(PC) Williams v. Pfeiffer

District Court, E.D. California·Decided October 23, 2020·No. 1:20-cv-01094·Unknown

Opinion

MICHAEL DEONTRAY WILLIAMS, Case No. 1:20-cv-01094-BAM (PC) Plaintiff, ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO RANDOMLY ASSIGN DISTRICT JUDGE TO v. ACTION PFEIFFER, et al., ORDER DENYING WITHOUT PREJUDICE PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO AMEND Defendants. (ECF No. 15) FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING DISMISSAL OF CERTAIN (ECF Nos. 1, 14, 16) FOURTEEN (14) DAY DEADLINE I. Background Plaintiff Michael Deontray Williams (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. On October 2, 2020, the Court screened Plaintiff’s complaint and found that Plaintiff stated a cognizable claim for excessive force in violation of the Eighth Amendment against Defendants Atkinson, Cervantes, and John Doe for the incident on August 31, 2018, but failed to state any other cognizable claims against any other defendants. (ECF No. 14.) The Court ordered Plaintiff to either file a first amended complaint or notify the Court of his willingness to proceed only on the cognizable claims identified by the Court. (Id.) On October 21, 2020, Plaintiff filed a motion to amend the complaint and a notice of his willingness to proceed on the cognizable claims identified by the Court. (ECF Nos. 15, 16.) In his motion to amend, Plaintiff states that the Court instructed him to file a motion to amend the complaint concerning Defendant John Doe, but he cannot identify Defendant John Doe with enough clarity for him to be identified by the U.S. Marshal. (ECF No. 15.) Plaintiff only knows that Defendant John Doe was a Hispanic male. Because Plaintiff cannot identify Defendant John Doe, Plaintiff states that he is willing to not sue the Doe defendant but instead file suit against Defendants Atkinson and Cervantes on the cognizable Eighth Amendment claim. (Id.) Taken together with Plaintiff’s concurrently filed notice stating that he does not wish to file an amended complaint and he is agreeable to proceeding only on the cognizable claim identified by the Court against Defendants Atkinson and Cervantes, (ECF No. 16), it appears to the Court that Plaintiff is not actually seeking to file an amended complaint. If Plaintiff is requesting to file an amended complaint simply for the purpose of removing John Doe as a defendant, such an amendment is not necessary. Furthermore, Plaintiff is not yet required to identify Defendant John Doe for service of process. At the time the complaint is ordered served, Plaintiff will be granted additional time to acquire more identifying information regarding Defendant John Doe. If he can identify Defendant John Doe, Plaintiff can file a motion to amend the complaint substituting Defendant John Doe at that time. If not, Defendant John Doe will be dismissed for failure to provide such information. Accordingly, at this time the motion to amend is denied, without prejudice. II. 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)(1), (2). 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 Atl. 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. A. Allegations in Complaint Plaintiff is currently housed in California State Prison in Sacramento, California. The events in the complaint are alleged to have occurred while Plaintiff was housed at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, California. Plaintiff names as defendants: (1) Christian Pfeiffer, Warden; (2) M. Cervantes, Correctional Officer escort; (3) R. Atkinson, correctional officer, C7 floor; (4) John Doe, correctional officer C7 floor; (5) J. Carillo, (6) D. Badger, sergeant. Plaintiff alleges that while he was out to court from Sacramento State Prison and housed at Kern Valley, he should not have been housed in the general population and should have been housed in the SHU. On August 31, 2018, at about 11:34 hours, Plaintiff was called out of his cell by J. Carillo by orders of sergeant D. Badger. As Plaintiff was walking to the rotunda, an inmate bumped into Plaintiff. Plaintiff was placed in a holding cell by Defendant Atkinson and Defendant Cervantes. Plaintiff stated that “I’m going to 602 you for making that inmate bump into me.” Defendant Atkinson came to the holding cage and pepper sprayed Plaintiff and Defendant Cervantes also sprayed Plaintiff. Cervantes pulled Plaintiff out of the holding cage and slammed Plaintiff to the ground. Defendants Cervantes and John Doe beat plaintiff repeatedly by punching Plaintiff in the head and face while Defendant Atkinson repeatedly punched Plaintiff in the stomach and side. Plaintiff laid still and unresistant. Plaintiff suffered a head injury and concussion, lacerations to his eye and face and back injury. In claim 1, Plaintiff alleges a violation of the Eighth Amendment. In claims II and III, Plaintiff alleges violation of the due process. Plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages and declaratory relief. B. Discussion 1. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a), 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). “Such a statement must simply give the defendant fair notice of what the plaintiff’s claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N.A., 534 U.S. 506, 512 (2002) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). 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.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (

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