(PC) Jones v. Adventist Health Delano Hospital

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedMay 22, 2025
Docket1:25-cv-00197
StatusUnknown

This text of (PC) Jones v. Adventist Health Delano Hospital ((PC) Jones v. Adventist Health Delano Hospital) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
(PC) Jones v. Adventist Health Delano Hospital, (E.D. Cal. 2025).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 JACQUIZ JONES, No. 1:25-cv-000197-SAB (PC) 12 Plaintiff, ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO RANDOMLY ASSIGN A DISTRICT 13 v. JUDGE TO THIS ACTION 14 ADVENTIST HEALTH DELANO FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS HOSPITAL, et al., RECOMMENDING DISMISSAL OF 15 ACTION

16 Defendants. (ECF No. 9) 17 18 19 20 Plaintiff is proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this action filed pursuant to 42 21 U.S.C. § 1983. 22 Plaintiff’s complaint in this action was filed on February 13, 2025. (ECF No. 1.) 23 On March 18, 2025, the Court screened the complaint, found that Plaintiff failed to state a 24 cognizable claim for relief, and granted Plaintiff thirty days to file an amended complaint. (ECF 25 No. 8.) 26 Plaintiff failed to file an amended complaint or otherwise respond to the March 18, 2025 27 order. Therefore, on April 28, 2025, the Court issued an order for Plaintiff to show cause why the 28 action should not be dismissed. (ECF No. 9.) Plaintiff has failed to respond to the order to show 1 cause and the time to do so has now passed. Accordingly, dismissal of the action is warranted. 2 I. 3 SCREENING REQUIREMENT 4 The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a 5 governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The 6 Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if the prisoner has raised claims that are legally 7 “frivolous or malicious,” that “fail[] to state a claim on which relief may be granted,” or that 8 “seek[] monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 9 1915(e)(2)(B); see also 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b). 10 A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the 11 pleader is entitled to relief. . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not 12 required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 13 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell 14 Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). Moreover, Plaintiff must demonstrate 15 that each defendant personally participated in the deprivation of Plaintiff’s rights. Jones v. 16 Williams, 297 F.3d 930, 934 (9th Cir. 2002). 17 Prisoners proceeding pro se in civil rights actions are entitled to have their pleadings 18 liberally construed and to have any doubt resolved in their favor. Wilhelm v. Rotman, 680 F.3d 19 1113, 1121 (9th Cir. 2012) (citations omitted). To survive screening, Plaintiff’s claims must be 20 facially plausible, which requires sufficient factual detail to allow the Court to reasonably infer 21 that each named defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678-79; Moss 22 v. U.S. Secret Service, 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The “sheer possibility that a defendant 23 has acted unlawfully” is not sufficient, and “facts that are ‘merely consistent with’ a defendant’s 24 liability” falls short of satisfying the plausibility standard. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678; Moss, 572 F.3d 25 at 969. 26 /// 27 /// 28 /// 1 II. 2 FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS 3 On January 23, 2024, Plaintiff was taken to the Adventist Health Delano by two 4 correctional officers named C. Bejar (male) and N. Camacho (female). Plaintiff was put to sleep 5 for treatment of his injury and later woke up in a state of grogginess. I do not recall how I ended 6 up sitting on the bathroom toilet with my pants down. Nor do I recall how I got in the bathroom. 7 I recall that I had to pee very bad, but he could not piece together how. Plaintiff recalls officer C. 8 Bejar rushing me to hurry up because he was ready to go. Officer Bejar then for “no reason” 9 grabbed me forcefully (while Plaintiff was still sitting on the toilet trying to pee) and attempted to 10 pick up Plaintiff and dropped him onto the bathroom floor. Officer Bejar again attempted to pick 11 up Plaintiff multiple times and continued to drop him on the floor each time. Plaintiff felt a sharp 12 pain shoot up through his right knee, spin, and back. Plaintiff was also dropped twice on his left 13 injured arm for which he just received medical treatment. Plaintiff was left on the bathroom 14 floor, and when officer Bejar returned with a male nurse employed by Adventist at which point 15 they picked up Plaintiff from the floor and placed him in a wheelchair. Officer Bejar did not 16 attempt to pull up Plaintiff’s pant which left his private parts exposed. Plaintiff was then rolled 17 past other female nurses, patients, and patient’s families, etc. Plaintiff recalls the male nurse and 18 others laughing about him falling on the bathroom floor while naked and being exposed in the 19 wheelchair. Plaintiff was then rolled back to his room and placed in the bed. Plaintiff was given 20 a pee/urine bottle. Plaintiff tried to urinate again and officer Bejar verbally and sexually harassed 21 Plaintiff by accusing him of trying to show female officer Camacho his private part. Plaintiff also 22 recalled a male voice stating, “small penis.” Plaintiff was then harassed by officer Bejar and the 23 male nurse who accused Plaintiff of stalling because he was scared to go back to the yard. 24 Plaintiff repeatedly asked for something to drink. The male nurse repeatedly told Plaintiff that he 25 was done and ready to go. Plaintiff was not held for the 24-hour period a patient is supposed to 26 be held after falling in the hospital. Plaintiff did not see the doctor after he woke up from his 27 treatment. Plaintiff was also not given instructions on what he had to do to take care and maintain 28 his injuries. He was not specifically advised how long to keep his arm in a sling to properly care 1 for his injuries. Nor was Plaintiff prescribed any pain medication. 2 Plaintiff was subsequently returned to the prison and during the transport he urinated on 3 himself. When they arrived at the prison, officer Bejar attempted to walk Plaintiff to his building 4 without a wheelchair. Plaintiff could not see and was disoriented which caused him to walk 5 funny. Bejar complained of Plaintiff’s “sluggish” pattern of walk. Plaintiff stated out loud “why 6 can’t I open my eyes?” As Plaintiff attempted to open his eyes, he became dizzy and began to 7 vomit. Plaintiff was then placed in a wheelchair and continued to vomit. 8 III. 9 DISCUSSION 10 A. Excessive Force 11 When prison officials use excessive force against prisoners, they violate the inmates’ 12 Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.” Clement v. Gomez, 298 13 F.3d 898, 903 (9th Cir. 2002). In order to establish a claim for the use of excessive force in 14 violation of the Eighth Amendment, a plaintiff must establish that prison officials applied force 15 maliciously and sadistically to cause harm, rather than in a good-faith effort to maintain or restore 16 discipline. Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 6–7 (1992).

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Bluebook (online)
(PC) Jones v. Adventist Health Delano Hospital, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pc-jones-v-adventist-health-delano-hospital-caed-2025.