Velasco v. Balaam

CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedJuly 26, 2023
Docket2:23-cv-00192
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Velasco v. Balaam, (D. Nev. 2023).

Opinion

1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 2 DISTRICT OF NEVADA

4 Juan Alfonso Nuno Velasco, Case No. 2:23-cv-00192-CDS-DJA

5 Plaintiff

v. 6 Screening Order

7 Dennis Balaam, et al.,

8 Defendants

9 10 Incarcerated pro se plaintiff Juan Velasco (“Velasco”), who is in the custody of the 11 Nevada Department of Corrections (“NDOC”), has submitted a civil rights complaint 12 (“Complaint”) under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, an application to proceed in forma pauperis, a motion 13 seeking the appointment of counsel, and a motion seeking miscellaneous relief. ECF Nos. 1, 1-1, 2, 14 5. I now screen Plaintiff’s Complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, dispose of the motions, and grant 15 Plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis. 16 I. SCREENING STANDARD 17 Federal courts must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which an 18 incarcerated person seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a 19 governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the court must identify any 20 cognizable claims and dismiss any claims that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim upon 21 which relief may be granted, or seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such 22 relief. See id. § 1915A(b)(1), (2). Pro se pleadings, however, must be liberally construed. Balistreri v. 23 Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1990). To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a 24 plaintiff must allege two essential elements: (1) the violation of a right secured by the 25 Constitution or laws of the United States, and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a 26 person acting under color of state law. See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). 27 1 In addition to the screening requirements under § 1915A, pursuant to the Prison 2 Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”), a federal court must dismiss an incarcerated person’s claim if 3 “the allegation of poverty is untrue” or if the action “is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a 4 claim on which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is 5 immune from such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). Dismissal of a complaint for failure to state a 6 claim upon which relief can be granted is provided for in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 7 12(b)(6), and the court applies the same standard under § 1915 when reviewing the adequacy of a 8 complaint or an amended complaint. When a court dismisses a complaint under § 1915(e), the 9 plaintiff should be given leave to amend the complaint with directions as to curing its 10 deficiencies, unless it is clear from the face of the complaint that the deficiencies could not be 11 cured by amendment. See Cato v. United States, 70 F.3d 1103, 1106 (9th Cir. 1995). 12 Review under Rule 12(b)(6) is essentially a ruling on a question of law. See Chappel v. Lab. 13 Corp. of Am., 232 F.3d 719, 723 (9th Cir. 2000). Dismissal for failure to state a claim is proper only 14 if it is clear that the plaintiff cannot prove any set of facts in support of the claim that would 15 entitle him or her to relief. See Morley v. Walker, 175 F.3d 756, 759 (9th Cir. 1999). In making this 16 determination, the court takes as true all allegations of material fact stated in the complaint, and 17 the court construes them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Warshaw v. Xoma Corp., 74 18 F.3d 955, 957 (9th Cir. 1996). Allegations of a pro se complainant are held to less stringent 19 standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers. See Hughes v. Rowe, 449 U.S. 5, 9 (1980). 20 While the standard under Rule 12(b)(6) does not require detailed factual allegations, a plaintiff 21 must provide more than mere labels and conclusions. Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 22 (2007). A formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action is insufficient. Id. 23 Additionally, a reviewing court should “begin by identifying pleadings [allegations] that, 24 because they are no more than mere conclusions, are not entitled to the assumption of truth.” 25 Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 679 (2009). “While legal conclusions can provide the framework of 26 a complaint, they must be supported with factual allegations.” Id. “When there are well-pleaded 27 factual allegations, a court should assume their veracity and then determine whether they 1 plausibly give rise to an entitlement to relief.” Id. “Determining whether a complaint states a 2 plausible claim for relief . . . [is] a context-specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw 3 on its judicial experience and common sense.” Id. 4 Finally, all or part of the complaint filed by an incarcerated person may therefore be 5 dismissed sua sponte if that person’s claims lack an arguable basis either in law or in fact. This 6 includes claims based on legal conclusions that are untenable (e.g., claims against defendants 7 who are immune from suit or claims of infringement of a legal interest which clearly does not 8 exist), as well as claims based on fanciful factual allegations (e.g., fantastic or delusional 9 scenarios). See Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 327–28 (1989); see also McKeever v. Block, 932 F.2d 10 795, 798 (9th Cir. 1991). 11 II. SCREENING OF COMPLAINT1 12 In the Complaint, Velasco sues multiple defendants for events that took place in 2002, 13 which involved his extradition from California to Nevada.2 ECF No. 1-1 at 1-3. Plaintiff sues 14 defendants John Doe Governor of Nevada, Sheriff Dennis Balaam, and John and Jane Does 1-10.3 15 Id. at 1. Velasco brings six claims and seeks monetary damages. Id. at 4-12. I will address each 16 claim in turn. 17 A. Claim 1 18 According to the allegations in claim 1, in 2002, Velasco, “an illegal alien” from Mexico, 19 was apprehended in California. Id. at 4. At the time of his arrest, Velasco did not speak English. 20 Id. On July 26, 2002, Velasco was extradited to Nevada, arriving at the Washoe County 21 Detention Center. Id. Velasco had been charged with the following crimes: “murder, robbery 22 with the use of a firearm, and kidnapping in the first degree.” Id. According to Velasco, Sheriff 23 Balaam and the other agents failed to inform him of his right to notify the Mexican consulate in 24 violation of the Vienna Convention. Id. Velasco did, however, receive a lawyer and an interpreter 25

26 1 Inmate Carlos Ruiz helped Velasco prepare the Complaint. ECF No. 1-1 at 12.

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