Thompson v. Souza

111 F.3d 694, 97 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2785, 97 Daily Journal DAR 4929, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 7580, 1997 WL 183871
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedApril 16, 1997
DocketNo. 96-55662
StatusPublished
Cited by124 cases

This text of 111 F.3d 694 (Thompson v. Souza) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thompson v. Souza, 111 F.3d 694, 97 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2785, 97 Daily Journal DAR 4929, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 7580, 1997 WL 183871 (9th Cir. 1997).

Opinions

TROTT, Circuit Judge:

OVERVIEW

Prison officials Gary R. Souza, T.M. De La Rosa, and G.D. Jordan (collectively, “Officials”) appeal the district court’s order denying their motion for summary judgment based on qualified immunity. California state prisoner Charles W. Thompson sued the Officials pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that a strip search and urinalysis drug test for contraband drugs violated his constitutional rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. Because Thompson has failed to show that the strip search and urinalysis test violated any clearly established constitutional rights, we reverse.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Thompson is serving a fifteen-year-to-life sentence at the California Men’s Colony (“CMC”) for second-degree murder.1 At the time of the conduct at issue in this case, Official Souza was the Associate Warden at CMC; Official De La Rosa was a Correctional Sergeant in the Security and Investigations Unit at CMC; and Official Jordan was an Evidence Officer in the same unit.

[697]*697In June 1994, Souza and De La Rosa developed a plan to detect illicit drugs at CMC. The plan called for prison staff to remove pre-selected inmates, and their cellmates, from their cells after the 11:30 p.m. facility count on July 10, 1994. The preselected inmates were chosen because of their prior involvement with illicit drugs. According to the plan, guards would remove the inmates from their cells and temporarily place them in day rooms while K-9 units searched their cells for drugs. After the cell searches, guards would collect urine samples from the inmates for urinalysis drug testing.

In the early morning hours of July 11, the Officials subjected 129 inmates from a population of about 3400 inmates to the search plan. A prison guard videotaped the removal of some inmates from their cells for possible use as a training video. De La Rosa also used the searches as an opportunity to train several correctional personnel on the proper method for performing strip searches. These strip searches were not discussed in the search plan. Of the 129 inmates subjected to the strip and cell searches, one possessed contraband, and sixteen tested positive for narcotics use.

At the time of Thompson’s search, he was assigned to a double cell with inmate Michael Brown. Brown had two previous disciplinary violations related to drug use.- Therefore, De La Rosa targeted Brown’s and Thompson’s cell as one of those to be searched. At 2:15 a.m. on July 11, guards removed Thompson and Brown from their cell and visually inspected their genitals and rectal areas as part of a strip search.

The strip search took place within view of other prisoners on the tier just outside Thompson’s cell. Thompson heard some prisoners laughing or whistling. During the search, De La Rosa commanded Thompson to:

• remove his briefs and tank top and “throw them on the floor;”
• “Squat down like you’re taking a shit and cough three times;”
• “Now stand up and bend over and spread your ass apart and cough three times;”
• “Now stand up, put your- hands back on the wall, and show me the bottom of your feet one at a time;”
• “Now turn around and hold out your hands;”
• “Now lift your balls;”
• “Let your balls go and lift your dick;”
• “Now open your mouth and run your fingers around your gums;”
• “Now lift your tongue;”
• “Now bend toward me and run your fingers through your hair;”
• “Now turn your head so I can look in each of your ears;” and
• “Now pick up your underwear and put it on.”

Thompson complied with each of these orders.

After the strip search, guards placed Thompson in a day room with other inmates to wait while his cell was searched by a K-9 unit. Guards kept Thompson in the day room for five hours before taking his urine sample. The day room did not have toilet facilities, and at least one inmate urinated in the day room. Official Jordan ordered inmates to give urine samples beginning at 6:00 a.m. Prison security staff determined which inmates they would test, and they ultimately tested 124 of the 129 inmates removed from their cells. At 7:00 a.m., guards took Thompson from the day room so he could provide a mine sample.

Jordan ordered Thompson to give a urine sample. Thompson, in bare feet, was taken to a damp toilet stall where Jordan ordered Thompson to begin urinating. Jordan handed Thompson a bottle to collect the sample. Jordan remained within eight inches of Thompson and continuously watched while Thompson urinated. Both Thompson’s and Brown’s mine samples tested negative for drugs. At 10:30 a.m., guards released Thompson and Brown from the day room back to their cell.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On July 29,1994, Thompson sued the Officials for violations of his civil rights, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Officials moved for [698]*698summary judgment based on qualified immunity. Thompson also moved for summary judgment. In a terse ruling, Magistrate Judge Stephen J. Hillman denied both motions, stating only:

Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment is DENIED. Defendants have failed to cite to any exhibit or declaration establishing “reasonable justification” for the strip search and body cavity search of plaintiff. Defendants, by wholly adopting plaintiffs statement of uncontroverted facts, have conceded that the strip search and body cavity search were not intended [(i.e., were not explicitly provided for in the search plan) ]____
Moreover, defendants’ [sic] address plaintiff[’]s claim regarding the urine sample as an Eight[h] Amendment issue. However, plaintiffs complaint clearly asserts a cause of action under the Fourth Amendment. Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment is also DENIED. Plaintiff has not established that, under the circumstancesfj the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments prohibited the visual body cavity search and urine testing of plaintiff.

(Emphasis added).

Apparently, the district court adopted the magistrate’s ruling (this fact is not clear from the record). The Officials appeal this ruling.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

We review the denial of summary judgment based upon a claim of qualified immunity de novo. Act Up!/Portland v. Bagley, 988 F.2d 868, 871 (9th Cir.1993).

DISCUSSION

The doctrine of qualified immunity protects “government officials performing discretionary functions ... from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.” Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 818, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 2738, 73 L.Ed.2d 396 (1982).

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111 F.3d 694, 97 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2785, 97 Daily Journal DAR 4929, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 7580, 1997 WL 183871, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-souza-ca9-1997.