Rashawn Ali McDaniel El v. Officer Conklin et al.

CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedApril 1, 2026
Docket2:26-cv-00719
StatusUnknown

This text of Rashawn Ali McDaniel El v. Officer Conklin et al. (Rashawn Ali McDaniel El v. Officer Conklin et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Rashawn Ali McDaniel El v. Officer Conklin et al., (D.N.J. 2026).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

RASHAWN ALI MCDANIEL EL,

Plaintiff, No. 26cv719 (EP) (JRA) v. MEMORANDUM ORDER OFFICER CONKLIN et al.,

Defendants.

PADIN, District Judge.

Pro se Plaintiff Rashawn Ali McDaniel El brings this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3), and the “Treaty of Peace and Friendship” against Defendants “Officer Conklin,” “Officer Micucci,” “Sergeant Morin,” (the “Defendant Individuals”) and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office.1 D.E. 1-1 (“Complaint” or “Compl.”). Plaintiff seeks to sue the Defendant Individuals in both their official and individual capacities. Id. Plaintiff also seeks to proceed in forma pauperis (“IFP”). D.E. 1-3 (“IFP Application”). Because Plaintiff demonstrates financial need, the Court will GRANT Plaintiff’s IFP Application. The Court must screen the Complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). For the reasons explained below, the Court will (1) permit Plaintiff’s § 1983 claim for First Amendment retaliation to PROCEED against only Officers Conklin and Micucci in their individual capacities; (2) DISMISS Plaintiff’s § 1983 claim

1 Plaintiff does not provide the first names of these officers, but he does provide the badge numbers for Officers Conklin and Micucci. Compl. ¶¶ 7–9. Officer Conklin’s badge number is 1184. Officer Micucci’s badge number is 1174. for a Ninth Amendment violation and Plaintiff’s claims under the “Treaty of Peace and Friendship” with prejudice; and (3) DISMISS Plaintiff’s remaining claims without prejudice.2 I. BACKGROUND3 Plaintiff alleges that on January 13, 2026, he entered Hudson County Superior Court “to spectate and observe court proceedings” in Judge Angelo Servidio’s courtroom. Compl. ¶ 10. Upon entry into the courtroom, Officer Conklin then asked Plaintiff if he had court that day. Id.

Plaintiff answered in the negative. Id. Officer Conklin requested that Plaintiff identify himself but Plaintiff refused to. Id. Officer Micucci, who joined Officer Conklin, then threatened to handcuff Plaintiff if he refused to identify himself. Id. Plaintiff asked Officer Conklin and Officer Micucci what legal basis they had for requesting identification and they told him for “trespassing.” Id. Plaintiff alleges that he was in an unrestricted area of the courtroom and was not subject to any order from Judge Angelo Servidio to leave. Id. Sergeant Morin then joined Officers Conklin and Micucci. Id. ¶ 10. Plaintiff alleges Sergeant Morin compelled him to stand up from where he had been sitting (the location of which is unclear from Plaintiff’s Complaint) and continue their discussion in the hallway, outside of the

courtroom. Id. ¶ 11. Once outside of the courtroom, Sergeant Morin told Plaintiff that he would inquire with Judge Servidio whether Plaintiff had been disruptive in the courtroom or not. Id. Following the discussion in the hallway, Sergeant Morin then permitted Plaintiff to remain in the courtroom “unrestrained and unburdened.” Id.

2 Because Plaintiff does not plead a Monell claim, he does not plead a claim against any of the Defendant Individuals in their official capacities. See supra n.5.

3 The facts in this Section are taken from the factual allegations in Plaintiff’s Complaint, which the Court presumes to be true for purposes of this Memorandum Order. See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). II. LEGAL STANDARD Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915, this Court may excuse a litigant from prepayment of fees when the litigant “establish[es] that he is unable to pay the costs of his suit.” Walker v. People Express Airlines, Inc., 886 F.2d 598, 601 (3d Cir. 1989). However, courts must review an IFP plaintiff’s complaint and dismiss it if the action is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune.4 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(e)(2)(B); see Tourscher v. McCullough, 184 F.3d 236, 240 (3d Cir. 1999) (applying Rule 12(b)(6) standard to dismissal for failure to state claim under § 1915(e)(2)(B)). A court may also dismiss a complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) for failure to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8. Purisima v. City of Philadelphia, 738 F. App’x 106 (3d Cir. 2018). Rule 8 sets forth general rules of pleading and requires that a claim for relief contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief,” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2), and that each allegation in the complaint be “concise and direct,” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(e)(1). Though the allegations must be concise and direct, they must not be “so undeveloped that [they do] not provide a defendant the type of notice of claim which is contemplated by Rule

8.” Phillips v. Cnty. of Allegheny, 515 F.3d 224, 232 (3d Cir. 2008). Dismissal of a complaint is therefore appropriate under Rule 8 “where the ‘complaint is so confused, ambiguous, vague, or otherwise unintelligible that its true substance, if any, is well disguised.’” Ruther v. State Kentucky Offs., 556 F. App’x 91, 92 (3d Cir. 2014) (quoting Simmons v. Abruzzo, 49 F.3d 83, 86 (2d Cir.

4 The Court’s preliminary review pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915 does not determine whether the allegations in the Complaint would survive a properly supported motion to dismiss filed by Defendants after service. See Richardson v. Cascade Skating Rink, No. 19-8935, 2020 WL 7383188 at *2 (D.N.J. Dec. 16, 2020) (“[T]his Court recognizes ‘[a] § 1915(e) screening determination is a preliminary and interlocutory holding, subject to revision at any time prior to entry of final judgment.’” (quoting Magruder v. Grafton Corr. Inst., No. 19-1980, 2020 WL 2814532, at *3 (N.D. Ohio Apr. 1, 2020))). 1995)). Although courts construe pro se pleadings less stringently than formal pleadings drafted by attorneys, even pro se litigants must “comply with the basic pleading requirements of Rule 8(a).” Purisma, 738 F. App’x at 107. III. ANALYSIS

A. Plaintiff’s IFP Application Plaintiff’s IFP Application declares that he has no monthly income. IFP Application at 1– 2. He further declares that his spouse has $33.93 in a checking account and $108.24 in a saving account. Id. at 2. Plaintiff owns no home or vehicle, has two young children, pays about $1,600 in rent per month, and about $230 for utilities per month. Id. at 2–4. Because Plaintiff sufficiently establishes his inability to pay, the Court will GRANT his IFP Application and screen his Complaint. B. Plaintiff’s Complaint Plaintiff brings federal claims based upon the court officers’ request for his identification and their threat to arrest him for his entry into an unrestricted area of a courtroom. See Compl. ¶¶

10–13.

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