Opinion dismissing the Complaint without prejudice, DE 3 (Complaint at 2). In his Complaint, Plaintiff alleges that on or about August 14, 2018, he was transported by defendants Ramos and Renereno from the STU to Rutgers University Hospital for an appointment with an optometrist. (Id. ¶ 26). Both of Plaintiff's hands were cuffed to a waist-chain and his ankles and feet were shackled with short leg irons. (Id. ¶ 27). After the appointment, defendants Ramos and Renereno were escorting Plaintiff down a flight of stairs. (Id. ¶ 28). Neither Ramos nor Renereno had “any handhold on the person or of the clothing of Plaintiff while they were descending the stairs.” (Id. ¶ 29). While descending the staircase, the Plaintiff’s legs became entangled in the chains of

the leg irons and, as result, he fell down the flight of stairs. (Id. ¶¶ 30–31). Plaintiff’s left knee was broken in three places and required the surgical implant of metallic pins and rods inside his leg/knee. (Id. ¶ 38). The injury to his knee caused him severe pain for several months, and he has been required to go through substantial rehabilitation. (Id. ¶¶ 39–41). Plaintiff seeks declaratory, injunctive and monetary relief. (Id. ¶ 120). The Complaint purports to raise the following claims: COUNT I ASSERTED, PURSUANT TO 42 U.S.C. § 1983, AGAINST DEFENDANTS RAMOS AND RENERENO, FOR VIOLATING PLAINTIFF'S RIGHT TO BE FREE FROM CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT UNDER THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION (Id. ¶¶ 48-56)

COUNT II ASSERTED, PURSUANT TO 42 U.S.C. § 1983, AGAINST DEFENDANTS RAMOS AND RENERENO, STEMMING FROM VIOLATING PLAINTIFF’S RIGHTS UNDER THE DUE PROCESS 2 CLAUSE OF THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION (Id. ¶¶ 57–63)

COUNT III ASSERTED, PURSUANT TO 42 U.S.C. § 1983, AGAINST DEFENDANTS SLAUGHTER AND HICKS FOR VIOLATING PLAINTIFF’S RIGHTS UNDER THE SUPERVISORY LIABILITY CLAUSE OF THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION (Id. ¶¶ 64–80)

COUNT IV ASSERTED, PURSUANT TO 42 U.S.C. § 1983, AGAINST DEFENDANTS SLAUGHTER AND HICKS FOR VIOLATING PLAINTIFF’S RIGHTS UNDER THE SUPERVISORY LIABILITY CLAUSE OF THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION (Id. ¶¶ 81–86)

COUNT V ASSERTED, PURSUANT TO 42 U.S.C. § 1983, AGAINST DEFENDANTS RAMOS, RENERENO, SLAUGHTER, AND HICKS FOR VIOLATING PLAINTIFF’S DUE PROCESS RIGHT TO RECEIVE SEX OFFENDER SPECIFIC TREATMENT UNDER THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION (Id. ¶¶ 87–93)

COUNT VI ASSERTED, PURSUANT TO 42 U.S.C. § 1983, AGAINST DEFENDANTS RAMOS, RENERENO, SLAUGHTER, AND HICKS FOR VIOLATING PLAINTIFF’S PATIENT RIGHTS UNDER THE COMMON LAW (Id. ¶¶ 94–101)

COUNT VII ASSERTED, PURSUANT TO THE NEW JERSEY CONSTITUTION, AGAINST DEFENDANTS RAMOS, RENERENO, SLAUGHTER, AND HICKS FOR VIOLATING PLAINTIFF’S RIGHTS UNDER ARTICLE I, PARAGRAPH 1 (Id. ¶¶102–110)

COUNT VIII ASSERTED, PURSUANT TO THE NEW JERSEY CONSTITUTION, AGAINST DEFENDANTS RAMOS, RENERENO, SLAUGHTER, AND HICKS FOR VIOLATING PLAINTIFF’S RIGHTS UNDER ARTICLE I, PARAGRAPH 21 (Id. ¶¶ 112–119)

3 On January 24th, 2020, the Court dismissed the Complaint in its entirety, finding that Plaintiff failed to state a claim under the Eighth or Fourteenth Amendments because, at best, he had alleged ordinary negligence by the two correctional officers, but not a constitutional violation. (Opinion at 4–6). The Court also dismissed the corresponding New Jersey Civil Rights Act and New Jersey Constitutional claims for the same reasons. (Id. at 4 n. 3). The Court next dismissed the supervisory liability claims because Plaintiff had failed to allege an underlying constitutional violation and also failed to allege sufficient facts to suggest deficient policy making. (Id. at 6-9). Finally, the

Court dismissed the claim against all defendants for denial of sex-offender- specific treatment, because he failed to allege that they were personally involved in any decision to prevent him from receiving such treatment. (Id. at 9). The Court declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over any other remaining state law claims. (Id. at 9–10 n.5). Thereafter, Plaintiff filed this Motion for relief from that earlier order pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b). (DE 5). In support of his Motion, Plaintiff argues that the Court erred in applying the Eighth

Amendment standard, which applies to prisoners, rather than the Fourteenth Amendment, which applies to persons committed as sexually violent predators. (McLeod Cert. ¶¶ 7–12). He further argues that if discovery reveals that there are insufficient policies regarding the holding of individuals while descending stairs, defendants Hicks and Slaughter would be liable. (Id. ¶ 13). He argues 4 that the Court’s decision is contradicted by another screening opinion from this district, Grohs v. Lanigan, Civil Action Number 16-7083, which the Court “might not have been aware of.” (Id. ¶¶ 20 & 23). Finally, Plaintiff argues that the Court incorrectly screened the Complaint under the Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”) because he is not a “prisoner.” (Id. ¶ 21). II. LEGAL STANDARD “Motions for reconsideration are not expressly recognized in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” Dubler v. Hangsterfer’s Labs., No. 09-5144, 2012 WL 1332569 at *3 (D.N.J. Apr. 17, 2012) (citing United States v. Compaction Sys.

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