(PC) Windom v. Cates

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedDecember 4, 2020
Docket1:20-cv-01316
StatusUnknown

This text of (PC) Windom v. Cates ((PC) Windom v. Cates) 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) Windom v. Cates, (E.D. Cal. 2020).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 7 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 8 SOLOMON WINDOM, ) Case No.: 1:20-cv-01316-SAB (PC) ) 9 Plaintiff, ) ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO 10 v. ) )

R THA IN SD AO CM TL IOY N A SSIGN A DISTRICT JUDGE TO

11 B. CATES, et al., ) FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 12 ) ) R FOE RC O FM AIM LUEN RD E I TN OG C D OIS MM PI LS YS A WL I TO HF AA C CT OI UO RN T Defendants. ) ORDER, FAILURE TO PROSECUTE, AND 13 ) FAILURE TO STATE A COGNIZABLE CLAIM ) FOR RELIEF 14 ) 15 ) (ECF No. 12) ) 16 Plaintiff Solomon Windom is proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights 17 action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. 18 Plaintiff filed the instant action on September 15, 2020. On October 2, 2020, the Court 19 screened Plaintiff’s complaint, found no cognizable claims, and granted Plaintiff thirty days to file an 20 amended complaint. (ECF No. 11.) Plaintiff failed to file an amended complaint or otherwise respond 21 to the Court’s order. Therefore, on November 10, 2020, the Court ordered Plaintiff to show cause why 22 the action should not be dismissed for failure to comply with a court order, failure to prosecute, and 23 failure to state a cognizable claim for relief. (ECF No. 12.) Plaintiff has not responded to the Court’s 24 November 10, 2020 order and the time to do so has now passed. Accordingly, dismissal of the action 25 is warranted. 26 I. 27 SCREENING REQUIREMENT 28 1 The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a 2 governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The 3 Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if the prisoner has raised claims that are legally 4 “frivolous or malicious,” that “fail[] to state a claim on which relief may be granted,” or that “seek[] 5 monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). 6 A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is 7 entitled to relief . . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not required, but 8 “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, 9 do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 10 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). Moreover, Plaintiff must demonstrate that each defendant personally 11 participated in the deprivation of Plaintiff’s rights. Jones v. Williams, 297 F.3d 930, 934 (9th Cir. 12 2002). 13 Prisoners proceeding pro se in civil rights actions are entitled to have their pleadings liberally 14 construed and to have any doubt resolved in their favor. Wilhelm v. Rotman, 680 F.3d 1113, 1121 15 (9th Cir. 2012) (citations omitted). To survive screening, Plaintiff’s claims must be facially plausible, 16 which requires sufficient factual detail to allow the Court to reasonably infer that each named 17 defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678-79; Moss v. U.S. Secret Service, 18 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The “sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully” is not 19 sufficient, and “facts that are ‘merely consistent with’ a defendant’s liability” falls short of satisfying 20 the plausibility standard. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678; Moss, 572 F.3d at 969. 21 II. 22 SUMMARY OF ALLEGATIONS 23 On October 28, 2019, Plaintiff returned to the California Correctional Institution (“CCI”) after 24 spending time in the infirmary for two blood clots. Upon his arrival at CCI, Plaintiff was placed in 25 orientation. After going to committee, Plaintiff was rehoused in (4A-6b-107) an ADA cell that had 26 “very low pressure.” Plaintiff could not receive water from this cell due to the pressure issue which 27 caused lieutenant K. Bell to place a work order which fixed the issue that day. However, Plaintiff had 28 already been housed in the cell for one month after complaining about it to the building floor officers. 1 Plaintiff was then moved to a different cell (4A-6b-104) that only had hot water that ran nonstop. 2 Plaintiff complained to the floor staff about the issue, and was told that a work order had been put in. 3 In the meantime, Plaintiff was allowed out of his cell to fill up a bucket and water jugs with shower 4 water. Officer A. Gonzalez, the building officer stated to sergeant J. Ayon that Plaintiff’s cell issue 5 had been solved by moving him. However, Plaintiff was housed in cell (4A-6b-104) for an 6 unreasonable amount of time, and was forced to live in these conditions for approximately sixty-seven 7 (67) days. Sergeant J. Ayon spoke with facility A office assistance T. Parrilla who checked the work 8 order logbook and found that no work order request had been submitted regarding the issue of running 9 water in Plaintiff’s cell. Plaintiff has a serious medical condition called Venous Thromboembolism 10 (VTE) dealing with blood clots. It is important that Plaintiff exercise on a regular basis to keep his 11 blood circulating to prevent further blood clots. Therefore, “water” is very important, and it was not 12 afforded to Plaintiff for two months. Plaintiff was forced by Defendant officer A. Gonzalez to drink 13 shower water until he was moved or requested to be moved. Warden Cates knew of the issues and did 14 nothing. 15 III. 16 DISCUSSION 17 A. Conditions of Confinement 18 “The Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment protects prisoners 19 not only from inhumane methods of punishment but also from inhumane conditions of confinement.” 20 Morgan v. Morgensen, 465 F.3d 1041, 1045 (9th Cir. 2006). Prison officials therefore have a “duty to 21 ensure that prisoners are provided adequate shelter, food, clothing, sanitation, medical care, and 22 personal safety.” Johnson v. Lewis, 217 F.3d 726, 731 (9th Cir. 2000) (citations omitted). Extreme 23 deprivations are required to make out a conditions of confinement claim, and only those deprivations 24 denying the minimal civilized measure of life’s necessities are sufficiently grave to form the basis of 25 an Eighth Amendment violation. Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 9 (1992) (citations and quotations 26 omitted). A prisoner claiming an Eighth Amendment violation must show (1) that the deprivation he 27 suffered was “objectively, sufficiently serious;” and (2) that prison officials were deliberately 28 1 indifferent to his safety in allowing the deprivation to take place. Morgan, 465 F.3d at 1045, quoting 2 Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 834 (1994). 3 Extreme deprivations are required to make out a conditions of confinement claim, and only 4 those deprivations denying the minimal civilized measure of life's necessities are sufficiently grave to 5 form the basis of an Eighth Amendment violation. Farmer, 511 U.S. at 834; Hudson, 503 U.S. at 9.

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Related

Hudson v. McMillian
503 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1992)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Gregory Carey v. John E. King
856 F.2d 1439 (Ninth Circuit, 1988)
Michael Henry Ferdik v. Joe Bonzelet, Sheriff
963 F.2d 1258 (Ninth Circuit, 1992)
Wilhelm v. Rotman
680 F.3d 1113 (Ninth Circuit, 2012)
Farmer v. Brennan
511 U.S. 825 (Supreme Court, 1994)
Moss v. U.S. Secret Service
572 F.3d 962 (Ninth Circuit, 2009)
J. Wilkerson v. B. Wheeler
772 F.3d 834 (Ninth Circuit, 2014)
Hearns v. Terhune
413 F.3d 1036 (Ninth Circuit, 2005)
Morgan v. Morgensen
465 F.3d 1041 (Ninth Circuit, 2006)
Bautista v. Los Angeles County
216 F.3d 837 (Ninth Circuit, 2000)
Johnson v. Lewis
217 F.3d 726 (Ninth Circuit, 2000)
Jones v. Williams
297 F.3d 930 (Ninth Circuit, 2002)

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Bluebook (online)
(PC) Windom v. Cates, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pc-windom-v-cates-caed-2020.