(PC) Fregia v. Chen

District Court, E.D. California·Decided March 29, 2024·No. 1:20-cv-01024·Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 MARK A. FREGIA, No. 1:20-cv-01024-NODJ-EPG (PC) 12 Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 13 v. RECOMMENDING THAT PLAINTIFF’S MOTIONS FOR SANCTIONS, DEFAULT 14 YUCUI CHEN, et al., JUDGMENT, AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF BE DENIED 15 Defendants. (ECF Nos. 110, 116, 121, 131, 132, 133, 134, 16 138). 17 OBJECTIONS DUE IN 30 DAYS 18 ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO STRIKE 19 (ECF No. 118). 20 ORDER REGARDING PLAINTIFF’S 21 MISCELLANEOUS NON-DISPOSITIVE REQUESTS 22 23 Mark A. Fregia (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in 24 this civil rights action filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.1 Before the Court are several motions 25 filed by Plaintiff requesting sanctions, default judgment, injunctive relief, and various other

26 1 This case proceeds on Plaintiff’s Eighth Amendment claims for deliberate indifference to a serious medical need against Defendants Gosso and Chen. (ECF Nos. 16, 17, 57, 58). On March 8, 2024, the 27 Court issued findings and recommendations recommending that Defendants’ motion for summary judgment be granted as to Defendant Chen but denied as to Defendant Gosso. (ECF No. 140). The 28 findings and recommendations are pending before the assigned district judge. 1 miscellaneous relief. (ECF Nos. 110, 116, 121, 131, 132, 133, 134, 138). Defendants have also 2 filed a motion to strike Plaintiff’s supplemental briefing. (ECF No. 118). 3 For the foregoing reasons, the Court recommends that Plaintiff’s requests for sanctions, 4 injunctive relief, and default judgment be denied. 5 Further, the Court will grant Defendants’ motion to strike, and deny Plaintiff’s other non- dispositive requests as described below. 6 I. BACKGROUND 7 This case has been pending since July 24, 2020. (ECF No. 1). 8 On November 21, 2022, Defendants Chen and Gosso filed a motion for summary 9 judgment. (ECF No. 59). On November 28, 2022, Plaintiff filed a motion for emergency relief 10 under the All Writs Act. (ECF No. 60). Plaintiff generally alleged that prison employees had 11 sabotaged Plaintiff’s litigation efforts by seizing and/or destroying Plaintiff’s legal property. (Id.) 12 Plaintiff requested an order requiring that his legal property be produced.2 13 Plaintiff subsequently filed a second motion for All Writs Act relief (ECF No. 80), which 14 asked the Court to order prison officials and employees “to stop unlawfully confiscating and 15 destroying his property, to stop sabotaging his legal mail, to stop withholding 119 Forms, and to 16 deliver his mail within the lawful period of four business days,” (ECF No. 81, p. 2). The Court 17 recommended Plaintiff’s second injunctive motion be denied, (ECF No. 81), and the Court’s 18 findings and recommendations were adopted on March 31, 2023, (ECF No. 93). 19 Plaintiff filed a third motion for All Writs Act relief on July 13, 2023. (ECF No. 104). On 20 July 14, 2023, the Court issued findings and recommendations recommending that Plaintiff’s first 21 (ECF No. 60) and third (ECF No. 104) requests for injunctive relief under the All Writs Act be 22 denied.3 (ECF No. 107). In conjunction with the findings and recommendations, the Court also 23 issued an order denying Plaintiff’s motion to stay the case and motion to disqualify the Office of the Attorney General as defense counsel.4 (ECF No. 107, p. 12). 24

25 2 A detailed summary of Plaintiff’s motion, as well as the responses from prison officials that were requested by the Court regarding Plaintiff’s motion, can be found in the Court’s findings and 26 recommendations issued on July 14, 2023. (ECF No. 107, pp. 2-7). 3 Plaintiff filed objections to the findings and recommendations, as well as the order denying Plaintiff’s 27 motion to disqualify counsel and the Court’s past order denying Plaintiff’s request for an evidentiary hearing, (ECF No. 76). Plaintiff’s objections (ECF No. 113) are pending before the assigned district judge. 28 4 Plaintiff subsequently submitted a second conflict of interest motion, i.e., motion to disqualify defense 1 After the findings and recommendations were issued, Plaintiff filed several additional 2 motions seeking injunctive relief, sanctions, default judgment and other miscellaneous relief. 3 (ECF Nos. 110, 1135, 116, 121, 131, 132, 133, 134, and 138). These motions generally relate to 4 Plaintiff’s allegations underlying his prior requests for relief under the All Writs Act and motion 5 to disqualify defense counsel. These motions also include further allegations against other third parties, including Eastern District Court officials. In support of his prior requests for injunctive 6 relief, first motion to disqualify counsel, and sanctions, Plaintiff filed supplemental evidence. 7 (ECF No. 115). Defendants filed a motion to strike Plaintiff’s supplemental evidence. (ECF No. 8 118). Defendants also oppose Plaintiff’s requests. (ECF Nos. 114, 120, 125, 126, 137, 139). 9 Thus, since this case has been pending, Plaintiff has filed a total of eleven motions for 10 injunctive relief and sanctions. The undersigned issued findings and recommendations regarding 11 Plaintiff’s first three motions for All Writs Acts Relief, which recommended that Plaintiff’s 12 motions be denied, with full explanation and legal standards. (ECF Nos. 81, 107). Since July 13 2023, Plaintiff has filed another eight motions for declaratory relief and sanctions. The Court will 14 briefly address each in turn, but refers to its earlier findings and recommendations for additional 15 explanation related to these motions, which are substantially similar to motions already made and 16 addressed by the Court. 17 II. DISCUSSION 18 A. Defendants’ Motion to Strike 19 On August 22, 2023, Plaintiff filed supplemental evidence “for All Writs Act Relief, 20 Conflict of Interest, and Request for Injunctive Relief motions; also to be applied as evidence to 21 request for sanctions and monetary relief from Keith Holland, Sarah Singer, Erica Grosjean AND 22

23 counsel. (ECF No. 121, pp. 61-73). Defendants oppose. (ECF No. 125). Plaintiff filed a reply to Defendant’s opposition to the second conflict of interest motion. (ECF No. 128). The Court denies 24 Plaintiff’ second motion to disqualify defense counsel for the same reasons identified in the Court’s previous order. (See ECF No. 107, pp. 9-10). 25 5 Attached to Plaintiff’s objections to the Court’s July 14, 2023 findings and recommendations is a separate filing titled “Plaintiff’s Notice to State Bar Association of Misconduct by State Court Officials 26 and Supplemental Request for Sanctions and Monetary Judgment.” (ECF No. 113, pp. 6- 91). Plaintiff subsequently submitted an identical notice and request on September 25, 2023. (ECF No. 121, pp. 15-60). 27 These filing are substantively similar to Plaintiff’s other motions. To the extent these filings seek monetary sanctions, injunctive relief, and default judgment, they should be denied for same reasons identified in 28 these findings and recommendations. 1 Dist. Judge Ana de Alaba; JLT & BAM and DAG William P. Buranich.”6 (ECF No. 115). 2 Plaintiff did not seek court approval to file a supplemental brief regarding his All Writs 3 Act requests (ECF Nos. 60, 80, 104) or motion to disqualify (ECF No. 67), and Plaintiff’s filing is 4 not in response to new evidence raised by Defendants in any reply brief or a notice of 5 supplemental authority. See E.D. Cal. L.R. 230(m). Plaintiff’s supplemental filing raises evidence and arguments that are substantively identical to Plaintiff’s other pending objections and motions 6 for sanctions, injunctive relief, and default judgment. Accordingly, the Court will grant 7 Defendants’ motion to strike Plaintiff’s supplemental briefing.7 8 B.

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