Sean F. Mescall v. Daniel F. Martuscello, III, et al.

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedMarch 12, 2026
Docket9:26-cv-00187
StatusUnknown

This text of Sean F. Mescall v. Daniel F. Martuscello, III, et al. (Sean F. Mescall v. Daniel F. Martuscello, III, et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sean F. Mescall v. Daniel F. Martuscello, III, et al., (N.D.N.Y. 2026).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

SEAN F. MESCALL,

Plaintiff, 9:26-CV-0187 (MAD/ML) v.

DANIEL F. MARTUSCELLO, III, et al.,

Defendants.

APPEARANCES: OF COUNSEL:

SEAN F. MESCALL Plaintiff, pro se 25-R-2834 Greene Correctional Facility P.O. Box 975 Coxsackie, NY 12051

MAE A. D'AGOSTINO United States District Judge DECISION AND ORDER I. INTRODUCTION Pro se plaintiff Sean Mescall ("plaintiff") commenced this action, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 ("Section 1983") by filing a complaint, an application to proceed in forma pauperis ("IFP"), a motion for preliminary injunction, and a supplement to the complaint. Dkt. No. 1 ("Compl."); Dkt. No. 2 ("IFP Application"); Dkt. No. 3 ("Motion"); Dkt. No. 4 ("Supplement"). Plaintiff also filed a submission in support of his motion for preliminary injunctive relief. Dkt. No. 5. At the time he filed the complaint, plaintiff was incarcerated at Greene Correctional Facility ("Greene C.F."). See generally Compl. On February 10, 2026, the Court denied plaintiff's IFP application as incomplete and administrative closed the action due to plaintiff's failure to comply with the filing fee requirements. Dkt. No. 6. On February 27, 2026, plaintiff paid the statutory filing fee and the matter was reopened. Dkt. No. 11.

On March 2, 2026, plaintiff filed submissions in support of the complaint.1 Dkt. Nos. 13 and 14. II. DISCUSSION A. Governing Legal Standard Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, a court must review any "complaint in a civil action in which a prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity" and must "identify cognizable claims or dismiss the complaint, or any portion of the complaint, if the complaint . . . is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted; or . . . seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief." 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b); see also Carr v. Dvorin, 171 F.3d 115, 116 (2d Cir. 1999) (per

curiam) (noting that Section 1915A applies to all actions brought by prisoners against government officials even when plaintiff paid the filing fee); Abbas v. Dixon, 480 F.3d 636, 639 (2d Cir. 2007) (stating that both sections 1915 and 1915A are available to evaluate prisoner pro se complaints). Additionally, when reviewing a complaint, the Court may also look to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that a pleading which sets forth a claim for relief shall contain, inter alia, "a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." See Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). The purpose

1 The Clerk of the Court is directed to attach the submissions at Docket Number 4, 13, and 14 to the complaint (Dkt. No. 1). This will constitute the operative pleading. of Rule 8 "is to give fair notice of the claim being asserted so as to permit the adverse party the opportunity to file a responsive answer, prepare an adequate defense and determine whether the doctrine of res judicata is applicable." Hudson v. Artuz, No. 95 CIV. 4768, 1998 WL 832708, at *1 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 30, 1998) (quoting Powell v. Marine Midland Bank, No. 95-

CV-0063 (TJM), 162 F.R.D. 15, 16 (N.D.N.Y. June 23, 1995) (other citations omitted)). In reviewing a pro se complaint, the court has a duty to show liberality toward pro se litigants, see Nance v. Kelly, 912 F.2d 605, 606 (2d Cir. 1990) (per curiam), and should exercise "extreme caution . . . in ordering sua sponte dismissal of a pro se complaint before the adverse party has been served and both parties (but particularly the plaintiff) have had an opportunity to respond." Anderson v. Coughlin, 700 F.2d 37, 41 (2d Cir. 1983) (internal citations omitted). Therefore, a court should not dismiss a complaint if the plaintiff has stated "enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face." Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). "A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is

liable for the misconduct alleged." Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). While the court should construe the factual allegations in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, "the tenet that a court must accept as true all of the allegations contained in a complaint is inapplicable to legal conclusions." Id. "Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice." Id. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). Rule 8 "demands more than an unadorned, the 'defendant unlawfully harmed me' accusation." Id. B. Summary of the Complaint2

2 With the complaint, plaintiff provided exhibits. See Compl. at 13-32. To the extent that the exhibits are relevant to the incidents described in the complaint, the Court will consider the documents attached as exhibits. With the complaint, plaintiff identified the following individuals as defendants: Daniel F. Martuscello, III ("Martuscello"), Arron Torres ("Torres"), Michael D'Amore ("D'Amore"), S.O.R.C. Haggerty ("Haggerty"), O.R.C. Baxter ("Baxter"), and Letitia James ("James"). See generally Compl. In plaintiff's supplement submissions, he requests that the Court add the

following entities and individuals as defendants, in their official and individual capacities: Melissa Coolidge ("Coolidge"), Joseph N. Noeth ("Noeth"), Osborne McKay ("McKay"), Marco Ricci ("Ricci"), Anne McGrath ("McGrath"), Cathy Sheehan ("Sheehan"), Jeff McKoy ("McKoy"), Carol Moores ("Moores"), Denisha Goodman ("Goodman"), James Donahue ("Donahue"), Attorney General Pamela Bondi ("Bondi"), William K. Marshall III ("Marshall"), Alvin Bragg ("Bragg"), United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, United States of America, the State of New York, and United States Marshal Service.3 Dkt. No. 4 at 1; Dkt. No. 13 at 2. The following facts are set forth as alleged by plaintiff in his complaint. Plaintiff's complaint contains rambling allegations relating to unspecified events, which

may or may not be related, and fails to identify a single defendant, or reference any legal basis for an action. Plaintiff has not asserted any causes of action and thus, the Court is unable to decipher what allegations plaintiff is making against what defendants. See Harper, 2012 WL 3115975, at *7 (the plaintiff's actual complaint consisted of no more than unsupported legal conclusions and an outline of legal theories, and thus, was "patently

See Cortec Indus., Inc. v. Sum Holding L.P., 949 F.2d 42, 47 (2d Cir.

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Sean F. Mescall v. Daniel F. Martuscello, III, et al., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sean-f-mescall-v-daniel-f-martuscello-iii-et-al-nynd-2026.