(PC) Williams v. Cain

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJune 15, 2021
Docket2:20-cv-01121
StatusUnknown

This text of (PC) Williams v. Cain ((PC) Williams v. Cain) 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) Williams v. Cain, (E.D. Cal. 2021).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 HENRY LEE WILLIAMS, No. 2:20-CV-1121-DMC-P 12 Plaintiff, 13 v. ORDER 14 G. CAIN, et al., 15 Defendants. 16 17 Plaintiff, a prisoner proceeding pro se, brings this civil rights action under 42 18 U.S.C. § 1983. Pending before the Court is Plaintiff’s original complaint (ECF No. 1). 19 The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief 20 against a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. 21 § 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if it: (1) is frivolous or 22 malicious; (2) fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted; or (3) seeks monetary relief 23 from a defendant who is immune from such relief. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1), (2). Moreover, 24 the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure require that complaints contain a “. . . short and plain 25 statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). This 26 means that claims must be stated simply, concisely, and directly. See McHenry v. Renne, 84 F.3d 27 1172, 1177 (9th Cir. 1996) (referring to Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(e)(1)). These rules are satisfied if the 28 complaint gives the defendant fair notice of the plaintiff’s claim and the grounds upon which it 1 rests. See Kimes v. Stone, 84 F.3d 1121, 1129 (9th Cir. 1996). Because Plaintiff must allege with 2 at least some degree of particularity overt acts by specific defendants which support the claims, 3 vague and conclusory allegations fail to satisfy this standard. Additionally, it is impossible for the 4 Court to conduct the screening required by law when the allegations are vague and conclusory. 5 I. PLAINTIFF’S ALLEGATIONS 6 Plaintiff brings suit against three defendants: (1) G. Cain, correctional officer at 7 California State Prison, Sacramento (CSP-Sac); (2) N. Dhillon, correctional officer at CSP-Sac; 8 and (3) D. Lightfiled, a correctional sergeant at CSP-Sac. ECF No. 1, page 2. Plaintiff claims that 9 all events giving rise to the complaints occurred at CSP-Sac. Id. at 1. Plaintiff brings three claims. 10 In his first claim, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants Cain and Dhillon were 11 “indifferent to Plaintiff’s serious medical needs, health, and safety” and “refused to honor 12 Plaintiff’s [medical] accommodation chrono.” Id. at 3, 7. The medical chrono apparently provides 13 accommodations for Plaintiff in regard to placing him in handcuffs. See id. at 7–8, 12. 14 Specifically, the chrono apparently directs correctional officers not to restrain Plaintiff with a 15 “blackbox” or handcuff him behind his back because of a shoulder injury. See id. at 7–9, 12, 14, 16 16. On August 8, 2019, Cain and Dhillon escorted Plaintiff from CSP-Sac to a hospital for 17 shoulder surgery. Id. at 6–7. Attached to the complaint are grievance forms wherein Plaintiff 18 claims he showed Cain and Dhillon the medical accommodation chrono. Id. at 12. Cain and 19 Dhillon allegedly called a sergeant (possibly Lightfiled), who informed them that the chrono only 20 applies to “on grounds escorts w[h]ere you did not need to be cuffed behind the back.” Id. 21 Defendants then disregarded Plaintiff’s medical chrono and cuffed Plaintiff with a “black box.” 22 See id. at 7, 9. Plaintiff claims he suffered severe shoulder pain in the two-hour transport to and 23 from the hospital. Id. at 7. Cain and Dhillon allegedly had knowledge of Plaintiff’s pain and 24 “chose to ignore Plaintiff’s pleas for medical attention and treatment.” Id. 25 The medical accommodation chrono attached to the complaint shows Plaintiff to 26 be at medium risk of medical injury. Id. at 14. Additionally, Plaintiff attached a letter from his 27 physical therapist stating Plaintiff’s left shoulder has a 40-50% range of motion, cannot be lifted 28 against gravity, and causes Plaintiff chronic pain. Id. at 15. 1 In his second claim, Plaintiff raises the Fourteenth Amendment. Id. at 4, 8. He 2 contends that Defendants unreasonably refused to honor the medical accommodation chrono. Id. 3 Specifically, Plaintiff again contends that Cain and Dhillon knew of his pain and medical 4 situation but nevertheless cuffed him into the black box. Id. Lightfiled, on the other hand, 5 allegedly acted unreasonably as Cain’s and Dhillon’s supervisor Id. He was allegedly deliberately 6 indifferent in failing to take “reasonable protective measures in response” to Cain’s and Dhillon’s 7 decision to disregard Plaintiff’s condition and cuff him. Id. at 8. Plaintiff contends that 8 Defendants violated his Due Process rights. Id. at 4, 8. 9 Plaintiff’s third claim asserts gross negligence, presumably against all Defendants. 10 Plaintiff does not allege any specific facts, but loosely refers to the facts above and indicates that 11 Plaintiff’s injuries can be seen in the attachments provided. Id. at 5. 12 II. DISCUSSION 13 Plaintiff has stated a cognizable claim against Defendants Cain and Dhillon for failing to 14 tend to Plaintiff’s medical needs in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Plaintiff’s negligence 15 claim is not cognizable in a § 1983 action for reasons explained below. Finally, Plaintiff fails to 16 state a cognizable claim against Defendants for a Due Process violation. 17 A. Negligence Actions Cannot Be Brought Under § 1983: 18 Plaintiff brings a claim of gross negligence against the Defendants for putting 19 Plaintiff in the black box without regard for his medical needs. Neither negligence nor gross 20 negligence, however, is actionable under § 1983. See Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 835–36 21 & n.4 (1994); Springs v. Diaz, No. 21cv862-MMA (AGS), 2021 WL 2184851, at *5 (S.D. Cal. 22 May 28, 2021); Chase v. Lopez, No. 1:14-cv-01853-EPG-PC, 2016 WL 259185, at *3 (E.D. Cal. 23 Jan. 21, 2016). Indeed, for example, when prisoners allege unconstitutional disregard for their 24 medical needs, they must establish more than negligence to state an Eighth Amendment claim. 25 See, e.g., Farmer, 511 U.S. at 834–37 & n.4; Toguchi v. Chung, 391 F.3d 1051, 1057–60 (9th Cir. 26 2004); Chase, 2016 WL 259185, at *3. 27 / / / 28 / / / 1 “[Section] 1983 ‘is not itself a source of substantive rights,’ but merely provides ‘a 2 method for vindicating federal rights elsewhere conferred.’” Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 3 393–94 (1989) (quoting Baker v. McCollan, 443 U.S. 137, 144 n.3 (1979)); see also Chapman v. 4 Houston Welfare Rights Org., 441 U.S. 600, 618 (1979); Hall v. City of Los Angeles, 697 F.3d 5 1059, 1068 (9th Cir. 2012); Crowley v. Nevada, 678 F.3d 730, 734 (9th Cir. 2012); Anderson v. 6 Warner, 451 F.3d 1063, 1067 (9th Cir. 2006). Moreover, insofar as a “violation of a state law 7 amounts to the deprivation of a state-created interest that reaches beyond that guaranteed by the 8 federal Constitution, Section 1983 offers no redress.” Crowley, 678 F.3d at 736.

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(PC) Williams v. Cain, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pc-williams-v-cain-caed-2021.