Romero, Jr. v. Pitzer

CourtDistrict Court, D. Alaska
DecidedApril 14, 2025
Docket4:24-cv-00030
StatusUnknown

This text of Romero, Jr. v. Pitzer (Romero, Jr. v. Pitzer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Romero, Jr. v. Pitzer, (D. Alaska 2025).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF ALASKA GEORGE MOISES ROMERO, JR.,

Plaintiff, Case No. 4:24-cv-00028-SLG v. SCOTT MCAFEE, et al., Defendants. GEORGE MOISES ROMERO, JR.,

Plaintiff, Case No. 4:24-cv-00030-SLG v. KIRA PITZER, et al., Defendants. GEORGE MOISES ROMERO, JR.,

Plaintiff, Case No. 4:24-cv-00031-SLG v. NATHAN SMOOT, et al., Defendants. GEORGE MOISES ROMERO, JR.,

Plaintiff, Case No. 4:24-cv-00033-SLG v. STATE OF ALASKA and CITY OF FAIRBANKS, Defendants. GEORGE MOISES ROMERO, JR.,

Plaintiff, Case No. 4:25-cv-00002-SLG v. GOVERNOR OF ALASKA, et al., Defendants. SCREENING ORDER Pending before the Court are the five above-captioned civil actions filed by self-represented litigant George Moises Romero (“Plaintiff”) between December 5,

2024, and January 15, 2025. Upon review, the five cases have similar deficiencies and contain overlapping claims and related factual allegations. Therefore, the Court now screens the cases collectively pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e) and 1915A. Pursuant to Rule 201 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, the Court takes judicial notice of the Courtview records of the Alaska Court System and of the

criminal case involving Plaintiff filed in federal court..1 I. SCREENING STANDARD Under the Prison Litigation Reform Act, a federal district court must screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity.2 In this screening, a district court shall

dismiss the case at any time if the court determines that the action: (i) is frivolous or malicious;

1 Judicial notice is the “court’s acceptance, for purposes of convenience and without requiring a party’s proof, of a well-known and indisputable fact; the court’s power to accept such a fact.” Black’s Law Dictionary (12th ed. 2024); see also United States ex rel. Robinson Rancheria Citizens Council v. Borneo, Inc., 971 F.2d 244, 248 (9th Cir. 1992) (“[W]e may take notice of proceedings in other courts, both within and without the federal judicial system, if those proceedings have a direct relation to matters at issue.”) (internal citations and quotation marks omitted). 2 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915, 1915A. Case No. 4:24-cv-00028-SLG, Romero. Jr. v. McAfee, et al. Case No. 4:24-cv-00030-SLG, Romero v. Pitzer, et al. Case No. 4:24-cv-00031-SLG, Romero, Jr. v. Smoot, et al. Case No. 4:24-cv-00033-SLG, Romero v. State of Alaska, et al. Case No. 4:25-cv-00002-SLG, Romero v. Governor of Alaska, et al. (ii) fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted; or (iii) seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.3

In conducting its screening review, a district court must accept as true the plausible allegations of the complaint, construe the pleading in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, and resolve all doubts in the plaintiff's favor.4 However, a court is not required to accept as true conclusory allegations, unreasonable inferences, or unwarranted deductions of fact.5 Although the scope of review

generally is limited to the contents of the complaint, a court may also consider documents attached to the complaint, documents incorporated by reference in the complaint, or matters of judicial notice.6 Such documents that contradict the allegations of a complaint may fatally undermine the complaint's allegations.7 Before a court may dismiss any portion of a complaint, a court must provide a

3 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). 4Bernhardt v. L.A. County, 339 F.3d 920, 925 (9th Cir. 2003) (holding a court must construe pleadings filed by self-represented litigants liberally and afford the complainant the benefit of any doubt). 5 Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 572 F.3d 677, 681 (9th Cir. 2009) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). 6 United States v. Ritchie, 342 F.3d 903, 908 (9th Cir. 2003). 7 Sprewell v. Golden State Warriors, 266 F.3d 979, 988 (9th Cir. 2001), amended by 275 F.3d 1187 (2001) (noting that a plaintiff can “plead himself out of a claim by including . . . details contrary to his claims”). Case No. 4:24-cv-00028-SLG, Romero. Jr. v. McAfee, et al. Case No. 4:24-cv-00030-SLG, Romero v. Pitzer, et al. Case No. 4:24-cv-00031-SLG, Romero, Jr. v. Smoot, et al. Case No. 4:24-cv-00033-SLG, Romero v. State of Alaska, et al. Case No. 4:25-cv-00002-SLG, Romero v. Governor of Alaska, et al. plaintiff with a statement of the deficiencies in the complaint and an opportunity to file an amended complaint, unless to do so would be futile.8 Futility exists when “the allegation of other facts consistent with the challenged pleading could not

possibly cure the deficiency.”9 II. DISCUSSION A. Requirements to State a Claim Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure instructs that a complaint must contain a “short and plain statement of the claim showing that the [complainant] is entitled to relief.”10 While a complaint need not, and should not,

contain every factual detail, “unadorned, the defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation[s]” are insufficient to state a claim.11 To determine whether a complaint states a valid claim for relief, a district court considers whether the complaint contains enough facts that, if accepted as true, “state[s] a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.”12 A claim is plausible “when the plaintiff pleads factual

8 Gordon v. City of Oakland, 627 F.3d 1092, 1094 (9th Cir. 2010) (citing Albrecht v. Lund, 845 F.2d 193, 195 (9th Cir. 1988)). 9 Schreiber Distributing Co. v. Serv-Well Furniture Co., 806 F.2d 1393, 1401 (9th Cir. 1986). 10 Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). 11 Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp., 550 U.S. at 555). 12 Ashcroft, 556 U.S. at 678 (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). In making this determination, a court may consider “materials that are Case No. 4:24-cv-00028-SLG, Romero. Jr. v. McAfee, et al. Case No. 4:24-cv-00030-SLG, Romero v. Pitzer, et al. Case No. 4:24-cv-00031-SLG, Romero, Jr. v. Smoot, et al. Case No. 4:24-cv-00033-SLG, Romero v. State of Alaska, et al. Case No. 4:25-cv-00002-SLG, Romero v. Governor of Alaska, et al. content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.”13 Further, a federal court cannot act as an attorney for a self-represented

litigant, such as by supplying the essential elements of a claim,14 and it is not a court’s responsibility to review filings or exhibits to identify possible claims.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Classic
313 U.S. 299 (Supreme Court, 1941)
Rizzo v. Goode
423 U.S. 362 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Imbler v. Pachtman
424 U.S. 409 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Servs.
436 U.S. 658 (Supreme Court, 1978)
Hutto v. Finney
437 U.S. 678 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Bell v. Wolfish
441 U.S. 520 (Supreme Court, 1979)
West v. Atkins
487 U.S. 42 (Supreme Court, 1988)
Graham v. Connor
490 U.S. 386 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Will v. Michigan Department of State Police
491 U.S. 58 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Blessing v. Freestone
520 U.S. 329 (Supreme Court, 1997)
Pliler v. Ford
542 U.S. 225 (Supreme Court, 2004)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Jones v. Bock
549 U.S. 199 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Gordon v. City of Oakland
627 F.3d 1092 (Ninth Circuit, 2010)
United States v. Corinthian Colleges
655 F.3d 984 (Ninth Circuit, 2011)
Ivey v. Board of Regents of University of Alaska
673 F.2d 266 (Second Circuit, 1982)
Gibson v. United States
781 F.2d 1334 (Ninth Circuit, 1986)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Romero, Jr. v. Pitzer, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/romero-jr-v-pitzer-akd-2025.