(PC) Miller v. Commissioner of the State of California Department of Corrections

District Court, E.D. California·Decided June 9, 2021·No. 1:21-cv-00176·Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 4 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 5 6 KEVIN L. MILLER, Case No. 1:21-cv-00176-DAD-BAM (PC) 7 Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO DISMISS ACTION, WITH PREJUDICE, FOR 8 v. FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM, FAILURE TO OBEY A COURT ORDER, AND 9 COMMISSIONER OF THE STATE OF FAILURE TO PROSECUTE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF 10 CORRECTIONS, et al., (ECF No. 18) 11 Defendants. FOURTEEN (14) DAY DEADLINE 12 13 I. Background 14 Plaintiff Kevin L. Miller (“Plaintiff”) is a former pretrial detainee and current state 15 prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. 16 § 1983. This matter was referred to a United States Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 17 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rule 302. 18 On April 21, 2021, the Court issued a screening order granting Plaintiff leave to file a first 19 amended complaint or a notice of voluntary dismissal within thirty (30) days. (ECF No. 18.) The 20 Court expressly warned Plaintiff that the failure to file an amended complaint in compliance with 21 the Court’s order would result in a recommendation for dismissal of this action, with prejudice, 22 for failure to obey a court order and for failure to state a claim. (Id. at 10.) 23 The deadline has expired, and Plaintiff has failed to file a first amended complaint or 24 otherwise communicate with the Court. 25 II. Failure to State a Claim 26 A. Screening Requirement 27 The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a 28 governmental entity and/or against an officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. 1 § 1915A(a). Plaintiff’s complaint, or any portion thereof, is subject to dismissal if it is frivolous 2 or malicious, if it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or if it seeks monetary 3 relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1), (2); 28 U.S.C. 4 § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). 5 A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the 6 pleader is entitled to relief. . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not 7 required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 8 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell 9 Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). While a plaintiff’s allegations are taken as 10 true, courts “are not required to indulge unwarranted inferences.” Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 11 572 F.3d 677, 681 (9th Cir. 2009) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). 12 To survive screening, Plaintiff’s claims must be facially plausible, which requires 13 sufficient factual detail to allow the Court to reasonably infer that each named defendant is liable 14 for the misconduct alleged. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quotation marks omitted); Moss v. U.S. Secret 15 Serv., 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The sheer possibility that a defendant acted unlawfully 16 is not sufficient, and mere consistency with liability falls short of satisfying the plausibility 17 standard. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quotation marks omitted); Moss, 572 F.3d at 969. 18 B. Plaintiff’s Allegations 19 Plaintiff is currently incarcerated at Wasco State Prison. At the time of the allegations in 20 the complaint, Plaintiff was housed in the Lerdo Detention Facility (“Lerdo”) in Kern County as a 21 pretrial detainee. Plaintiff names the following defendants: (1) Commissioner John Doe, Director 22 of the California Department of Corrections, (2) John Doe, Superintendent/Warden of Kern 23 County Lerdo Detention Facility, (3) Lt. P. Gordon, Lieutenant/Sergeant, (4) Dr. John Doe, 24 mental health doctor/psychologist. Defendants are sued in the individual and official capacities. 25 On January 19, 2021, two inmates from F-310 tested positive for COVID-19. They were 26 taken within an hour to the infirmary for quarantine. Plaintiff alleges “we” were only allowed 30 27 minutes for 1 cell shower, use of phone, clean cell and throw out trash. There’s no effort to 28 redline or flag the contaminated cell or decontaminate it. Between 1–2 days later, they moved 1 another inmate into that cell. There is no testing for inmates. Plaintiff had been in Lerdo for 120 2 days and was never tested. Plaintiff was told by Officer Valencia that COVID-19 tests are very 3 expensive to administer. Plaintiff feels hopeless. Inmates are not being transported to receiving 4 and reception and are not getting adequate percentage of days because “we are doing long term in 5 County.” Since Plaintiff is “CDCR Property” he is not getting the programs he would get while 6 at County. He does not get adequate mental health care. Plaintiff alleges that he has paranoia 7 schizophrenia, schizophrenia-affective disorder, insomnia, and bipolar disorder. Dr. Bear was the 8 last mental health doctor who diagnosed him. Plaintiff alleges he is not getting adequate amount 9 of medication. Plaintiff has not seen a doctor in 45 days while in quarantine. Plaintiff alleges he 10 was not prescribed what the doctor ordered at his last visit. 11 Plaintiff alleges the negligence of the commissioner, warden, doctor regarding COVID-19 12 decontamination, inadequate medical/mental health care, unsanitary and hazardous environment 13 because of no efforts of decontamination violated due process and negligence. 14 Plaintiff request declaratory and injunctive relief. Plaintiff also seeks compensatory and 15 punitive damages. 16 C. Discussion 17 Plaintiff’s complaint fails to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 and fails to 18 state a cognizable claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. 19 1. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 20 Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8, a complaint must contain “a short and plain 21 statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). 22 Detailed factual allegations are not required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause 23 of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 24 (citation omitted). Plaintiff must set forth “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a 25 claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. 26 at 570). While factual allegations are accepted as true, legal conclusions are not. Id.; see also 27 Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556–57. 28 /// 1 Although Plaintiff's complaint is short, it is not a plain statement of his claims. As a basic 2 matter, the complaint does not clearly state what happened, when it happened or who was 3 involved. Plaintiff’s allegations must be based on facts as to what happened and not conclusions.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

(PC) Miller v. Commissioner of the State of California Department of Corrections, (E.D. Cal. 2021).

(PC) Miller v. Commissioner of the State of California Department of Corrections ((PC) Miller v. Commissioner of the State of California Department of Corrections) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

United Mine Workers of America v. Gibbs
383 U.S. 715 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Servs.
436 U.S. 658 (Supreme Court, 1978)
Bell v. Wolfish
441 U.S. 520 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Kentucky v. Graham
473 U.S. 159 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Watters v. Wachovia Bank, N. A.
550 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Simmons v. Navajo County, Ariz.
609 F.3d 1011 (Ninth Circuit, 2010)
Patricia Scott Anderson v. Air West, Incorporated
542 F.2d 522 (Ninth Circuit, 1976)
Ivey v. Board of Regents of University of Alaska
673 F.2d 266 (Second Circuit, 1982)
Gregory Carey v. John E. King
856 F.2d 1439 (Ninth Circuit, 1988)
Michael Henry Ferdik v. Joe Bonzelet, Sheriff
963 F.2d 1258 (Ninth Circuit, 1992)