(PC) Miller v. Meda

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedMarch 24, 2022
Docket1:22-cv-00264
StatusUnknown

This text of (PC) Miller v. Meda ((PC) Miller v. Meda) 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) Miller v. Meda, (E.D. Cal. 2022).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 NORRIS DAJON MILLER, Case No. 1:22-cv-264-HBK 12 Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO DENY PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR LEAVE 13 v. TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS UNDER 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g) 14 JANET MEDA; JOVITA VILLANUEVA; V. PATEL; C. WILLIAMS, FOURTEEN-DAY OBJECTION PERIOD 15 Defendants. ORDER TO ASSIGN A DISTRICT JUDGE 16 (Doc. No. 2) 17 18 19 Plaintiff Norris Dajon Miller, a state prisoner, initiated this action by filing a pro se civil 20 rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (Doc. No. 1). Plaintiff seeks leave to proceed in forma 21 pauperis (“IFP motion”). (Doc. No. 2). 22 For the reasons discussed below, the undersigned recommends the district court deny 23 Plaintiff’s IFP motion under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g) because Plaintiff has at least three dismissals 24 that constitute strikes and did not establish that he meets the imminent danger exception. Plaintiff 25 must pay the full filing fee if he wishes to proceed with a civil action. 26 BACKGROUND AND FACTS 27 Plaintiff initiated this action by delivering a civil rights complaint to correctional officials 28 1 for mailing on March 1, 2022. (Doc. No. 1). The complaint names as defendants Janet Meda, 2 Jovita Villanueva, V. Patel, and C. Williams, who worked in the medical department at North 3 Kern State Prison at the time of the events giving rise to Plaintiff’s claim. (Id. at 1-2). The 4 complaint alleges an Eight Amendment deliberate indifference claim stemming from defendants 5 not timely refilling a prescribed skin cream for Plaintiff’s eczema. (Id. at 3). Plaintiff complains 6 that he requested a refill of the cream used to treat his eczema on February 25, 2020, but he did 7 not receive a refill of the cream until April 2, 2020. (Id. at 3-4). Plaintiff claims that, due to the 8 delay in receiving the cream, he suffered “permanent skin damage and al[l]igator skin” and 9 experienced pain and suffering. (Id. at 7). As relief, Plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess 10 of one billion dollars for the permanent damage done to his skin and for his past pain and 11 suffering. (Id. at 9). 12 APPLICABLE THREE STRIKE LAW 13 The “Three Strikes Rule” states: 14 In no event shall a prisoner bring a civil action or proceeding under this section if the prisoner has, on 3 or more prior occasions, while 15 incarcerated or detained in any facility, brought an action or appeal in the United States that was dismissed on grounds that it was 16 frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, unless the prisoner is under imminent danger of serious 17 physical injury. 18 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). As part of the Prison Litigation Reform Act, the Three Strikes Rule was 19 enacted to help curb non-meritorious prisoner litigation. See Lomax v. Ortiz-Marquez, 140 S. Ct. 20 1721, 1723 (2020) (citations omitted)). Under § 1915(g), prisoners who have repeatedly brought 21 unsuccessful suits may be barred from bringing a civil action and paying the fee on a payment 22 plan once they have had on prior occasions three or more cases dismissed as frivolous, malicious, 23 or for failure to state a claim. Id.; see also Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.2d 1047, 1052 (9th Cir. 24 2007). 25 For a dismissal to count as a strike, the dismissal had to be on a “prior occasion,” meaning 26 the dismissal must have been before plaintiff initiated the current case. See § 1915(g). The 27 reviewing court then looks to the basis of prior dismissals. Knapp v. Hogan, 738 F.3d 1106, 1109 28 (9th Cir. 2013). A dismissal counts as a strike when the dismissal of the action was for frivolity, 1 maliciousness, or for failure to state a claim, or an appeal was dismissed for the same reasons. 2 Lomax, 140 S. Ct. at 1723 (citing Section 1915(g)); see also Washington v. Los Angeles Cty. 3 Sheriff’s Dep’t, 833 F.3d 1048 (9th Cir. 2016) (reviewing dismissals that count as strikes); 4 Coleman v. Tollefson, 135 S. Ct. 1759, 1761 (2015) (dismissal that is on appeal counts as a strike 5 during the pendency of the appeal). It is immaterial whether the dismissal for failure to state a 6 claim was with or without prejudice, as both count as a strike under § 1915(g). Lomax, 140 S. Ct. 7 at 1727. When a district court disposes of an in forma pauperis complaint requiring the full filing 8 fee, then such a complaint is “dismissed” for purposes of §1915(g). Louis Butler O’Neal v. Price, 9 531 F.3d 1146, 1153 (9th Cir. 2008). A dismissal for failure to state a claim relying on qualified 10 immunity counts as a strike. Reberger v. Baker, 657 F. App’x 681, 683-84 (9th Cir. Aug. 9, 11 2016). Dismissals based on prosecutorial immunity may count as a strike depending on whether 12 the court dismissed for failure to state a claim or as frivolous based on prosecutorial immunity. 13 See Green v. CDCR, No. 2:14-cv-2854-TLN-AC, 2018 WL 3089395 *3, n. 4 (E.D. Cal. June 22, 14 2018)(noting that prosecutorial immunity would support a strike if it was dismissed under 15 qualifying reason under the PLRA)(citing Washington v. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dep’t, 833 16 F.4d 1048 (9th Cir. 2016)); Aldernman v. Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office, 2017 WL 3034642 17 *3-*4 (W.D. Wash. June 16, 2017)(reviewing whether prosecutorial immunity counts as a strike 18 in the various circuit court of appeals, noting the Ninth Circuit has not yet ruled). Dismissals of 19 complaint as time barred under the applicable statute of limitations counts as a strike. Belanus v. 20 Clark, 796 F.3d 1021 (9th Cir. 2015). Further, where a court dismisses a complaint for failure to 21 state claim with leave to amend, the court’s subsequent dismissal for failure to comply with a 22 court order by filing an amended complaint constitutes a strike for purposes of § 1915(g). Harris 23 v. Magnum, 863 F.3d 1133, 1143 (9th Cir. 2017). 24 Once a prisoner-plaintiff has accumulated three strikes, he/she may not proceed without 25 paying the full filing fee, unless “the complaint makes a plausible allegation” that the prisoner 26 “faced ‘imminent danger of serious physical injury’ at the time of filing” of the complaint. 27 Andrews v. Caervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, 1051-52 (9th Cir. 2007) (addressing imminent danger 28 exception for the first time in the Ninth Circuit). The court must construe the prisoner’s “facial 1 allegations” liberally to determine whether the allegations of physical injury are plausible. 2 Williams v. Paramo, 775 F.3d 1182, 1190 (9th Cir. 2015). However, assertions of imminent 3 danger may be rejected as overly speculative, fanciful, or “conclusory or ridiculous.” Andrews, 4 493 F.3d at 1057, fn. 11. Similarly, “vague and utterly conclusory assertions” of imminent 5 danger are insufficient. White v. Colorado, 157 F.3d 1226, 1231–32 (10th Cir. 1998).

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(PC) Miller v. Meda, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pc-miller-v-meda-caed-2022.