(PC) Mackey v. Coalinga State Hospital

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedApril 14, 2023
Docket1:22-cv-00962
StatusUnknown

This text of (PC) Mackey v. Coalinga State Hospital ((PC) Mackey v. Coalinga State 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) Mackey v. Coalinga State Hospital, (E.D. Cal. 2023).

Opinion

5 6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 7 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 8 9 DAVID E. MACKEY, Case No. 1:22-cv-00962-EPG (PC) 10 Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, RECOMMENDING THAT THIS ACTION BE 11 v. DISMISSED 12 COALINGA STATE HOSPITAL, et al., (ECF No. 12). 13 Defendants. OBJECTIONS, IF ANY, DUE WITHIN TWENTY-ONE DAYS 14

15 ORDER DIRECTING CLERK TO ASSIGN DISTRICT JUDGE 16 17 Plaintiff David E. Mackey, who appears to be a former civil detainee1, proceeds pro se 18 and in forma pauperis in this civil action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff filed the 19 complaint commencing this action on July 25, 2022. (ECF No. 1). 20 On February 16, 2023, the Court screened Plaintiff’s complaint and found that it failed to 21 state any cognizable claims. (ECF No. 11). The Court provided relevant legal standards and gave 22 Plaintiff thirty days to either: “a: File a First Amended Complaint; or b. Notify the Court in 23 writing that he wants to stand on his complaint.” (Id. at 11). 24 On February 23, 2023, Plaintiff filed his First Amended Complaint. (ECF No. 12). 25 1 An attached exhibit to Plaintiff’s amended complaint refers to Plaintiff’s status as a patient at DHS Coalinga 26 pursuant to California Penal Code § 2972. (ECF No. 12, p. 8). Individuals detained pursuant to California’s Mentally Disordered Offender (MDO) law, California Penal Code §§ 2970, et seq., are considered civil detainees, rather than 27 prisoners within the meaning of the Prisoner Litigation Reform Act. Page v. Torrey, 201 F.3d 1136, 1140 (9th Cir. 2000). Plaintiff’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis indicates that he is not currently incarcerated. (See ECF No. 28 8). 1 Plaintiff’s amended complaint generally alleges that various defendants violated his state and 2 constitutional rights because of toxic drinking water that caused Plaintiff cancer and numerous 3 illnesses as well as a nurse that attempted to remove Plaintiff’s genitalia. 4 The Court has reviewed Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint, and for the reasons described in this order, will recommend that this action be dismissed for failure to state a 5 cognizable claim. Plaintiff has twenty-one days from the date of service of these findings and 6 recommendations to file his objections. 7 I. SCREENING LEGAL STANDARDS 8 As Plaintiff is proceeding in forma pauperis (ECF No. 10), the Court screens the 9 complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915. “Notwithstanding any filing fee, or any portion thereof, that 10 may have been paid, the court shall dismiss the case at any time if the court determines that the 11 action or appeal fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.” 28 U.S.C. § 12 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). 13 A complaint is required to contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that 14 the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not 15 required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 16 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell 17 Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). Plaintiff must set forth “sufficient factual 18 matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Id. (quoting 19 Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570). The mere possibility of misconduct falls short of meeting this 20 plausibility standard. Id. at 679. While a plaintiff’s allegations are taken as true, courts “are not 21 required to indulge unwarranted inferences.” Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 572 F.3d 677, 681 22 (9th Cir. 2009) (citation and quotation marks omitted). Additionally, a plaintiff’s legal 23 conclusions are not accepted as true. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678. Pleadings of pro se plaintiffs “must be held to less stringent standards than formal 24 pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 (9th Cir. 2010) (holding that 25 pro se complaints should continue to be liberally construed after Iqbal). 26 II. PRIOR SCREENING ORDER 27 The Court screened Plaintiff’s original complaint and found that Plaintiff did not provide a 28 1 clear statement of any claim or set forth any cognizable claims. (ECF No. 11). The Court’s 2 screening order provided the relevant legal standards for a complaint and for potential causes of 3 action and provided guidance on what Plaintiff needed to allege to state such claims, explaining: 4 To the extent that Plaintiff’s first claim challenges the conditions of his confinement as a civil detainee, Plaintiff does not include any factual allegations 5 that connect the presence of toxic drinking water to any acts or omissions by any employee, official, or agent of DSH Coalinga. Indeed, Plaintiff’s allegations on 6 this issue merely state that Plaintiff did not have “any lung cancer or schizophrenia, and Tardive Dyskinesia, or morbid conditions or Hepatitis C [. . .] 7 from the toxic drinking water,” without any information about what an individual 8 did or failed to do in relation to the water, Plaintiff’s exposure to the water, or how the water failed to meet safety standards. To the extent that Plaintiff’s first claim 9 challenges his eligibility for discharge, Plaintiff does not include sufficient factual allegations that connect a decision not to evaluate or recommend Plaintiff for 10 discharge to any deprivation of right. 11 Further, to the extent that Plaintiff’s first claim alleges that his exposure to Covid- 19 violated his right to safe conditions of confinement, Plaintiff does not include 12 sufficient factual allegations that explain how any preventative measures put in place at DSH Coalinga in June 2020 substantially departed from generally 13 accepted standards. . . Nor does Plaintiff identify any individuals who placed 14 Plaintiff personally at risk or otherwise failed to take appropriate preventative measures to protect Plaintiff. Moreover, Plaintiff’s allegation that he was forced to 15 be confined and around another individual who may have had COVID-19 is insufficient to state a claim based on unsafe conditions. 16 . . . 17 As for Plaintiff’s second claim, it is not clear what type of action Plaintiff seeks against the Board of Registered Nursing. Plaintiff alleges that he filed a claim with 18 the Board, but “would like from now for the U.S. District Court to look into this 19 matter.” Based on Plaintiff’s brief statement of the facts supporting his second claim, it is unclear whether Plaintiff alleges a claim against the Board based on the 20 underlying incident or a claim related to the processing of his grievance. 21 Accordingly, the Court finds that Plaintiff’s complaint fails to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a). If Plaintiff chooses to amend his complaint, he 22 should list each claim that he is bringing against each defendant, and include sufficient factual allegations supporting each claim. If Plaintiff does not know the 23 name of a person responsible, he may identify them as John Doe 1, Doe 2, etc., with identifying information such as their title or job duties. 24 (Id. at 7-8) (internal citations and footnote omitted). Further, the Court found that Plaintiff’s 25 original complaint alleged claims against defendants entitled to sovereign immunity. (Id.

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Bluebook (online)
(PC) Mackey v. Coalinga State Hospital, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pc-mackey-v-coalinga-state-hospital-caed-2023.