(PC) Manago v. Santoro

District Court, E.D. California·Decided April 15, 2022·No. 1:21-cv-01464·Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 STEWART MANAGO, Case No. 1:21-cv-01464-HBK 12 Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO DENY PLAINTIFF’S MOTIONS FOR 13 v. PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

14 KELLY SANTORO, ET. AL., ORDER TO CLERK TO ADD DEFENDANTS’ NAMES TO DOCKET AND 15 Defendant. TO ASSIGN A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

16 FOURTEEN-DAY OBJECTION PERIOD 17 (Doc. Nos. 10, 11) 18 I. BACKGROUND AND FACTS 19 Pending before the Court are Plaintiff’s first and second motions for a preliminary 20 injunction filed on January 27 and February 22, 2022, respectively. (Doc. Nos. 10, 11). For the 21 reasons set forth below, the undersigned recommends the district court deny the motions. 22 A. Allegations in Complaint 23 Plaintiff Stewart Manago initiated this action as a prisoner proceeding pro se by filing a 24 civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 while incarcerated in North Kern State Prison. 25 (Doc. No. 1). Plaintiff paid the filing fee to proceed in this action. (Receipt No. 26 CAE1000049419). Nevertheless, the Complaint remains subject to the screening provisions of § 27 1915A due to Plaintiff’s prisoner status. 28 1 The Complaint names the following defendants from North Kern State Prison: Kelly 2 Santoro, Warden; Kevin Hixon, Chief Deputy Warden; J. Jeter, Association Warden; J. Tanben, 3 Facility Captain; S. Jenson, investigative services Lieutenant; I. Quintero, correctional lieutenant; 4 R. Philpott, facility captain; D. Drake, Correctional Counselor; J. Felix, investigative services 5 unit; B. Lomely, investigative services unit; J. Franco, facility sergeant; A. Magailanes, 6 correctional counselor; D. Maciel, correctional counselor; R. Ayala Angeles, gang investigator; 7 R. Reynoso, classification process; R. Williams, classification process, and unknown Defendants 8 numbered 1 through 20.1 (Doc. No. 1 at 1-3). 9 As way of background, Plaintiff was paroled from California State Prison-Sacramento on 10 July 7, 2016. (Id. at 4). Plaintiff alleges that prior to his parole, he filed a report of illegal 11 activity, including sexual harassment, solicitation to sell drugs in a correctional institution, and 12 conspiracy to murder, against correctional officer Mary Brockett, “psyc. tech” Nate Clair, and 13 correctional officer J. Cole, resulting in their firing. 14 Apparently, at some point, Plaintiff was rearrested, because on April 20, 2021, he was 15 transferred to North Kern State Prison from West Valley Detention Center. (Id. at 5). Plaintiff 16 complains that he was placed in secure housing upon processing and should have been placed in 17 general population. Plaintiff alleges he is being targeted by inmates and correctional staff alike, 18 including but not limited to, receiving false rules violations reports, being labeled a snitch, being 19 the target of assaults, and being improperly labeled a member of the “Black Gorilla Family” when 20 he only had Crip-related tattoos on his body. (Id. at 4-8). Plaintiff alleges a criminal conspiracy 21 between “members of the California State Prison-Sacramento, California Correctional Institution, 22 and Corcoran State Prison” to subject Plaintiff to a serious risk of harm by seeking a hit on 23 Plaintiff’s life because he previous reported criminal activity. (Id. at 19). As relief Plaintiff seeks 24 a jury trial, general and special damages, medical and mental health related damages, and any 25 other relief deemed appropriate by the court. (Id. at 25). Plaintiff does not seek any injunctive 26 relief in his Complaint. (Id.). 27 1 The docket stops listing defendants after B. Lomely. (See docket). The Court directs the Clerk to update 28 the docket accordingly to include all named defendants. (Doc. No. 1 at 1-3). 1 Notably, on March 14, 2022, Plaintiff was transferred to California Medical Facility 2 located in Vacaville, California. (Doc. No. 12). 3 B. Preliminary Injunction Motions 4 Plaintiff’s first and second motion for a preliminary injunction consists of 89 and 90 5 pages, respectively. (Doc. Nos. 10, 11). Plaintiff’s declaration is incorporated in his first 6 motion. (Doc. No. 10 at 10-31). Pages 33 through 89 contain inmate grievances and responses 7 thereto, including unrelated pleadings and grievances submitted by an inmate named Zuri 8 Sanakabis Young. (Id. at 33-89, 59-89). In Plaintiff’s second motion, pages 19 through 90 9 contain his inmate grievances and responses thereto. (Doc. No. 11 at 20-90). 10 Related to the Complaint, Plaintiff contends in his first motion that Defendants are 11 involved in a retaliatorily criminal conspiracy and have a hit on his life, so that he does not testify 12 against the illegal activities of the three correctional staff. (Doc. No 10 at 5). Plaintiff requests 13 that the Court direct the United State Marshal “to make citizen’s arrests against all CDCR- 14 correctional staff” involved in the criminal conspiracy. (Id. at 1). Plaintiff also asks for a 15 preliminary injunction to: (1) require CDCR to transfer Plaintiff to a medical facility where he 16 can receive proper medical and mental health treatment; (2) prohibit CDCR from transferring 17 Plaintiff to PBSP or other prisons where Plaintiff may be placed in unlawful danger due to the hit 18 on his life and from telling other inmates he is a “snitch”; (3) protect him under the PREA, the 19 California Whistleblower Act, and the federal Whistleblower Act; (4) award any other relief the 20 Court deems appropriate. (Id. at 9). The exhibits Plaintiff attaches to his motion document that 21 Plaintiff was in fear for his safety. (Id. at 33-39). In 2009, a confidential information advised 22 correctional officials that Plaintiff was assaulted because “things ‘weren’t adding up’ and Manago 23 had to ‘go’ and the Crips had found out Manago had been jumped on C yard.’” (Id. at 35). To the 24 extent discernable, over the years, there were hits on Plaintiff’s life by two different gangs, both 25 the Black Guerilla Family and the Crips, who believed Plaintiff was a snitch and the information 26 was corroborated by investigation. (Id. at 37) (related to threat in 2014 by Black Guerilla Family 27 associates); (Id. at 38) (related to a 2016 threat on Plaintiff’s life by gang members); (Id. at 28 43)(concerning June 2021 threat). 1 Plaintiff’s second motion claims Defendants are improperly opening his mail from the 2 office of internal affairs, his attorneys, and from the federal courts in attempt to interfere with his 3 instant civil rights action. (Doc. No. 11 at 5). In closing, Plaintiff asks for similar, but more 4 limited, relief to his first motion requesting that the Court enjoin the ongoing criminal conspiracy 5 involving correctional staff and the “inmate task force inmates” who would carry out the hit. (Id. 6 at 6). 7 II. APPLICABLE LAW 8 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65 governs injunctions and restraining orders. A 9 preliminary injunctive requires “notice to the adverse party.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(a)(1). A 10 temporary restraining order may be issued “without notice” only if “specific facts in an affidavit 11 or a verified complaint clearly show that immediate, and irreparable injury, loss, or damage will 12 result to the movant before the adverse party can be heard in opposition,” as well as written 13 certification from the movant’s attorney stating, “any efforts made to give notice and the reasons 14 why it should not be required.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b).

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