Sanders v. Mims

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJanuary 20, 2023
Docket1:20-cv-00634
StatusUnknown

This text of Sanders v. Mims (Sanders v. Mims) 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
Sanders v. Mims, (E.D. Cal. 2023).

Opinion

8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10

11 PHILLIP SANDERS, Case No. 1:20-cv-00634-JLT-SAB

12 Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDING DISMISSAL OF 13 v. SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT

14 MARGARET MIMS, et al., (ECF No. 30)

15 Defendants. OBJECTIONS DUE WITHIN FOURTEEN DAYS 16 17 18 19 I. 20 BACKGROUND 21 Phillip Sanders (“Plaintiff”), a pretrial detainee proceeding pro se, filed the complaint in 22 this action on May 4, 2020. (ECF No. 1.) The action was initially assigned to Magistrate Judge 23 Gary Austin as a prisoner civil rights case. Plaintiff was granted in forma pauperis status on June 24 1, 2020. (ECF No. 5.) On August 9, 2021, Judge Austin issued an order directing the Clerk of 25 the Court to administratively re-designate this action as a 440 Civil Action, and the action was 26 reassigned to Magistrate Judge Stanley A. Boone. (ECF Nos. 8, 9.) 27 On August 11, 2021, the Court screened Plaintiff’s complaint and granted leave to amend. 28 (ECF No. 10.) On September 9, 2021, the Court granted Plaintiff’s motion for a 45-day extension 1 of time to file an amended complaint. (ECF Nos. 11, 12.) On October 22, 2021, the Court 2 granted Plaintiff’s motion for a further 30-day extension of time to file an amended complaint. 3 (ECF Nos. 13, 14.) On November 30, 2021, the Court granted Plaintiff’s motion for an extension 4 of time in part, granting a further 30-day extension. (ECF Nos. 19, 20.) 5 On January 3, 2022, Plaintiff filed a first amended complaint. (ECF No. 22.) On March 6 8, 2022, the Court issued a second screening order granting Plaintiff one final opportunity to file a 7 second amended complaint. (ECF No. 27.) On April 13, 2022, the Court granted Plaintiff’s 8 request for a 60-day extension of time to file an amended complaint. (ECF Nos. 28, 29.) 9 On June 13, 2022, Plaintiff filed a second amended complaint. (ECF No. 30.) Plaintiff 10 also filed a memorandum in support of the amended complaint. (ECF No. 31.) Plaintiff’s second 11 amended complaint is currently before the Court for screening. 12 II. 13 SCREENING REQUIREMENT 14 The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a 15 governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The 16 Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if the prisoner has raised claims that are legally 17 “frivolous or malicious,” that “fail[] to state a claim on which relief may be granted,” or that 18 “seek[] monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 19 1915(e)(2)(B). 20 A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the 21 pleader is entitled to relief. . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not 22 required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 23 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell 24 Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). Moreover, Plaintiff must demonstrate 25 that each defendant personally participated in the deprivation of Plaintiff’s rights. Jones v. 26 Williams, 297 F.3d 930, 934 (9th Cir. 2002). 27 Prisoners proceeding pro se in civil rights actions are entitled to have their pleadings 28 liberally construed and to have any doubt resolved in their favor. Wilhelm v. Rotman, 680 F.3d 1 1113, 1121 (9th Cir. 2012) (citations omitted). To survive screening, Plaintiff’s claims must be 2 facially plausible, which requires sufficient factual detail to allow the Court to reasonably infer 3 that each named defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678–79; Moss 4 v. U.S. Secret Service, 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The “sheer possibility that a defendant 5 has acted unlawfully” is not sufficient, and “facts that are ‘merely consistent with’ a defendant’s 6 liability” falls short of satisfying the plausibility standard. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678; Moss, 572 F.3d 7 at 969. 8 III. 9 COMPLAINT ALLEGATIONS 10 A. Primary Factual Allegations 11 Plaintiff names the following Defendants: (1) Sheriff Margaret Mims (“Mims”), in an 12 official capacity; (2) Edward Moreno (“Moreno”), proffered to be Direct of the Department of 13 Public Health; (3) Nurse Janet Smith (“Smith”); (4) Correctional Officer Vang (“Vang”); and (5) 14 unknown infirmary nurses and doctor. (SAC at 1, 5-6.) 15 Plaintiff first proffers he is bringing this action as a pretrial detainee alleging intentional 16 infliction of emotional distress and mental anguish that could have led to death as a result of 17 Fresno County Jail officials’ systemic failure to provide minimally adequate medical care to 18 prisoners with disabilities. (SAC at 1.) Plaintiff also brings this action pursuant to the Eighth and 19 Fourteenth Amendments. (SAC at 6-7.) 20 On April 20, 2018, Plaintiff was booked into the Fresno County Jail and surrendered all of 21 his personal property. (SAC at 3.) A medical assessment was conducted by registered nurse 22 Smith before Plaintiff was assigned to a bunk. During the assessment, Plaintiff explained he was 23 on social security disability for degenerative disc disease as well as bronchial asthma, and that 24 Plaintiff’s medical history should be in the computer from his previous arrests. 25 During the interview, Plaintiff requested pain medication for degenerative disc pain as 26 well as an asthma inhaler. Smith reviewed the medical history and added the pain medication to 27 his chart so that Plaintiff could receive his normal dosage. Smith then advised Plaintiff that 28 asthma “pumps’ were no longer issued to inmates because of misuse, and Plaintiff was advised if 1 he had any tightening in the chest and needed treatment to inform the floor officer and request a 2 breathing treatment at the infirmary. 3 As a result of the excitement of the arrest, Plaintiff requested to go to the infirmary during 4 the medical interview and received an oxygen level test from an unknown nurse, showing around 5 ninety percent (90%) and a “breathing treatment without any doctor’s examination.” (SAC at 3.) 6 After Plaintiff returned to his bunk, he received his pain medication during medical call but he 7 was not provided asthma medication. Plaintiff proffers Smith did not enter the asthma inhaler 8 prescription into the booking medical computer. 9 Almost every other night, Plaintiff began to get a tightness in his chest and went to the 10 infirmary for numerous breathing treatments. At first Plaintiff thought it was because of 11 excitement of the unlawful arrest or knowing the probation violation would be dropped. Plaintiff 12 later discovered that the wool blankets triggered his asthma after speaking with other inmates. 13 On or around April 25, 2018, Plaintiff filed an inmate request slip requesting an inhaler 14 and a non-wool blanket. After getting no response for two days, a second incident happened on 15 April 27, 2018, with correctional officer Vang. On this date, the count took an extremely long 16 time to clear as there was a riot on the fourth level between two rival gangs causing movement to 17 be restricted on all levels. Plaintiff made numerous attempts to go to the infirmary on April 27, 18 2018, and officer Vang told Plaintiff the infirmary was completely full and because of the riot he 19 had to wait.

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Sanders v. Mims, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanders-v-mims-caed-2023.