(PC) Williams v. Unknown

District Court, E.D. California·Decided March 2, 2022·No. 2:20-cv-01950·Unknown

Opinion

MELVIN WILLIAMS, No. 2: 20-cv-1950 KJM KJN P Plaintiff, v. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS UNKNOWN, et al., Defendants. I. Introduction Plaintiff is a state prisoner, proceeding without counsel, with a civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Pending before the court is plaintiff’s fourth amended complaint. (ECF No. 69.) For the reasons stated herein, the undersigned recommends that this action be dismissed. II. Background Plaintiff filed the original complaint on September 16, 2020. (ECF No. 1.) On October 28, 2020, plaintiff filed a first amended complaint. (ECF No. 18.) On November 9, 2020, the undersigned dismissed the first amended complaint with leave to file a second amended complaint. (ECF No. 20.) On December 9, 2020, plaintiff filed a second amended complaint raising three claims: 1) unsafe conditions caused by COVID-19 pandemic; 2) denial of access to the courts; and 3) plaintiff’s conviction was invalid. (ECF No. 26.) On March 25, 2021, the undersigned issued an order and findings and recommendations addressing plaintiff’s second amended complaint. (ECF No. 38.) The undersigned recommended that claims two and three be dismissed as improperly joined to claim one. (Id.) The undersigned also recommended that plaintiff’s request for release from custody, contained in claim one, be dismissed as improperly raised in a civil rights action. (Id.) The undersigned granted plaintiff leave to file a third amended complaint raising claims regarding conditions of confinement related to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Id.) The undersigned also dismissed with leave to amend plaintiff’s claim alleging that prison officials improperly read his petition for medical parole, raised in claim two. (Id.) On April 8, 2021, plaintiff filed a third amended complaint. (ECF No. 39.) On September 28, 2021, the Honorable Kimberly J. Mueller adopted the March 25, 2021 findings and recommendations, except for the recommendation that plaintiff’s request for release from custody be dismissed as improperly raised in a civil rights action. (ECF No. 61.) Judge Mueller dismissed with leave to amend plaintiff’s request for release from custody claim, contained in claim one, based on allegedly unsafe conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Id.) Based on Judge Mueller’s September 28, 2021 order, on October 1, 2021, the undersigned granted plaintiff thirty days to file a fourth amended complaint. (ECF No. 62.) If plaintiff did not file a fourth amended complaint within that time, the undersigned would screen the third amended complaint filed April 8, 2021. (Id.) On October 14, 2021, plaintiff filed a pleading titled, “Fourth Amended Complaint.” (ECF No. 64.) This document did not include a fourth amended complaint. (Id.) Instead, plaintiff attached a copy of the October 1, 2021 order to this document. (Id.) Based on plaintiff’s failure to file a fourth amended complaint, on January 6, 2022, the undersigned issued an order screening plaintiff’s third amended complaint. (ECF No. 68.) In claim one of the third amended complaint, plaintiff alleged an Eighth Amendment claim (and various state law claims) based on allegedly unsafe conditions created by the COVID- 19 pandemic. (ECF No. 39 at 9.) In claim two, plaintiff alleged violation of his right to access the courts. (Id. at 10.) In claim three, plaintiff challenged the validity of his conviction. (Id.) In the order screening the third amended complaint, the undersigned found that plaintiff’s claims alleging violation of his right to access the courts and challenging the validity of his criminal conviction were improperly joined to claim one alleging unsafe conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. (ECF No. 68 at 3.) The undersigned dismissed claim one with leave to amend because plaintiff failed to link any defendants to this claim. (Id. at 4.) The undersigned also found that while plaintiff alleged that defendants Brown and Johnson retaliated against him, the third amended complaint contained no allegations supporting a retaliation claim. (Id. at 4-5.) III. Fourth Amended Complaint On February 2, 2022 plaintiff filed a fourth amended complaint. (ECF No. 69.) Named as defendants in the fourth amended complaint are Warden Rick Hill, Karen Brown, K. Spencer, M. Colvin, M. Johnson, J. Glissmeyer Carone, K. Leavitt, Carlos Carillo and C. Sayer. (Id. at 2.) A. Claim One In claim one, plaintiff alleges violation of the Eighth Amendment based on inadequate policies for screening COVID-19. (Id. at 3.) Plaintiff alleges that COVID-19 spread exponentially within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (“CDCR”). (Id. at 2.) The only defendant named in connection with claim one is defendant Hill. Plaintiff alleges that defendant Hill is responsible for supervising, disciplining, and training all correctional officers and staff. (Id.) Plaintiff alleges that defendant Hill violated plaintiff’s right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. (Id. at 3.) Plaintiff alleges that he (plaintiff) tested positive for COVID-19 on or around January 26, 2022. (Id.) Plaintiff alleges that he is entitled to money damages for contracting COVID-19. (Id.) For the reasons stated herein, the undersigned finds that plaintiff’s fourth amended complaint does not state a potentially colorable claim against defendant Hill. The Civil Rights Act under which this action was filed provides as follows: Every person who, under color of [state law] . . . subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States . . . to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution . . . shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress. 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The statute requires that there be an actual connection or link between the actions of the defendants and the deprivation alleged to have been suffered by plaintiff. See Monell v. Department of Social Servs., 436 U.S. 658 (1978) (“Congress did not intend § 1983 liability to attach where . . . causation [is] absent.”); Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362 (1976) (no affirmative link between the incidents of police misconduct and the adoption of any plan or policy demonstrating their authorization or approval of such misconduct). “A person ‘subjects’ another to the deprivation of a constitutional right, within the meaning of § 1983, if he does an affirmative act, participates in another’s affirmative acts or omits to perform an act which he is legally required to do that causes the deprivation of which complaint is made.” Johnson v. Duffy, 588 F.2d 740, 743 (9th Cir. 1978). Moreover, supervisory personnel are generally not liable under § 1983 for the actions of their employees under a theory of respondeat superior and, therefore, when a named defendant holds a supervisorial position, the causal link between him and the claimed constitutional violation must be specifically alleged. See Fayle v. Stapley, 607 F.2d 858, 862 (9th Cir. 1979) (no liability where there is no allegation of personal participation); Mosher v. Saalfeld, 589 F.2d 438, 441 (9th Cir. 1978) (no liability where there is no evidence of personal participation), cert. denied, 442 U.S. 941 (1979). Vague and conclusory allegations concerning the involvement of official personnel in civil rights violations are not sufficient. See Ivey v. Board of Regents, 673 F.2d 266, 268 (9th Cir. 1982) (complaint devoid of specific factual allegations of personal participation is insufficient). Plaintiff’s theory of liability against defendant Hill appears to be based on respondeat superior. As d

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