MEDINA v. LITTLE

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedAugust 27, 2024
Docket2:23-cv-00886
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
MEDINA v. LITTLE, (E.D. Pa. 2024).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

WILLIAM OMAR MEDINA : CIVIL ACTION : v. : NO. 23-886 : MONIQUE SAVAGE and C.O. : WATSON :

MEMORANDUM KEARNEY, J. August 27, 2024 Prisons regularly address grievances about correctional officers and medical personnel from incarcerated persons. The facilities prepare and distribute detailed procedures telling the incarcerated persons how to complain (“grieve”) and appeal their claim of a state actor’s or medical professional’s perceived unconstitutional or improper conduct towards them. The facilities also prepare and distribute detailed procedures allowing incarcerated persons to challenge a misconduct charge and then appeal if unsatisfied with the findings. We today address an incarcerated person’s claims of deprivation of medical care and retaliation by state actors for filing grievances by issuing a misconduct charge against him. We allowed these claims to proceed into discovery based on the allegations. But discovery now confirms, with no genuine issue of material fact, the incarcerated person did not exhaust his grievance process or his ability to challenge the misconduct charge. Congress bars him from proceeding on his constitutional claims unless he exhausted his administrative remedies. His reason for not exhausting relates to moving between facilities and is flatly contradicted by the record and calendar. No person thwarted his ability to grieve or appeal. Discovery confirms he did not exhaust his administrative remedies. We grant summary judgment in favor of the medical professional and state actor on all claims. I. Undisputed Facts The Commonwealth presently holds William Omar Medina in custody at State Correctional Institution Pine Grove.1 The Commonwealth temporarily housed Mr. Medina at State Correctional Institution Phoenix to provide him medical care.2 Mr. Medina suffered from

enlarged tonsils and trouble breathing.3 An unnamed doctor diagnosed Mr. Medina with tonsillitis.4 The Department identifies procedures to grieve medical issues and discipline misconduct. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections maintains an official grievance system.5 Mr. Medina admits he is aware of the grievance procedure.6 The Department’s grievance procedure consists of three steps: (1) Initial Review; (2) Appeal to Facility Manager; and (3) Appeal to the Secretary’s Office of Inmate Grievance and Appeals for final review.7 At the initial grievance step, an incarcerated person presents his grievance to the Facility Grievance Coordinator for initial review.8 The Facility Grievance Coordinator makes an initial determination of the merits of the grievance. At the second step, the incarcerated person may

appeal an adverse determination by the Facility Grievance Coordinator to the Facility Manager within fifteen working days from the date of the initial determination.9 At the third step, an incarcerated person may appeal the Facility Manager’s decision to the Secretary’s Office of Inmate Grievances and Appeals within fifteen working days of the Facility Manager’s decision.10 The Department also maintains a discipline system for Mr. Medina and other incarcerated persons.11 Incarcerated persons must address concerns with a misconduct charge through the Inmate Discipline System; they do not use the Grievance System.12 A Hearing Examiner hears and resolves the misconduct charge.13 Incarcerated persons found guilty by the Hearing Examiner may appeal to a Program Review Committee within fifteen calendar days.14 The Program Review Committee reviews and decides the appeal.15 The incarcerated person may then appeal the Committee’s decision to the Facility Manager within seven calendar days of receiving the Program Review Committee decision.16 The incarcerated person may then appeal to the Chief Hearing Examiner.17 The charged incarcerated person has four opportunities to challenge

the misconduct charge. October 14–16, 2022 medical incidents and Mr. Medina’s grievance. Mr. Medina alleges he placed sick calls on October 14 and October 15, 2022.18 Mr. Medina alleges Corrections Officer Berger responded to the sick calls by telling Mr. Medina Nurse Savage would not permit him to go to the Facility’s medical department because a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine was “on its way” to Mr. Medina.19 Mr. Medina alleges he awoke on the morning of October 16, 2022 with trouble breathing.20 Mr. Medina alleges he fainted in his cell, fell, and hit his head on the ground.21 Mr. Medina alleges Officer Watson responded and did not provide Mr. Medina with CPR.22

Unidentified persons transferred Mr. Medina to the Facility’s medical department on October 16, 2022.23 Nurse White treated Mr. Medina when he arrived at the medical department.24 Nurse Savage did not provide Mr. Medina treatment on October 16, 2022.25 Mr. Medina submitted a grievance dated October 14, 2022 alleging: • Someone denied him medical attention on October 14, 2022 during the night shift;

• His cellmate M Carson pressed the intercom button on October 15, 2022 “for the second night in the row” and someone told Mr. Carson “medical will not come”; and,

• Mr. Medina was “dizzy due to two days of no medication attention” and “fainted due to not breathing on [October 16, 2022].”26 Mr. Medina does not name Nurse Savage in the grievance.27 The Grievance Officer denied the grievance regarding denial of medical care on November 10, 2022.28 Nurse Savage responded to Mr. Medina’s grievance by explaining his patient chart does not indicate sick calls from October 14, 2022; the medical department treated him for a fall on October 16, 2022; and Mr. Medina received his CPAP machine on October 24, 2022.29 Mr. Medina does not recall

receiving the Grievance Officer’s response.30 Mr. Medina did not appeal the denial of his medical care grievance.31 October 19, 2022 allegations and misconduct charge. Mr. Medina alleges Officer Watson announced to other inmates Mr. Medina has herpes on October 19, 2022.32 Officer Watson issued Mr. Medina a misconduct charge on October 19, 2022 for refusing to obey an order, threatening an employee or their family with bodily harm, presence in an unauthorized area, using abusive or inappropriate language to or about an employee, and engaging in or encouraging unauthorized group activity.33

The Department held a disciplinary hearing on October 21, 2022.34 The Hearing Examiner found Mr. Medina guilty of refusing to obey an order and presence in an unauthorized area.35 Mr. Medina appealed the decision to the Program Review Committee.36 The Program Review Committee upheld the verdict.37 Mr. Medina did not appeal the Program Review Committee’s decision to the Facility Manager or Chief Hearing Examiner.38 Grievance related to Officer Watson’s October 19 conduct. Mr. Medina submitted a grievance dated October 19, 2022 alleging: • Officer Watson abused her authority by retaliating against him by giving him a misconduct charge; • Officer Watson aggressively ordered Mr. Medina to stop praying in the back of the cell block and threatened to pepper spray him; and,

• Officer Watson yelled Mr. Medina has herpes while Mr. Medina was on the phone with his mother.39

The Facility Grievance Coordinator rejected the grievance on October 21, 2022 for failure to comply with the Department’s policy requiring incarcerated persons address issues with their misconduct charges through the Inmate Discipline System.40 Mr. Medina appealed the grievance to the Secretary’s Office of Inmate Grievances and Appeals.41 The Assistant Chief Grievance Officer responded to Mr. Medina’s appeal on November 16, 2022, explaining Mr. Medina must first submit his appeal to the Facility Manager.42 Mr. Medina received this response.43 There is no evidence Mr. Medina properly appealed this grievance.44 The Commonwealth transfers Mr. Medina’s belongings.

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Bluebook (online)
MEDINA v. LITTLE, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/medina-v-little-paed-2024.