Timothy M. Frye v. N. Webster, et al.

CourtDistrict Court, D. Maryland
DecidedFebruary 4, 2026
Docket1:24-cv-02839
StatusUnknown

This text of Timothy M. Frye v. N. Webster, et al. (Timothy M. Frye v. N. Webster, et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Timothy M. Frye v. N. Webster, et al., (D. Md. 2026).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND

TIMOTHY M. FRYE, *

Plaintiff, *

v. * Civil Action No. GLR-24-2839

N. WEBSTER, et al., *

Defendants. *

*** MEMORANDUM OPINION THIS MATTER is before the Court on Defendant N. Webster’s Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 15).1 The Motion is ripe for disposition, and no hearing is necessary. See Local Rule 105.6 (D.Md. 2025). For the reasons outlined below, the Court will grant Webster’s Motion in part and deny it in part. I. BACKGROUND A. Factual Background2 This civil rights action arises from events that allegedly took place while self- represented Plaintiff Timothy Frye was housed as a pretrial detainee at the Harford County Detention Center (“HCDC”). (Compl. at 4–5, ECF No. 1).3 Frye alleges that in the early morning on September 25, 2024, N. Webster, a corrections deputy at HCDC, woke him up

1 Self-represented Plaintiff Timothy Frye also has filed several miscellaneous motions. (See ECF Nos. 26, 29, 38, 39). The Court will address each in turn. 2 Unless otherwise noted, the Court takes the following facts from the Complaint (ECF No. 1) and accepts them as true. See Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007). 3 Unless otherwise noted, citations to the page numbers refer to the pagination assigned by the Court’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files (“CM/ECF”) system. by yelling “finger stick” into his cell. (Mem. Supp. Mot. Dismiss Am. Compl. [“Mot. Dismiss”] at 1, ECF No. 15-1; Suppl. Compl. at 2, ECF No. 6).4 Frye responded that he does not get a finger stick and refused the request. (Suppl. Compl. at 2). Webster told Frye

to stand up and to accept the finger stick. (Id.). Frye stood up, walked outside his cell, refused again, and stated that he does not receive a finger stick for insulin. (Compl. at 5; Suppl. Compl. at 2). Both Webster and the medical staff member, now identified as Defendant Kelvin Edokpolo, LPN, demanded that Frye provide his hand for the finger stick. (Suppl. Compl. at 2). Frye alleges that he presented his hand, against his will, to

avoid receiving a disciplinary ticket for refusing a direct order. (Id.). Edokpolo then punctured Frye’s right pointer finger with a needle to draw blood. (Id.).

4 On October 4, 2024, the Court received additional documents from Frye, dated September 25, 2024. (ECF No. 6). He states the documents were intended to accompany his Complaint, but he had insufficient postage to include them with the initial mailing. (Suppl. Compl. at 1, ECF No. 6). The Court construed and docketed the additional pages as a Supplement to the Complaint. Webster argues that the Supplement is more appropriately considered an amended complaint. (Mot. Dismiss at 1–2). The Court, however, has discretion to allow supplemental pleadings, Franks v. Ross, 313 F.3d 184, 198 n.15 (4th Cir. 2002) (instructing that leave to supplement “should be freely granted” and warrants denial only where there is a “good reason” for doing so (citation omitted)), and construes Frye’s pleadings liberally due to his is self-represented status, see Pardus, 551 U.S. at 94. The Court received Frye’s Supplement just four days after his initial Complaint, and the Court accepts Frye’s stated reason for the delay (i.e., insufficient postage). (Suppl. Compl. at 1). While the Supplement is not a model of clarity, it provides information consistent with the Complaint and does not add claims or parties. (See generally id.). Further, Webster was served simultaneously with both the Complaint and the Supplement. (See Apr. 7, 2025 Order at 4, ECF No. 12). Therefore, there is no prejudice in allowing the Supplement at this early stage in the proceedings. Tafah v. Lake Vill. Townhomes, No. BAH-25-1408, 2026 WL 124306, at *2 (D.Md. Jan. 16, 2026) (“The general rule is supplementation of pleadings is favored and should be granted absent futility, undue delay, bad faith, dilatory tactics, or unfair prejudice to the party to be served with the proposed pleading.”). Frye states that he verbally complained of these events to medical and mental health staff and that he filed grievances against “medical” and a “staff member” of HCDC but received “no result.” (Compl. at 8–9, 11; Suppl. Compl. at 4, 6). Frye further states that he

mailed his Complaint to this Court on September 26, 2024, before filing his grievance against “medical,” so that HCDC would not intercept his mail to the Court once their alleged wrongdoing was exposed. (Compl. at 9). B. Procedural Background The Court received Frye’s Complaint on September 30, 2024, and the Supplement

to the Complaint on October 4, 2024. (ECF Nos. 1, 6). He brings claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for alleged violations of his rights under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, and he brings state-law claims of negligence and medical malpractice. (Compl. at 3, 5–7). On April 7, 2025, the Court ordered service of the Complaint and Supplement on Webster and Defendant “Unknown Nurse.” (ECF No. 12).

On June 6, 2025, Webster filed a Motion to Dismiss. (ECF No. 15). Frye filed an Opposition on August 15, 2025. (ECF No. 21). To date, Webster has not filed a Reply.5 Beginning on November 13, 2025, the Court issued a series of Orders directed at both Wellpath, LLC—the healthcare company that provides care to inmates at HCDC (Mot. Dismiss at 2)—and Webster to provide information to Frye to assist him in

5 Frye filed a Motion for Default Judgment against Webster on October 30, 2025, asserting that he is entitled to default judgment because Webster did not file a Reply to Frye’s Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss. (Mot. Default J. at 1–2, ECF No. 26). A party may file a reply within fourteen days of service of the opposition memorandum, but a party is not required to file a reply. See Local Rule 105.2.a. (D.Md. 2025). Default judgment, therefore, is not warranted, and Frye’s Motion will be denied. identifying Defendant “Unknown Nurse,” who Frye alleged was employed by Wellpath. (ECF Nos. 27, 28, 32; see also Compl. at 3). On January 9, 2026, based on the information provided, Frye identified the Unknown Nurse as Wellpath employee Kelvin Edokpolo,

LPN, and the Clerk updated the docket to reflect this identification. (Pl.’s Notice Identification [“Notice”] at 1, ECF No. 38).6 On January 9 and 16, 2026, Frye filed two emergency motions—one seeking Court Review and Immediate Protective Action in other state and federal cases in which Frye is a party (ECF No. 39), and another seeking a Protective Order Regarding Legal Mail

Interference, Preservation of Evidence, and Equitable Relief to Protect his Access to the Courts (ECF No. 40). To date, Webster has not filed an Opposition to either Motion. II. DISCUSSION A. Standard of Review The purpose of a Rule 12(b)(6) motion is to “test[] the sufficiency of a complaint,” not to “resolve contests surrounding the facts, the merits of a claim, or the applicability of

defenses.” King v. Rubenstein, 825 F.3d 206, 214 (4th Cir. 2016) (quoting Edwards v. City

6 In his Notice identifying Edokpolo as the Unknown Nurse, Frye moved to amend the caption to reflect the updated information. (Notice at 2, ECF No. 38). The Clerk replaced Unknown Nurse with Edokpolo’s name on the docket in accordance with this Court’s January 9, 2026 Order. (Jan. 9, 2026 Order at 3, ECF No. 37). Accordingly, Frye’s request to amend the caption will be denied as moot.

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