(PC) Villareal v. County of Fresno

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJune 30, 2022
Docket1:15-cv-01410
StatusUnknown

This text of (PC) Villareal v. County of Fresno ((PC) Villareal v. County of Fresno) 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) Villareal v. County of Fresno, (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 ELAINE K. VILLAREAL, No. 1:15-cv-01410-DAD-EPG 12 Plaintiff, 13 v. FINAL PRETRIAL ORDER 14 COUNTY OF FRESNO, 15 Defendants. 16 17 On May 16, 2022, the court conducted a final pretrial conference. Attorney Jeff Price 18 appeared as counsel for plaintiff; attorney Leslie Dillahunty appeared as counsel for defendant. 19 Having considered the parties’ objections, the court now issues this final pretrial order. 20 In this civil rights action, plaintiff, a former inmate at Fresno County South Annex Jail 21 (“South Annex Jail”), asserts a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 that is predicated on plaintiff’s 22 Eighth Amendment claim challenging the conditions of confinement based on an alleged lack of 23 access to sufficient exercise. 24 I. JURISDICTION/VENUE 25 Jurisdiction is predicated on 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1343(a)(3). Jurisdiction is not contested. 26 Venue is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b)(2). Venue is not contested. 27 II. JURY 28 Both parties have demanded a jury trial. The jury will consist of eight jurors. 1 III. UNDISPUTED FACTS 2 1. Sheriff Mims was elected to the position of Fresno County Sheriff in November of 3 2006 and still holds the position of Sheriff for Fresno County today. 4 2. The chain of command in the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is as follows: the 5 Sheriff, then the Undersheriff, and then there are two Assistant Sheriffs. 6 3. One Assistant Sheriff oversees the functioning of the Fresno County Jail. The 7 other Assistant Sheriff oversees the operations of the Fresno County Sheriff Deputies. 8 4. As it pertains to the operation of the jail, under the Assistant Sheriff there are two 9 Captains assigned – one for Operations and one for Services. 10 5. It is the Operations Captain assigned to the jail who is responsible for the day-to- 11 day functioning of the Fresno County Jail facilities. 12 6. The Services Captain assigned to the jail is responsible for overseeing the 13 responding to grievances and the provision of services to the inmates. 14 7. Under the Captains assigned to the jail, there are Lieutenants, and under the 15 Lieutenants are the Sergeants. 16 8. Under the Sergeants at the jail are the Correctional Officers. 17 9. Sheriff Mims is not personally involved in the daily operations of any of the 18 Fresno County Jail facilities. This would include, but not be limited to, the South Annex Jail. 19 10. During her service as the elected Fresno County Sheriff, Sheriff Mims has not 20 received weekly management reports of inmate complaints from the South Annex Jail or any 21 other Fresno County jail facility. 22 11. During her service as the elected Fresno County Sheriff, Sheriff Mims has not 23 received monthly management reports of inmate complaints from the South Annex Jail or any 24 other Fresno County jail facility. 25 12. During her service as the elected Fresno County Sheriff, Sheriff Mims has not 26 received quarterly management reports of inmate complaints from the South Annex Jail or any 27 other Fresno County jail facility. 28 ///// 1 13. During her service as the elected Fresno County Sheriff, Sheriff Mims has not 2 received periodic management reports of inmate complaints from the South Annex Jail or any 3 other Fresno County jail facility. 4 14. At the South Annex Jail, where the plaintiff was housed, the third and fourth floors 5 are divided into housing pods. Each are identified by a letter “A”, “B”, “C”, etc. 6 15. Within each pod, there are cells in which the inmates sleep. 7 16. Each cell also has a sink and toilet. 8 17. In each pod, there is a multi-headed shower area which is shared by all inmates in 9 that pod. 10 18. On the roof of the South Annex Jail, there are two outdoor recreation areas or 11 yards. On the second floor of the South Annex Jail, there are two in-door gyms. 12 19. Both the outdoor recreation area and the gyms are for use by the inmates for 13 exercise and recreation. 14 20. Sheriff Mims has never received any correspondence from the plaintiff, Elaine 15 Villareal. 16 21. Sheriff Mims has never met Elaine Villareal. 17 22. Sheriff Mims did not come to learn of the existence or identity of Ms. Villareal 18 until sometime around mid-2020. 19 23. Sheriff Mims has reviewed and approved Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Jail 20 Division Policies and Procedures. 21 24. All the approved policies are drafted in compliance with the requirements set forth 22 in Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations. 23 25. Included as part of the policies Sheriff Mims has reviewed and approved are the 24 Inmate Grievance Procedure, Inmate Exercise and Recreation policy, Cleanliness and Security 25 Inspections policy, and Maintenance Reporting and Repairs policy, as well as other Policies and 26 Procedures. 27 ///// 28 ///// 1 26. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Jail Division, has a custom, policy and 2 practice that inmates in the Fresno County Jail are to be afforded the opportunity to participate in 3 a minimum of three hours of scheduled exercise and/or recreation per week. 4 27. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Jail Division, has a custom, policy and 5 practice of providing an inmate grievance procedure to provide the best and most expedient 6 resolution to inmate complaints at the lowest appropriate staff level. 7 28. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Jail Division, has a custom, policy and 8 practice of providing an inmate grievance procedure that allows for appeal to the next level of 9 review. 10 29. Correctional officers in the Jail Division of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office are 11 provided training on the jail custom, policy and practice of affording inmates the opportunity to 12 participate in a minimum of three hours of scheduled exercise and/or recreation per week. 13 30. Correctional officers in the Jail Division of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office are 14 provided training on the jail custom, policy and practice of providing inmates a grievance 15 procedure. 16 31. Correctional officers in the Jail Division of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office are 17 provided training on the jail custom, policy and practice of providing inmates with the ability to 18 appeal and resolve grievances relating to any condition of confinement that affects the inmate 19 personally. 20 32. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Jail Division, has a custom, policy and 21 practice that all staff members are to identify and properly report any known item in need of 22 repair, maintenance and/or modification. 23 33. Plaintiff was booked into the Fresno County Jail on or about March 5, 2015. 24 34. Plaintiff was housed in the South Annex Jail. 25 35. The relevant time period for plaintiff’s allegations is March 5, 2015, through 26 September 17, 2015. 27 IV. DISPUTED FACTUAL ISSUES 28 1. Whether Elaine Villareal was denied the right to exercise. 1 2. Whether the County’s exercise policy of providing exercise in accordance with 2 Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations. 3 3. Whether jail staff had a policy of not allowing inmates, including the plaintiff, to 4 regularly participate in recreation or exercise. 5 4. Whether jail staff constantly announced to inmates that they had no rights. 6 5. Whether jail staff would use the opportunity to exercise “as a carrot.” 7 6. Whether jail staff acted in a manner that was “arbitrary and capricious” in allowing 8 or disallowing inmates to participate in recreation or exercise. 9 7. Whether jail staff refused to sign off on properly presented inmate grievances. 10 8. All remaining facts are in dispute.

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Bluebook (online)
(PC) Villareal v. County of Fresno, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pc-villareal-v-county-of-fresno-caed-2022.