(PC) Farias v. Cisneros

District Court, E.D. California·Decided August 9, 2022·No. 1:22-cv-00563·Unknown

Opinion

MARTIN FARIAS, Case No. 1:22-cv-00563-BAM (PC) Plaintiff, ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO RANDOMLY ASSIGN DISTRICT JUDGE TO v. ACTION CISNEROS, et al., FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO DISMISS ACTION, WITH PREJUDICE, FOR Defendants. FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM, FAILURE TO OBEY COURT ORDER, AND FAILURE (ECF No. 12) FOURTEEN (14) DAY DEADLINE I. Background Plaintiff Martin Farias (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This matter was referred to a United States Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rule 302. On June 22, 2022, the Court issued a screening order granting Plaintiff leave to file a first amended complaint or a notice of voluntary dismissal within thirty (30) days. (ECF No. 12.) The Court expressly warned Plaintiff that the failure to comply with the Court’s order would result in a recommendation for dismissal of this action, with prejudice, for failure to obey a court order and for failure to state a claim. (Id. at 11.) The deadline has expired, and Plaintiff has failed to file an amended complaint or otherwise communicate with the Court. II. Failure to State a Claim A. Screening Requirement The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a governmental entity and/or against an officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). Plaintiff’s complaint, or any portion thereof, is subject to dismissal if it is frivolous or malicious, if it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or if it seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915A(b). A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief . . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). While a plaintiff’s allegations are taken as true, courts “are not required to indulge unwarranted inferences.” Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 572 F.3d 677, 681 (9th Cir. 2009) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). To survive screening, Plaintiff’s claims must be facially plausible, which requires sufficient factual detail to allow the Court to reasonably infer that each named defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quotation marks omitted); Moss v. U.S. Secret Serv., 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The sheer possibility that a defendant acted unlawfully is not sufficient, and mere consistency with liability falls short of satisfying the plausibility standard. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quotation marks omitted); Moss, 572 F.3d at 969. B. Plaintiff’s Allegations Plaintiff is currently housed at Folsom State Prison in Represa, California. The events in the complaint are alleged to have occurred while Plaintiff was housed at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (“SATF”) in Corcoran, California.1 Plaintiff names the following defendants: (1) Theresa Cisneros, Warden, SATF; and (2) B. Edwards, CEA, SATF. Plaintiff alleges as follows: 1 Although Plaintiff also identifies California State Prison, Solano (“CSP Solano”) as an institution where the alleged violations occurred, (ECF No. 1, p. 1), Plaintiff complains only of conduct occurring at SATF. State officials violated Plaintiff’s 8th Amendment and other state, federal, and CCR Title 15 guidelines by creating a situation that caused Plaintiff to be infected with COVID-19, sometime around August or September of 2020. Plaintiff was tested multiple times for COVID19, all tests came back negative. Around this time frame, SATF officials began to make mass inmate moves around to different bunks, sections, buildings. Officials were aware that inmates were testing positive for the virus, but they mixed the negative tested inmates with the infected inmates. Plaintiff was one of the negative inmates, and they purposely placed Plaintiff with infected inmates, where Plaintiff then caught COVID-19. CDCR staff failed to comply with COVID prevention guidelines. At this time, staff was coming onto institution grounds infected with the COVID-19 virus, thereby infecting and causing outbreaks to the inmate population. This took place prior to Plaintiff contracting the virus. SATF did not have a medical plan in place to protect or treat high risk critical care patients, like Plaintiff. And if they did have a guideline in place for this, Plaintiff was never made aware of this or offered this treatment plan. SATF officials were completely negligent in their medical operations, and showed deliberate indifference to Plaintiff’s health and wellbeing. Plaintiff alleges that as a result, he suffered the following injuries: As a critical care patient, Plaintiff’s existing health problems (headaches, breathing problems, Plaintiff’s heart with pacemaker and continual irregular heart function, still suffering lingering tingling in hands, fingers, and feet) – effects of all of the above, and also to this present day, Plaintiff suffers from high stress, mental health issues, with severe nightmares which resulted after Plaintiff contracted COVID-19. As relief, Plaintiff requests further and adequate medical treatment and punitive damages. C. Discussion 1. Linkage Requirement The Civil Rights Act under which this action was filed provides:

Every person who, under color of [state law] . . . subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States . . . to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution . . . shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.

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