Provencio v. Vazquez

258 F.R.D. 626, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70328, 2009 WL 2365554
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJuly 29, 2009
DocketNo. 1:07-CV-00069-AWI-BAK
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 258 F.R.D. 626 (Provencio v. Vazquez) 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
Provencio v. Vazquez, 258 F.R.D. 626, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70328, 2009 WL 2365554 (E.D. Cal. 2009).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT, MICHAEL SONGER’S, MOTION TO DISMISS PORTIONS OF THIRD AMENDED COMPLAINT.

ANTHONY W. ISHII, Chief Judge.

BACKGROUND

This case arises from an incident at Wasco State Prison — Reception Center (‘WSP”) taking place on January 16, 2005. Daniel Provencio (“Provencio”), an inmate, was shot in the head with a rubber projectile from a 40mm launcher operated by correctional officer Mattew Palmer. Provencio was later pepper-sprayed and taken to the “emergency room” at WSP. The conduct of the medical staff, acting in alleged accordance with policies put in place by Defendant, provides the factual grounds for Plaintiffs’ claims. Plaintiffs’ filed suit in this court on January 12, 2007. Plaintiffs’ third amended complaint was filed on January 2, 2009. In the third amended complaint, Plaintiffs’ allege violations of Provencio’s Eighth Amendment rights and file suit pursuant to the provisions of 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

For the current motion before the court, Defendant is Dr. Michael Songer (“Defendant”), who was the Health Care Manager for WSP, sued fictitiously as “Doe” 20, 30, [630]*630and 31 in the third amended complaint. Defendant moved to dismiss portions of the third amended complaint on April, 27, 2009 and this motion was taken under submission on June 4, 2009.

LEGAL STANDARD

In reviewing a motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), the court examines whether a complaint “contain[s] sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, ‘to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’ ” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, — U.S. -, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). The court must construe the pleading in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion, and resolve all doubts in the pleader’s favor. Hospital Bldg. Co. v. Rex Hospital Trustees, 425 U.S. 738, 740, 96 S.Ct. 1848, 48 L.Ed.2d 338 (1976); Jenkins v. McKeithen, 395 U.S. 411, 421, 89 S.Ct. 1843, 23 L.Ed.2d 404 (1969); Broam v. Bogan, 320 F.3d 1023, 1028 (9th Cir.2003). A Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal can be based on either the failure to allege a cognizable legal theory or the failure to allege sufficient facts under a cognizable legal theory. Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1988); Robertson v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 749 F.2d 530, 533-34 (9th Cir.1984). In Iqbal the Supreme Court affirmed the broad application of the “plausible” standard, announced in Twombly, for examining the sufficiency of pleadings under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8. Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1953 (stating that the Court’s decision in Twombly was based on “[the Court’s] interpretation and application of Rule 8” and continuing that “[The Court’s] decision in Twombly expounded the pleading standing standard for ‘all civil actions’ ”). In applying the Twombly standard in Iqbal the Court outlined a two step process for analyzing a complaint. Id. at 1950-51. First, a reviewing court identifies all legal conclusions “that are not entitled to the assumption of truth.” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949-51 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, parenthetically for the proposition that the Court “[is] not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation”). Second, a court, “drawing] on its judicial experience and common sense”, must determine in the specific context of the case whether the facts, if taken as true, establish a plausible claim for relief. Id. at 1950.

FACTS

This case involves numerous defendants and numerous facts relevant to various defense claims. The general facts as stated in the complaint are that on January 16, 2005, Provencio, an inmate at WSP, was shot in the head with a rubber projectile from a 40mm launcher operated by correctional officer Matthew Palmer. Provencio was later pepper-sprayed and taken to the “emergency room” at WSP. Provencio was attended to by a registered nurse, David Hicks, who paged the on-call doctor, Bernard Ferrer Ramos. Dr. Ramos drove from Bakersfield to WSP, approximately 35 miles away, and upon inspecting Provencio called for an ambulance to transport Provencio to a hospital. Pro-vencio went into cardio-pulmonary arrest while being transported. Provencio later suffered death as a result of his wounds.

The facts specifically relevant to this motion are as follows. Plaintiffs filed suit in this court on January 12, 2007. The Plaintiffs’ case was stayed from July 17, 2007, to June 11, 2008, while Plaintiffs sought remedies in another action in state court. Plaintiffs’ third amended complaint was filed on January 2, 2009. In the third amended complaint, Plaintiffs allege violations of Proven-cio’s Eighth Amendment rights and file suit pursuant to the provisions of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. On March 17, 2009, Plaintiffs filed amendments to their third amended complaint identifying Dr. Michael Songer as “Doe” 20, 30 and 31.

The complaint alleges that Doe 20 and 30 failed and refused to train WSP personnel to use medivac helicopters to transport physicians to WSP or to transport injured inmates from WSP. Plaintiffs’ allege Doe 31 “well-knew” inmates regularly suffered injuries requiring the attention of a licenced medical doctor and had an obligation to staff the medical facilities at WSP with a full-time [631]*631doctor and provide “adequate equipment and support personnel properly to attend to anticipated injuries, and to stabilize patients prior to transport to the nearest general hospital 35 miles away in Bakersfield, California.” Third Amended Complaint at ¶¶ 55-57. Among other allegations, the complaint alleges Defendant failed to properly staff WSP because Defendant had contracted with Defendant Ramos to be on-call for medical emergencies instead of staffing a full-time doctor to always be on duty at WSP.

DISCUSSION

I. Applicability of California Code of Civil Procedure section 583420 to California’s Fictitious Defendant Pleading Procedure in Federal Court

As a threshold issue Defendant contends that Plaintiffs’ claims are time-barred under the State of California’s “Doe” pleading procedures. Specifically Defendant contends that Plaintiffs’ action must be dismissed pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure section 583.420 which grants California State courts the discretion to dismiss a suit for failure to serve a defendant within two years. Defendant, however, mistakes the nature of California Code of Civil Procedure section 583.420 and its applicability in a United States District Court.

Plaintiffs’ claims are made pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983

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258 F.R.D. 626, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70328, 2009 WL 2365554, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/provencio-v-vazquez-caed-2009.