(PC) Hudson v. Pfeiffer

District Court, E.D. California·Decided December 17, 2021·No. 1:19-cv-00954·Unknown

Opinion

DARRYL HUDSON, Case No. 1:19-CV-00954-HBK Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO GRANT DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO v. DISMISS1 C. PFEIFFER, R. COX, J. DIAZ, D. (Doc. No. 20) BALKIND, R, NUCKLES, Defendants. Plaintiff Darryl Hudson is a state prisoner proceeding pro se on his civil rights complaint filed under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (Doc. No. 1). Defendants filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) and 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) in response to the complaint. (Doc. No. 20). Defendants request the Court take judicial notice of Plaintiff’s inmate grievances concerning the incident at issue. (Doc. No. 21) (citing Exhibit A at 6-8). Plaintiff filed an opposition. (Doc. No. 24). And Defendants filed a reply. (Doc. No. 25). For the reasons discussed below, the undersigned recommends the district court grant Defendants’ motion to dismiss because the complaint was filed after the statute of limitations expired.

1 This matter was referred to the undersigned pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Eastern District of California Local Rule 302 (E.D. Cal. 2019). A. The Complaint and Attachments The complaint, constructively filed on July 11, 2019,2 identified the following ten defendants: Warden C. Pfeiffer, Captain R. Cox, Captain J. Diaz, Lieutenant D. Balkind, Lt. R. Nuckles, Sgt. A. Sotelo, correctional officer R. Rodriquez, correctional officer J. Fernandez, correctional officer J. Figueroa, and correctional officer V. Escobedo. (Doc. No. at 1). And the complaint alleged three claims: (1) failure to protect; (2) excessive use of force and retaliation; (3) First, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment violations stemming from obstruction of justice. (Id. at 5-18). As relief, Plaintiff sought monetary damages. (Id. at 18). B. Screening Order under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A The previous magistrate judge issued a screening order finding the complaint stated a plausible Eighth Amendment excessive use of force claims against Defendants Nuckles, Sotelo, Rodriquez, Fernandez, Figueroa, and Esccobedo. (Doc.10 at 1-2, 4). The screening order also determined the complaint stated a plausible First Amendment retaliation claim against Defendant Nuckles due to the allegations that Nuckles beat Plaintiff in retaliation for filing staff complaints. (Id.). The screening order determined the complaint stated no other claims. (Id. at 1-2). Plaintiff was afforded the opportunity to advise the court whether he wanted to: (1) proceed only the claims sanctions by this court and voluntarily dismiss all other defendants; (2) file a first amended complaint; (3) notify the court that he wished to stand on his complaint subject to dismissal of claims and defendants consistent with the order. (Id. at 1). In response, Plaintiff filed a notice to proceed on only the cognizable claims. (Doc. No. 11). Service of process ensued on Defendants Nuckles, Sotelo, Rodriquez, Fernandez, Figueroa, and Escobedo. (Doc. No. 16). Thus, although all defendants identified in the Complaint remain on the caption and docket in this matter, this action is proceeding against only Nuckles, Sotelo, Rodriquez, Fernandez, Figueroa, and Escobedo.3 After Defendants waived personal service of process, the 2 Under the prison mailbox rule, a prisoner’s legal pleadings are considered filed at the time of delivery to prison authorities for forwarding to the court. Houston v. Lack, 487 U.S. 266. 3 Upon review, the court notes Defendants C. Pfeiffer, R. Cox, J. Diaz, and D. Balkin remain identified as defendants on the docket following Plaintiff’s notice (Doc. No. 11) that essentially served as a voluntary Court stayed the case to permit the parties an opportunity to participate in early alternative dispute resolution. (Doc. No. 17). Defendants timely opted out of the early ADR. (Doc. No. 18). Defendants then filed the instant motion to dismiss. C. Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss, Plaintiff’s Response, Defendants’ Reply Defendants move to dismiss noting that Plaintiff is serving a life sentence in the California Department of Corrections and is therefore subject to a two-year statute of limitations applicable to claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (Doc. No. 20 at 3). Defendants submit that Plaintiff’s claim accrued on June 30, 2016, when the excessive use of force incident occurred, and that Plaintiff is entitled to tolling for the duration of time when his inmate grievances concerning the matter were pending, i.e., nine months and 12 days. (Id. at 5-7). Based on the foregoing, Defendants argue that the Complaint is untimely by approximately 3 months and therefore subject to dismissal. (Id. at 7). Plaintiff opposes Defendants’ motion. Plaintiff first argues that the court properly screened his complaint, determined it stated a cognizable excessive use of force claim, which therefore precludes Defendants’ Rule 12(b)(6) motion. (Doc. No. 24 at 4-6). Plaintiff further asserts that a four-year statute of limitations period applies to his § 1983 claims, despite his “lifer” status. (Id. at 3, 8). Plaintiff acknowledges the use of force incident giving rise to the instant claims occurred on June 30, 2016 but argues that the accrual date of his claims is April 25, 2017, the date on which his administrative remedies were exhausted. (Id. at 8). Plaintiff further argues that he is entitled to a year of tolling during the pendency of his prison administrative grievances. (Id.). Based on Plaintiff’s calculations, he argues he had until April 25, 2022 to timely file this action. (Id.). In Reply, Defendants note that Plaintiff’s four-year statute of limitations, plus one year tolling during exhaustion of administrative grievances arguments, lack sufficient legal support. (Doc. No. 25 at 1). Defendants maintain that Plaintiff had two years to bring his suit, plus the nine months and 12 days of equitable tolling provided for the time he was exhausting his dismissal of any claims or defendants not deemed cognizable by the previous magistrate judge’s screening order (Doc. No. 10). administrative remedies on the related claims. (Id. at 2). Consequently, Plaintiff’s limitations period expired on April 11, 2019, three months before Plaintiff filed suit, resulting in a time-bar. (Id.). D. Defendants Request for Judicial Notice or Incorporation by Reference Defendants request that the Court take judicial notice, or incorporation of reference, of Plaintiff’s inmate grievances concerning the incident at issue. (See generally Doc. No. 21). Defendants attach these applicable inmate grievances as Exhibit A. (Id.) (citing Exh. A). Relevant for purposes of this case, Defendants recognize that when calculating the statute of limitations to determine whether any § 1983 claims are time-barred, a plaintiff is eligible for tolling during the mandatory exhaustion process, i.e., the time during which the plaintiff’s inmate grievances are pending institutional review until the grievances process is complete. (Doc. No. 20 at 6-7). Additionally, or alternatively, Defendants argue that its proper for the Court to consider the inmate grievances as incorporated by reference. (Id. at 3-4). Defendants note that the incorporation by reference doctrine authorizes courts to consider documents outside the pleadings when omitted but integral to the claim. Although on a motion to dismiss a court normally does not consider matt

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