(PC) Harper v. Path

District Court, E.D. California·Decided April 14, 2022·No. 1:21-cv-00558·Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 JONATHAN SETH HARPER, Case No. 1:21-cv-558-JLT-HBK 12 Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO 13 v. DENY PLAINTIFF’S REQUEST FOR JUDICIAL NOTICE AND PLAINTIFF’S 14 WELL PATH; ET. AL., MOTIONS FOR A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER OR PRELIMINARY 15 Defendants. INJUNCTION

16 FOURTEEN-DAY OBJECTION PERIOD 17 (Doc. Nos. 12, 13, 17) 18 I. BACKGROUND 19 Pending before the Court are Plaintiff’s motions for a temporary restraining order and /or 20 preliminary injunction and motion to take judicial notice. For the reasons set forth below, the 21 undersigned recommends the district court deny the motions. 22 1. Allegations in FAC 23 Plaintiff, a pretrial detainee, initiated this action pro se by filing a prisoner civil rights 24 complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on April 1, 2021. (Doc. No. 1). Plaintiff proceeds on his First 25 Amended Complaint filed on March 14, 2022, which identifies 18 defendants, including but not 26 limited to, the corporation that employs the medical staff at the county jail identified as Well 27 Path, LLC; a medical doctor; correctional officers at the Kings County Jail; and county officials. 28 1 (Doc. No. 18, “FAC”). Although the gravamen of the action pertains to the alleged lack of 2 medical care provided to Plaintiff, the FAC initially attributes the lack of medical care to an 3 inmate grievance Plaintiff filed against Well Path, LLC. (Id. at 6) (stating “[i]mmediately after 4 plaintiff submitted a grievance to defendant Well Path, LLC, Defendant Dr. Steven Gustaveson, 5 medical director, discontinued a medication treating Plaintiff’s tension headaches.”). (Id.). 6 According to the FAC, Plaintiff had an initial consultation with the medical director, Defendant 7 Gustaveson, on July 2, 2020. (Id.). Plaintiff alleges Gustaveson attempted to “enrage, instigate, 8 provoke, and bait Plaintiff into a violent or otherwise negative response.” (Id.). Plaintiff alleges 9 during that initial consultation Gustaveson “repudiated” all prior prescriptions and medical 10 determinations since 2004, including Plaintiff’s antidepressants. (Id. at 7-8). Plaintiff states 11 Gustaveson “made it clear that he would not be providing any legitimate healthcare to [Plaintiff].” 12 (Id. at 7). Plaintiff alleges Gustaveson treats him with contempt and “mocked” his need for 13 hearing aids by stating “it would be a waste of money,” and “why do you need to hear from that 14 ear anyway?” (Id.). During an August 2020 appointment, Plaintiff claims Gustaveson said to 15 Plaintiff, “who is the expert in the room?” and at another appointment told Plaintiff he was a 16 “good candidate” for “a rubber room” where suicidal inmates are housed. (Id. at 8). Plaintiff 17 faults many other Defendants for acquiescing to Dr. Gustaveson’s medical care provided to 18 Plaintiff including Defendants Lisa Salinas, Maria Cantu, and Crystal Thomas. (Id. at 9, 15, 22- 19 23). The FAC faults the Board of Supervisors and county auditor, James Erb, with permitting 20 Well Path, LLC to continue to operate the county jail despite its subpar performance. (Id. at 20- 21 21). 22 The FAC alleges other seemingly unrelated acts of retaliation as well, involving: 23 Defendant Herrera who refused to provide Plaintiff access to a tablet electronic device (Id. at 10); 24 Defendant Frener who engaged in “head games” with Plaintiff by “writing him up” (Id. at 11); 25 and Defendant J. Porter who retaliated against Plaintiff with “group retaliation,” by punishing 26 Plaintiff’s entire housing unit and announcing that Plaintiff had filed a grievance about his broken 27 tablet (Id. at 12). 28 Plaintiff alleges he sustained “pointless and unnecessary continuation of severe pain, 1 psychological injuries, severe apprehension and fear, and spill over retaliation.” (Id. at 6). As 2 relief, Plaintiff seeks $55 million dollars in damages, preliminary and permanent injunctions, and 3 any other relief deemed appropriate by the Court. (Id. at 26). 4 2. Request for Judicial Notice and TRO/PI Motions 5 Plaintiff simultaneously filed a motion entitled “request for judicial notice” and a motion 6 for a preliminary injunction on December 27, 2021. (Doc. Nos. 12, 13). Plaintiff first seeks 7 judicial notice of his other pending federal and state court cases: (1) 1:20-cv-1364-EPG (E.D. Cal. 8 2020); (2) 20CMS1952 identified as a criminal case; (3) 21CM4239 identified as a criminal case; 9 (4) 21c0190 identified as a writ of mandamus”; (5) 21c0236 identified as “civil unlimited”; (6) 10 21c0237 identified as “writ of mandate”; (7) and 21c0238 identified as a “writ of mandate.” 11 (Doc. No. 12). Plaintiff does not expound in the motion on why the Court should take judicial 12 notice of these other cases or how these cases relate to the instant case. 13 Plaintiff’s first motion for emergency relief is directed at Defendant Well Path, LLC, and 14 the Kings County Sheriff’s Department, who is not named as a defendant.1 (Doc. No. 13 at 2-3). 15 Plaintiff attaches to his motion the exhaustion procedures for filing medical-related grievances 16 and a summary of his inmate grievances. (Id. at 25-48). As to Defendant Well Path, LLC, 17 Plaintiff requests an injunction to: (1) eliminate unconstitutional policies, practices, and 18 directives; (2) eliminate further acts of retaliation; (3) eliminate further acts of oppression; (4) 19 provide legitimate “medical judgment” to plaintiff; (5) provide medical care that meets minimum 20 standards of practice and competence; (6) provide medical care equal to the care provided to the 21 non-incarcerated; (7) eliminate exaggerated considerations and concerns as pretexts to provide 22 unconstitutional medical treatment to plaintiff; and (8) implement safeguards in compliance with 23 the U.S. Constitution. (Id. at 2-3). 24 As to the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, who is not identified as a Defendant in the FAC, 25 Plaintiff seeks injunctive relief to: (1) remedy the Constitution violations occurring at the jail; (2) 26 investigate and report constitutional violations; (3) direct the county jail to sever its contact with 27 1 Plaintiff does name David Robinson, the Sheriff and David Putman, the Assistant Sheriff as Defendants. 28 (Doc. No. 18 at 4:8-10). 1 Well Path, LLC; and (4) restrain the jail from “deception, manipulation, misdirection, 2 gamesmanship to avoid following court orders.” (Id. at 3-4). 3 Plaintiff filed a second motion for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction 4 on March 10, 2022. (Doc. No. 17). Attached to the second motion is his own declaration. (Id. at 5 10-14). The declaration consists of conclusory allegations and lacks sufficient factual support. 6 (Id.). Nonetheless, Plaintiff seeks an order compelling a “treatment plan” for his medical 7 conditions, which he states are serious. (Id. at 2). Although not entirely clear, the medical 8 conditions Plaintiff appears seek treatment for include depression, tension headaches, and hearing 9 loss in one ear. Specifically, Plaintiff seeks an order compelling Defendant Well Path, LLC and 10 Defendant David Robinson “to remove any treatment barriers, blanket bans on any medication’s” 11 irrespective of whether “the ban is express or implied.” (Id. at 9). 12 II. APPLICABLE LAW 13 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

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