(PC) Cooper v. The AIS Center and Out Patient Surgery

District Court, E.D. California·Decided May 31, 2024·No. 1:24-cv-00032·Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 11 MARQUESE D. COOPER, No. 1:24-cv-00032-SAB (PC) 12 Plaintiff, ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO RANDOMLY ASSIGN A DISTRICT JUGDE 13 v. TO THIS ACTION 14 THE AIS CENTER AND OUTPATIENT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS SURGERY, et al., RECOMMENDING DISMISSAL OF ACTION 15 FOR FAILURE TO STATE A COGNIZABLE Defendants. CLAIM, FAILURE TO PROSECUTE, AND 16 FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH A COURT ORDER 17 (ECF No. 12) 18 19 Plaintiff is proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this action filed pursuant to 42 20 U.S.C. § 1983. 21 Plaintiff filed the instant action on January 8, 2024. (ECF No. 1.) On February 13, 2024, 22 the Court screened the complaint, found that Plaintiff failed to state a cognizable claim for relief, 23 and granted Plaintiff thirty days to file an amended complaint. (ECF No. 9.) Plaintiff filed a first 24 amended complaint on March 11, 2024. (ECF No. 10.) On March 25, 2024, the Court issued an 25 order striking Plaintiff’s first amended complaint for lack of signature and granted Plaintiff thirty 26 days to file another amended complaint.1 (ECF No. 11.) Plaintiff failed to fail an amended 27

28 1 Consequently, the original complaint filed on January 8, 2024, remains the operative complaint. (ECF No. 1.) 1 complaint or otherwise respond to the Court’s order. Therefore, on May 6, 2024, the Court 2 ordered Plaintiff to show cause why the action should not be dismissed for failure to state a 3 cognizable claim for relief, failure to prosecute, and failure to comply with a court order (ECF 4 No. 12.) Plaintiff has not responded to the order to show cause and the time to do so has passed. 5 Accordingly, dismissal of the action is warranted. 6 I. 8 The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a 9 governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The 10 Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if the prisoner has raised claims that are legally 11 “frivolous or malicious,” that “fail[] to state a claim on which relief may be granted,” or that 12 “seek[] monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 13 1915(e)(2)(B); see also 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b). 14 A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the 15 pleader is entitled to relief. . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not 16 required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 17 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell 18 Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). Moreover, Plaintiff must demonstrate 19 that each defendant personally participated in the deprivation of Plaintiff’s rights. Jones v. 20 Williams, 297 F.3d 930, 934 (9th Cir. 2002). 21 Prisoners proceeding pro se in civil rights actions are entitled to have their pleadings 22 liberally construed and to have any doubt resolved in their favor. Wilhelm v. Rotman, 680 F.3d 23 1113, 1121 (9th Cir. 2012) (citations omitted). To survive screening, Plaintiff’s claims must be 24 facially plausible, which requires sufficient factual detail to allow the Court to reasonably infer 25 that each named defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678-79; Moss 26 v. U.S. Secret Service, 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The “sheer possibility that a defendant 27 has acted unlawfully” is not sufficient, and “facts that are ‘merely consistent with’ a defendant’s 28 liability” falls short of satisfying the plausibility standard. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678; Moss, 572 F.3d 1 at 969. 2 II. 4 The Court accepts Plaintiff’s allegations in his complaint as true only for the purpose of 5 the screening requirement under 28 U.S.C. § 1915. 6 Prison officials acted with deliberate indifference to Plaintiff’s serious medical and mental 7 health needs. The failure to treat Plaintiff’s finger resulted in significant injury and unnecessary 8 and wanton infliction of pain. Defendants knew or should have known about Plaintiff’s hand 9 injury and failed to provide competent treatment. 12 A. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 13 Pursuant to Rule 8, a complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim 14 showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). Detailed factual allegations are 15 not required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 16 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (citation omitted). Plaintiff must set 17 forth “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its 18 face.’ ” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). While factual allegations are 19 accepted as true, legal conclusions are not. Id.; see also Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556–57; Moss, 572 20 F.3d at 969. 21 Here, Plaintiff's complaint is short, but not a plain statement of his claims. Almost all of 22 Plaintiff’s allegations are conclusory legal statements of the law and fail to disclose specific facts 23 as to what happened or when it happened. In an amended pleading, Plaintiff should state his key 24 factual allegations without reference to legal conclusions. If Plaintiff files an amended complaint, 25 it should be a short and plain statement of his claims, and must include factual allegations 26 identifying what happened, when it happened and who was involved. Fed. R. Civ. P. 8. 27 B. Linkage Requirement 28 Section 1983 provides a cause of action for the violation of Plaintiff’s constitutional or 1 other federal rights by persons acting under color of state law. Nurre v. Whitehead, 580 F.3d 2 1087, 1092 (9th Cir 2009); Long v. County of Los Angeles, 442 F.3d 1178, 1185 (9th Cir. 2006); 3 Jones v. Williams, 297 F.3d 930, 934 (9th Cir. 2002). “Section 1983 is not itself a source of 4 substantive rights, but merely provides a method for vindicating federal rights elsewhere 5 conferred.” Crowley v. Nevada ex rel. Nevada Sec’y of State, 678 F.3d 730, 734 (9th Cir. 2012) 6 (citing Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 393-94 (1989)) (internal quotation marks omitted). To 7 state a claim, Plaintiff must allege facts demonstrating the existence of a link, or causal 8 connection, between each defendant’s actions or omissions and a violation of his federal rights. 9 Lemire v. California Dep’t of Corr. and Rehab., 726 F.3d 1062

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