Money v. Gibbs

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Georgia
DecidedOctober 18, 2023
Docket4:23-cv-00243
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Money v. Gibbs, (S.D. Ga. 2023).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA SAVANNAH DIVISION JOSHUA ISAIAH MONEY., ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) CV423-243 ) C.E.R.T. SGT. STEFFAN ) GIBBS, et al., ) ) Defendants. )

ORDER Pro se plaintiff Joshua Isaiah Money filed this case against Defendant Gibbs, a guard at Coastal State Prison, and multiple unidentified prison employees. See generally doc. 1. The Court granted him leave to proceed in forma pauperis, doc. 4, and he returned the required forms, see docs. 6 & 7. The Court, therefore, proceeds to screen his Complaint. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A. Because the Court applies Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) standards in screening a complaint pursuant to § 1915A, Leal v. Ga. Dep’t of Corr., 254 F.3d 1276, 1278-79 (11th Cir. 2001), allegations in the Complaint are taken as true and construed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Bumpus v. Watts, 448 F. App’x 3, 4 n.1 (11th Cir. 2011). 1 Conclusory allegations, however, fail. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (discussing a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal). As Money is

proceeding pro se, his pleadings are held to a less stringent standard than pleadings drafted by attorneys and are liberally construed. See Bingham v. Thomas, 654 F.3d 1171, 1175 (11th Cir. 2011).

I. Factual Allegations Money alleges that he arrived at Coastal State Prison in 2022. See doc. 1 at 5. After processing, he requested that Gibbs take him to the

“segregation building because prison employees had previously committed crimes against [him] and [he] did not feel safe in general population dorms.” Id. Gibbs refused, apparently because Money “had

to go to the general population dorm [he] had just been assigned to during intake for new arrivals . . . .” Id. Money contends that he “knew [he] had a right to be segregated if there was a valid threat to [his] safety,”

and so he removed himself and his property to a “metal cage” and reiterated his requested to go to a segregated dorm. Id. at 12. While he was waiting, prison staff “locked [him] in the metal cage.” Id. When

Gibbs returned and discovered Money in the “cage,” he immediately

2 sprayed Money with pepper spray. Id. Gibbs then secured Money’s hands in handcuffs and removed him from the “cage.” Id.

As Gibbs and Money were walking, they encountered “a white male that was in slacks and a button shirt,” who instructed Gibbs to spray Money again. Doc. 1 at 12. Money does not allege that Gibbs sprayed

him again in response to that instruction. See id. Money alleges that, at the time of the instruction, he was “handcuffed, calm, and allowing defendant Gibbs to lead [him] wherever he was taking [him].” Id.

When Money realized that Gibbs was taking him to “a general population dorm and the dorm [he] had been assigned to upon [his] arrival,” he “pulled away . . . and grabbed on to a chain link fence . . . .” Id. When

Money would not let go, Gibbs sprayed him again. Id. at 12-13. Money eventually let go of the fence and Gibbs escorted him to one of the dorms. Id. at 13.

When Money, Gibbs, and an unidentified female officer arrived at a particular cell, Gibbs instructed one of the four inmates in the cell to move his belongings. Doc. 1 at 13. After the inmate left, Gibbs told the

female officer that the other inmates in the cell were his “goons” who “take care of people for [him] when [he has] a problem.” Id. Money

3 alleges that Gibbs instructed the other inmates in the cell to “kill him.” Id. Gibbs also refused to allow Money to decontaminate from the pepper

spray. Id. The other inmates in the cell discussed whether they would carry out Gibbs’ orders. Id. at 14. Ultimately, they attacked Money. Id. Unidentified officers arrived and refused to move Money out of the

cell. Id. He was not moved until the next morning. Id. He alleges that he was not allowed to fully decontaminate for six days. Id. at 15. II. Anonymous Defendants

As discussed below, Money has likely sufficiently alleged claims against defendants whose identities he does not know. This Circuit “generally forbids fictitious-party pleading—that is, claims against

fictitious or non-existent parties are usually dismissed.” Smith v. Comcast Corp., 786 F. App’x 935, 939 (11th Cir. 2019) (citing Richardson v. Johnson, 598 F.3d 734, 738 (11th Cir. 2010)). There is a “limited

exception” to the rule “when the plaintiff’s description of the defendant is so specific as to make the fictious name, at the very worst, surplusage.” Id. (internal quotations and citation omitted). “[I]n the context of

prisoner lawsuits, where plaintiffs encounter difficulties in identifying the precise defendants, an appropriate alternative to dismissal may be .

4 . . to permit the plaintiff to obtain their identit[ies] through discovery.” Scott v. Miami Dade Cnty., 2023 WL 4196925, at *7 (11th Cir. June 27,

2023) (citing Brown v. Sikes, 212 F.3d 1205, 1209 n. 4 (11th Cir. 2000) (internal quotations omitted)). Although Money’s descriptions of the various unidentified

defendants are not sufficiently clear for the Court to authorize service upon any of them, they are sufficiently indicative that he may ascertain their identities through discovery. Since, as discussed below, service

upon Gibbs is appropriate, the Court will not dismiss the anonymous defendants at this time. However, Money is advised that he remains responsible for identifying defendants and, if appropriate, amending his

pleadings so that they can be timely served. Cf. Temple v. Cox, 2020 WL 6566177, at *10 (S.D. Ga. Nov. 9, 2020); Reid v. Hasty, 2010 WL 11647079, at *6 (N.D. Ga. Jan. 7, 2010).

III. Excessive Force It is well-settled that “the unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain constitutes cruel and unusual punishment forbidden by the Eighth

Amendment.” Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 5 (1992) (internal quotation marks, alteration, and citation omitted); see also Sears v.

5 Roberts, 922 F.3d 1199, 1205 (11th Cir. 2019). “In considering an Eighth Amendment excessive force claim, [the court] must consider both a

subjective and an objective component: (1) whether the officials acted with a sufficiently culpable state of mind, and (2) if the alleged wrongdoing was objectively harmful enough to establish a constitutional

violation.” Johnson v. Moody, 206 F. App’x 880, 883 (11th Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks, alterations, and citation omitted). Moreover, officers who witness excessive force and fail to intervene may be liable

for their failure. See, e.g., Jackson v. Catanzariti, 2019 WL 4874809, at *11 (S.D. Ga. Oct. 2, 2019) (discussing law applicable to failure to intervene in excessive force cases). While Money’s allegations do not

establish any defendant’s culpable intent, they are sufficient to be served, at least upon defendant Gibbs. It also appears that Money has alleged sufficient facts to support claims that several unidentified defendants

failed to intervene to stop Gibbs. Definitive determination of the sufficiency of any such claim will be made if and when Money identifies those individuals, as discussed above.

6 IV.

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Richardson v. Johnson
598 F.3d 734 (Eleventh Circuit, 2010)
Estelle v. Gamble
429 U.S. 97 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Hudson v. McMillian
503 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1992)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Milton v. Turner
445 F. App'x 159 (Eleventh Circuit, 2011)
Bingham v. Thomas
654 F.3d 1171 (Eleventh Circuit, 2011)
Sirica Bumpus v. Harrell Watts, Mr Peterson
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Money v. Gibbs, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/money-v-gibbs-gasd-2023.