Owens v. Mississippi County Detention Center

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedDecember 8, 2021
Docket1:21-cv-00132
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Owens v. Mississippi County Detention Center, (E.D. Mo. 2021).

Opinion

EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI SOUTHEASTERN DIVISION

VAN LYNN OWENS, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Case No. 1:21-CV-132 AGF ) MISSISSIPPI COUNTY DETENTION ) CENTER, et al., ) ) Defendants. )

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

Self-represented Plaintiff Van Lynn Owens brings this action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for alleged violations of his civil rights. The matter is now before the Court upon the motion of Plaintiff for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, or without prepayment of the required filing fees and costs. ECF No. 2. Having reviewed the motion and the financial information submitted in support, the Court will grant the motion and waive the initial partial filing fee at this time. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1). Based on a review of the complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B), the Court will direct Plaintiff to file an amended complaint on the court-provided form in compliance with the instructions set out below. Furthermore, as there is no constitutional right to appointment of counsel in civil cases and it would be premature to grant appointment at this stage in the proceeding, the Court will deny Plaintiff’s motion for counsel subject to refiling at a later date. The Court warns Plaintiff that his failure to comply with this Order could result in dismissal of this action. Initial Partial Filing Fee Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1), a prisoner bringing a civil action in forma pauperis is required to pay the full amount of the filing fee. If the prisoner has insufficient funds in his or her partial filing fee of 20 percent of the greater of (1) the average monthly deposits in the prisoner’s

account, or (2) the average monthly balance in the prisoner’s account for the prior six-month period. After payment of the initial partial filing fee, the prisoner is required to make monthly payments of 20 percent of the preceding month’s income credited to the prisoner’s account. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). The agency having custody of the prisoner will forward these monthly payments to the Clerk of Court each time the amount in the prisoner’s account exceeds $10, until the filing fee is fully paid. Id. Plaintiff is a pretrial detainee, currently being held at Stoddard County Jail. ECF Nos. 1 at 2, 4 at 1. Plaintiff submitted an application to proceed in district court without prepaying fees or costs and an account statement from the Mississippi County Detention Center, where he was previously detained. ECF Nos. 2, 5; see also ECF No. 4 at 1 (stating that the account statement

came from Mississippi County Detention Center). Based on this financial information, the Court will not assess an initial partial filing fee at this time. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4) (“In no event shall a prisoner be prohibited from bringing a civil action . . . for the reason that the prisoner has no assets and no means by which to pay the initial partial filing fee.”). Legal Standard on Initial Review Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), the Court may dismiss a complaint filed in forma pauperis if the action is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, or seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief. When reviewing a complaint filed by a self-represented person under 28 U.S.C. § 1915, the Court accepts the well-

pleaded facts as true, White v. Clark, 750 F.2d 721, 722 (8th Cir. 1984), and it liberally construes the complaint. Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007); Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972). A “liberal construction” means that if the essence of an allegation is discernible, the district within the proper legal framework. Solomon v. Petray, 795 F.3d 777, 787 (8th Cir. 2015).

However, even self-represented plaintiffs are required to allege facts which, if true, state a claim for relief as a matter of law. Martin v. Aubuchon, 623 F.2d 1282, 1286 (8th Cir. 1980); see also Stone v. Harry, 364 F.3d 912, 914-15 (8th Cir. 2004) (refusing to supply additional facts or to construct a legal theory for the self-represented plaintiff). To state a claim for relief, a complaint must plead more than “legal conclusions” and “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action [that are] supported by mere conclusory statements.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). A plaintiff must demonstrate a plausible claim for relief, which is more than a “mere possibility of misconduct.” Id. at 679. “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. at 678.

Determining whether a complaint states a plausible claim for relief is a context-specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial experience and common sense. Id. at 679. The Complaint Plaintiff is a pretrial detainee. He was being held at the Stoddard County Jail at time of case initiation; however, the allegations of the complaint pertain to his time at the Mississippi County Detention Center. Plaintiff brings this action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging violations of his civil rights against four defendants: (1) Mississippi County Detention Center; (2) Britton Ferrell1 (sheriff); (3) Mitch Pullen (county commissioner); and (4) Joe Ross (jail administrator). ECF No. 1 at 1-3. Plaintiff brings suit against Ferrell in both his individual and official capacities,

against Pullen in just his official capacity, and he does not specify capacity against Ross. Id.

1 Based on the handwriting in Plaintiff’s complaint, this defendant was originally docketed as “Britton Zerrell.” Upon receipt of a letter from Plaintiff on October 1, 2021, the docket sheet was corrected to reflect the spelling “Britton Ferrell,” as directed by Plaintiff. See ECF No. 4 at 1. Id. at 3. According to the statement of claim, Plaintiff fell down the steps of the Mississippi County

Courthouse on June 30, 2021, injuring his left shoulder. Plaintiff alleges that following the fall, Defendant Sheriff Ferrell refused to take Plaintiff to a doctor. Plaintiff asserts that he was also refused medical attention by County Commissioner Pullen and Jail Administrator Ross, based on Sheriff Ferrell’s order. Id. Plaintiff includes a chronological list of “Miss Co Jail Complaints” that occurred between June 24, 2021 (his date of arrest) and July 14, 2021. Id. at 4-6. According to the list, Plaintiff actually first requested medical attention for his “left rotator cup” from Administrator Ross on June 25, 2021 – five days before Plaintiff fell down the steps. Id. at 4.

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Bluebook (online)
Owens v. Mississippi County Detention Center, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/owens-v-mississippi-county-detention-center-moed-2021.