(PC) Marines v. Pogue

District Court, E.D. California·Decided August 25, 2025·No. 1:25-cv-00030·Unknown

Opinion

RUBEN MARINES, Case No. 1:25-cv-00030-BAM (PC) Plaintiff, ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO RANDOMLY ASSIGN DISTRICT JUDGE TO v. ACTION POGUE, et al., FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO DISMISS ACTION, WITH PREJUDICE, FOR Defendants. FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM, FAILURE TO OBEY COURT ORDER, AND FAILURE (ECF No. 7)

FOURTEEN (14) DAY DEADLINE I. Background Plaintiff Ruben Marines (“Plaintiff”) is a county jail inmate proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. On July 9, 2025, the Court screened the complaint and found that it failed to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 and failed to state a cognizable claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (ECF No. 7.) The Court issued an order granting Plaintiff leave to file a first amended complaint or notice of voluntary dismissal within thirty (30) days. (Id.) The Court expressly warned Plaintiff that the failure to comply with the Court’s order would result in a recommendation for dismissal of this action, with prejudice, for failure to obey a court order and for failure to state a claim. (Id.) Plaintiff failed to file an amended complaint or otherwise communicate with the Court, and the deadline to do so has expired. II. Failure to State a Claim A. Screening Requirement and Standard The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a governmental entity and/or against an officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). Plaintiff’s complaint, or any portion thereof, is subject to dismissal if it is frivolous or malicious, if it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or if it seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915A(b). A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief . . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). While a plaintiff’s allegations are taken as true, courts “are not required to indulge unwarranted inferences.” Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 572 F.3d 677, 681 (9th Cir. 2009) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). To survive screening, Plaintiff’s claims must be facially plausible, which requires sufficient factual detail to allow the Court to reasonably infer that each named defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quotation marks omitted); Moss v. U.S. Secret Serv., 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The sheer possibility that a defendant acted unlawfully is not sufficient, and mere consistency with liability falls short of satisfying the plausibility standard. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quotation marks omitted); Moss, 572 F.3d at 969. B. Plaintiff’s Allegations Plaintiff is currently housed in Madera County Jail where the events in the complaint are alleged to have occurred. Plaintiff names as Defendants: (1) Tyson Pogue, (2) Sgt. Townsend, (3) Correctional Officer Sanchez, and (4) Madera County, a municipal corporation. The defendants are sued in their individual and official capacities. Plaintiff alleges failure to protect, deliberate indifference, and conditions of confinement in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Plaintiff also alleges a state law claim for negligence. Plaintiff alleges that Defendants Madera County and Tyson Pogue made a decision to use bunk beds because of overcrowding in the Madera County Jail. However, these defendants failed to add any means for inmates to safely climb up to the top bunk. Plaintiff alleges that in the absence of a means to safely climb, he would use a chair in his dorm to stand on to climb up into his bed to prevent from falling. On 11/29/24, Defendant Sanchez came to Plaintiff’s dorm and ordered Plaintiff’s dormmates to take the chairs out of the dorm which houses the bunk beds. Defendant Sanchez was told by a number of dormmates that the chair was the only means of safely climbing onto the top bunk, because there was no ladder. Defendant Sanchez disregarded the inmates’ facts regarding safety and said, “tuff shit.” Defendant Sanchez reported that he received an email from his supervisor, Defendant Sgt. Townsend, to remove the chairs from all dorms. On 11/30/24, during the a.m. med-pass, and after using the restroom, Plaintiff tried to climb back onto the top bunk and slipped and fell hitting the metal stool, hurting his knee/legs/hip and back before hitting the cement floor. Plaintiff fell in front of Defendant Sanchez, who quickly looked past Plaintiff hitting the metal stool and was laying on the cement floor in pain. Plaintiff was lucky that the nurse witnessed Plaintiff fall to the floor and pointed it out to Sanchez. Plaintiff alleges that Sgt. Townsend abused power to make an independent deliberate decision to remove the chairs used to climb up onto the top bunk. No other supervisor enforces these kinds of orders during their shifts. Because of Defendant Sgt. Townsend’s orders to remove Plaintiff’s only safe means to climb up into his top bunk, Plaintiff fell trying to make the jump causing Plaintiff to injure himself. Defendants Madera County, Tyson Pogue, Sgt Townsend and correctional officer Sanchez disregarded Plaintiff’s safety because not only did Defendants Madera County and Tyson Pogue fail to ensure top bunks had a means to safely climb into the bed, but also Defendants Sgt. Townsend and correctional officer Sanchez disregarded Plaintiff’s safety by taking his only safe means to climb into the bed after being told of the unsafe condition. Madera County is a municipal corporation and is the employer of the defendants. Madera County had a policy to use bunk beds in the Madera County Jail because of overcrowding. It is Madera County’s responsibility to add a means for inmates to climb up to the top bunk safely, but failed to take such measure to ensure safe means to climb, this decision was the moving force that caused Plaintiff’s injuries. Madera County disregarded his safety and it should be held accountable for deliberate indifference under the Fourteenth Amendment. Tyson Pogue knowingly failed in his responsibility to take reasonable measures to protect Plaintiff from suffering injuries. The deprivation described was objectively sufficiently serious and Tyson Pogue was subjectively deliberately indifferent to Plaintiff’s health and safety. He knew that the use of bunk beds without safe means to climb would subject inmates under his authority to risks and he disregarded taking measures to ensure safety of his prisoners were met, which created an excessive risk to Plaintiff’s health and safety. He is responsible for the harassment/humiliation/psychological distress/pain/suffering and violation of Plaintiff’s Fourteenth Amendment rights. Plaintiff alleges supervisory liability exists against Defendants Madera County, Tyson Pogue, and Sgt. Townsend because of their personally participating in and directing the violation or that they knew of the violations and fail

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