1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 TRACYE BENARD WASHINGTON, 11 Case No. 22-cv-05832 BLF (PR) Plaintiff, 12 ORDER OF PARTIAL DISMISSAL v. AND DISMISSAL WITH LEAVE TO 13 AMEND J. SERRATO, et al., 14 Defendants. 15
16 17 18 Plaintiff, a California inmate, filed the instant pro se civil rights action pursuant to 19 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against prison staff at Salinas Valley State Prison (“SVSP”) where he 20 was formerly housed. Dkt. No. 1-1. He has since been moved to Kern Valley State 21 Prison. Dkt. No. 6. Plaintiff has paid the filing fee. Id. 22 23 DISCUSSION 24 I. Standard of Review 25 A federal court must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which a 26 prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a 27 governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the court must identify any 1 upon which relief may be granted or seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune 2 from such relief. See id. § 1915A(b)(1),(2). Pro se pleadings must, however, be liberally 3 construed. See Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1988). 4 To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two essential 5 elements: (1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States was 6 violated, and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a person acting under the 7 color of state law. See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). 8 To state a claim that is plausible on its face, a plaintiff must allege facts that 9 “allow[] the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the 10 misconduct alleged.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). From these decisions, 11 the following “two principles” arise: “First to be entitled to the presumption of truth, 12 allegations in a complaint or counterclaim may not simply recite the elements of a cause of 13 action but must contain sufficient allegations of underlying facts to give fair notice and to 14 enable the opposing party to defend itself effectively. Second, the factual allegations that 15 are taken as true must plausibly suggest an entitlement to relief, such that it is not unfair to 16 require the opposing party to be subjected to the expense of discovery and continued 17 litigation.” Starr v. Baca, 652 F.3d 1202, 1216 (9th Cir. 2011) 18 II. Plaintiff’s Claims 19 The events underlying this complaint occurred at SVSP, and involved Correctional 20 Officers J. Serrato, E. Guijarro, C. Diaz, and Sgt. B. Akin. Dkt. No. 1-1 at 2, 4. On June 21 19, 2022, Plaintiff claims he had a short but antagonistic exchange with Officers Serrato 22 and Diaz regarding various complaints. Id. at 6-7. Moments later, Defendants Serrato 23 came to Plaintiff’s cell with Sgt. Akin, and began pepper-spraying Plaintiff, hitting him 24 directly in the face and continuing “for an exceedingly long period of time.” Id. at 8. 25 Plaintiff was sitting in his wheelchair at the time. Id. Then Plaintiff felt someone, who 26 was later identified as Officer Guijarro, place their hands to the back of his neck and push 1 struck in his left rib cage area. Id. at 9. He was then handcuffed behind his back and 2 dragged forward by his arms. Id. Plaintiff was taken to the prison’s Triage Treatment 3 Area, and then an hour later, taken to Natividad Hospital Emergency Trauma Center for 4 treatment. Id. at 12. Plaintiff returned to prison approximately four hours later and was 5 informed that he was on “ad-seg” status; his cell had been cleaned out and all his personal 6 property had been removed. Id. at 14. 7 The next day, June 20, 2022, Plaintiff was informed that he was being charged with 8 battery on a peace officer based on Officer Serrato’s claim that Plaintiff threw his 9 wheelchair leg at him when his cell door was opened and that Plaintiff had struck Officer 10 Serrato in the face as he was attempting to subdue Plaintiff in his wheelchair. Id. Plaintiff 11 was placed in ad-seg that day. Id. The Rules Violation Report (“RVR”) was prepared by 12 Officer Diaz. Id. at 20. 13 Based on these allegations, Plaintiff claims the following: (1) he was subject to 14 excessive force under the Eighth Amendment; (2) his rights under the American with 15 Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and the Rehabilitation Act were violated; (3) Defendants 16 conspired to assault him; and (4) his rights under the 1965 Civil Rights Act were violated 17 based on racial prejudice. Dkt. No. 1-1 at 17-20. Plaintiff seeks damages and injunctive 18 relief in the form of body cameras on SVSP guards. Id. at 20-21. Plaintiff also seeks a 19 restraining order. Id. at 21. 20 A. Excessive Force 21 Plaintiff claims Defendants Serrato, Guijarro, and Akin used unnecessary and 22 excessive force against him when they pepper-sprayed him without cause or provocation, 23 causing serious bodily injury. Dkt. No. 1-1 at 17-19. 24 The treatment a convicted prisoner receives in prison and the conditions under 25 which he is confined are subject to scrutiny under the Eighth Amendment. Helling v. 26 McKinney, 509 U.S. 25, 31 (1993). “After incarceration, only the unnecessary and wanton 1 Amendment.” Whitley v. Albers, 475 U.S. 312, 319 (1986) (ellipsis in original) (internal 2 quotation and citation omitted). Whenever prison officials stand accused of using 3 excessive force in violation of the Eighth Amendment, the deliberate indifference standard 4 is inappropriate. Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 6 (1992). Instead, the core judicial 5 inquiry is whether force was applied in a good-faith effort to maintain or restore discipline, 6 or maliciously and sadistically to cause harm. Id. at 6-7; Whitley, 475 U.S. at 320-21; 7 Jeffers v. Gomez, 267 F.3d 895, 912-13 (9th Cir. 2001) (applying “malicious and sadistic” 8 standard to claim that prison guards used excessive force when attempting to quell a prison 9 riot, but applying “deliberate indifference” standard to claim that guards failed to act on 10 rumors of violence to prevent the riot). 11 Liberally construed, Plaintiff states a cognizable excessive force claim based on the 12 unjustified force by Defendants Serrato, Guijarro, and Akin. 13 B. ADA and Rehabilitation Act 14 Plaintiff claims Defendants are liable for violating his rights as a disabled person 15 under the ADA based on the incident. 16 The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq., and the 17 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“RA”), 29 U.S.C. §§ 701 et seq., prohibit discrimination 18 against an otherwise qualified individual based on his or her disability. “The [RA], the 19 precursor to the ADA, applies to federal agencies, contractors and recipients of federal 20 financial assistance, while the ADA applies to private employers with over 15 employees 21 and state and local governments.” Calero-Cerezo v. U.S., Dep’t of Justice, 355 F.3d 6
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 TRACYE BENARD WASHINGTON, 11 Case No. 22-cv-05832 BLF (PR) Plaintiff, 12 ORDER OF PARTIAL DISMISSAL v. AND DISMISSAL WITH LEAVE TO 13 AMEND J. SERRATO, et al., 14 Defendants. 15
16 17 18 Plaintiff, a California inmate, filed the instant pro se civil rights action pursuant to 19 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against prison staff at Salinas Valley State Prison (“SVSP”) where he 20 was formerly housed. Dkt. No. 1-1. He has since been moved to Kern Valley State 21 Prison. Dkt. No. 6. Plaintiff has paid the filing fee. Id. 22 23 DISCUSSION 24 I. Standard of Review 25 A federal court must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which a 26 prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a 27 governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the court must identify any 1 upon which relief may be granted or seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune 2 from such relief. See id. § 1915A(b)(1),(2). Pro se pleadings must, however, be liberally 3 construed. See Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1988). 4 To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two essential 5 elements: (1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States was 6 violated, and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a person acting under the 7 color of state law. See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). 8 To state a claim that is plausible on its face, a plaintiff must allege facts that 9 “allow[] the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the 10 misconduct alleged.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). From these decisions, 11 the following “two principles” arise: “First to be entitled to the presumption of truth, 12 allegations in a complaint or counterclaim may not simply recite the elements of a cause of 13 action but must contain sufficient allegations of underlying facts to give fair notice and to 14 enable the opposing party to defend itself effectively. Second, the factual allegations that 15 are taken as true must plausibly suggest an entitlement to relief, such that it is not unfair to 16 require the opposing party to be subjected to the expense of discovery and continued 17 litigation.” Starr v. Baca, 652 F.3d 1202, 1216 (9th Cir. 2011) 18 II. Plaintiff’s Claims 19 The events underlying this complaint occurred at SVSP, and involved Correctional 20 Officers J. Serrato, E. Guijarro, C. Diaz, and Sgt. B. Akin. Dkt. No. 1-1 at 2, 4. On June 21 19, 2022, Plaintiff claims he had a short but antagonistic exchange with Officers Serrato 22 and Diaz regarding various complaints. Id. at 6-7. Moments later, Defendants Serrato 23 came to Plaintiff’s cell with Sgt. Akin, and began pepper-spraying Plaintiff, hitting him 24 directly in the face and continuing “for an exceedingly long period of time.” Id. at 8. 25 Plaintiff was sitting in his wheelchair at the time. Id. Then Plaintiff felt someone, who 26 was later identified as Officer Guijarro, place their hands to the back of his neck and push 1 struck in his left rib cage area. Id. at 9. He was then handcuffed behind his back and 2 dragged forward by his arms. Id. Plaintiff was taken to the prison’s Triage Treatment 3 Area, and then an hour later, taken to Natividad Hospital Emergency Trauma Center for 4 treatment. Id. at 12. Plaintiff returned to prison approximately four hours later and was 5 informed that he was on “ad-seg” status; his cell had been cleaned out and all his personal 6 property had been removed. Id. at 14. 7 The next day, June 20, 2022, Plaintiff was informed that he was being charged with 8 battery on a peace officer based on Officer Serrato’s claim that Plaintiff threw his 9 wheelchair leg at him when his cell door was opened and that Plaintiff had struck Officer 10 Serrato in the face as he was attempting to subdue Plaintiff in his wheelchair. Id. Plaintiff 11 was placed in ad-seg that day. Id. The Rules Violation Report (“RVR”) was prepared by 12 Officer Diaz. Id. at 20. 13 Based on these allegations, Plaintiff claims the following: (1) he was subject to 14 excessive force under the Eighth Amendment; (2) his rights under the American with 15 Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and the Rehabilitation Act were violated; (3) Defendants 16 conspired to assault him; and (4) his rights under the 1965 Civil Rights Act were violated 17 based on racial prejudice. Dkt. No. 1-1 at 17-20. Plaintiff seeks damages and injunctive 18 relief in the form of body cameras on SVSP guards. Id. at 20-21. Plaintiff also seeks a 19 restraining order. Id. at 21. 20 A. Excessive Force 21 Plaintiff claims Defendants Serrato, Guijarro, and Akin used unnecessary and 22 excessive force against him when they pepper-sprayed him without cause or provocation, 23 causing serious bodily injury. Dkt. No. 1-1 at 17-19. 24 The treatment a convicted prisoner receives in prison and the conditions under 25 which he is confined are subject to scrutiny under the Eighth Amendment. Helling v. 26 McKinney, 509 U.S. 25, 31 (1993). “After incarceration, only the unnecessary and wanton 1 Amendment.” Whitley v. Albers, 475 U.S. 312, 319 (1986) (ellipsis in original) (internal 2 quotation and citation omitted). Whenever prison officials stand accused of using 3 excessive force in violation of the Eighth Amendment, the deliberate indifference standard 4 is inappropriate. Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 6 (1992). Instead, the core judicial 5 inquiry is whether force was applied in a good-faith effort to maintain or restore discipline, 6 or maliciously and sadistically to cause harm. Id. at 6-7; Whitley, 475 U.S. at 320-21; 7 Jeffers v. Gomez, 267 F.3d 895, 912-13 (9th Cir. 2001) (applying “malicious and sadistic” 8 standard to claim that prison guards used excessive force when attempting to quell a prison 9 riot, but applying “deliberate indifference” standard to claim that guards failed to act on 10 rumors of violence to prevent the riot). 11 Liberally construed, Plaintiff states a cognizable excessive force claim based on the 12 unjustified force by Defendants Serrato, Guijarro, and Akin. 13 B. ADA and Rehabilitation Act 14 Plaintiff claims Defendants are liable for violating his rights as a disabled person 15 under the ADA based on the incident. 16 The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq., and the 17 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“RA”), 29 U.S.C. §§ 701 et seq., prohibit discrimination 18 against an otherwise qualified individual based on his or her disability. “The [RA], the 19 precursor to the ADA, applies to federal agencies, contractors and recipients of federal 20 financial assistance, while the ADA applies to private employers with over 15 employees 21 and state and local governments.” Calero-Cerezo v. U.S., Dep’t of Justice, 355 F.3d 6, 19 22 (1st Cir. 2004). “There is no significant difference in analysis of the rights and obligations 23 created by the ADA and the [RA],” Zukle v. Regents of Univ. of Cal., 166 F.3d 1041, 1045 24 n.11 (9th Cir. 1999), and courts routinely look to RA case law to interpret the rights and 25 obligations created by the ADA, see, e.g., Collings v. Longview Fibre Co., 63 F.3d 828, 26 832 n. 3 (9th Cir.1995) (“The legislative history of the ADA indicates that Congress 1 when interpreting the ADA.”). 2 Title II of the ADA provides that “no qualified individual with a disability shall, by 3 reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the 4 services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any 5 such entity.” 42 U.S.C. § 12132. Title II protects “a qualified individual with a 6 disability.” 42 U.S.C. § 12132. In the context of the ADA, the term “disability” means: 7 “(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life 8 activities of the person; (B) having a record of such an impairment; or (C) being regarded 9 as having such an impairment.” Id. § 12102(1). 10 In order to obtain relief under either the ADA or RA, a plaintiff must show (1) that 11 he is disabled within the meaning of the act, (2) that he is “otherwise qualified” for the 12 services sought, (3) that he was excluded from the services sought solely by reason of his 13 disability, and (4) that the program in question receives federal financial assistance (for an 14 RA claim), or is a public entity (for an ADA claim). See, e.g., Zukle, 166 F.3d at 1045. 15 Plaintiff asserts that he has a physical disability which necessitates the use of 16 handrails and a wheelchair, which satisfies the first element. Dkt. No. 1-1 at 4. However, 17 there are no allegations to establish the remaining elements, i.e., that Plaintiff was 18 excluded from or denied the benefits of any service, program, or activity of the prison 19 solely based on his disability. Nor has Plaintiff stated an RA claim where there are no 20 allegations that he was denied a service and that service receives federal funds. 21 Furthermore, the appropriate Defendants for an ADA/RA is the specific program (RA 22 claim) or the public entity (ADA) which is responsible for compliance with the ADA/RA, 23 not individual officers. Lastly, Plaintiff indicates that he is seeking damages and 24 injunctive relief in the form of body cameras on SVSP guards. Dkt. No. 1 at 3. Under 25 Title III of the ADA (public accommodations and services operated by private entities), 26 equitable relief in the form of an injunction is the only remedy available to private parties. 1 open the question whether a court that finds a violation of Title III can deny injunctive 2 relief and fashion some sort of other equitable relief in its stead). It is not readily apparent 3 how body cameras are relevant to remedy an ADA or RA violation. Furthermore, 4 monetary damages are not available under Title II of the ADA absent a showing of 5 discriminatory intent. See Ferguson v. City of Phoenix, 157 F.3d 668, 674 (9th Cir. 1998). 6 Plaintiff’s complaint contains no allegation involving discriminatory intent. 7 Based on the foregoing, this claim shall be dismissed with leave to amend to allege 8 sufficient facts to establish a claim under the ADA and/or the RA against Defendant 9 SVSP, if Plaintiff can do so in good faith, and to state an appropriate form of relief. 10 C. Conspiracy 11 Plaintiff claims that all the named Defendants conspired to assault him. Dkt. No. 1- 12 1 at 17-20. 13 A civil conspiracy is a combination of two or more persons who, by some concerted 14 action, intend to accomplish some unlawful objective for the purpose of harming another 15 which results in damage. Gilbrook v. City of Westminster, 177 F.3d 839, 856 (9th Cir. 16 1999). To prove a civil conspiracy, the plaintiff must show that the conspiring parties 17 reached a unity of purpose or common design and understanding, or a meeting of the 18 minds in an unlawful agreement. Id. To be liable, each participant in the conspiracy need 19 not know the exact details of the plan, but each participant must at least share the common 20 objective of the conspiracy. Id. A defendant's knowledge of and participation in a 21 conspiracy may be inferred from circumstantial evidence and from evidence of the 22 defendant’s actions. Id. at 856-57. 23 Conspiracy is not itself a constitutional tort under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Lacey v. 24 Maricopa County, 693 F.3d 896, 935 (9th Cir. 2012) (en banc). It does not enlarge the 25 nature of the claims asserted by the plaintiff, as there must always be an underlying 26 constitutional violation. Id. Conspiracy may, however, enlarge the pool of responsible 1 conspiracy may make a party liable for the unconstitutional actions of the party with whom 2 he has conspired. Id. Conspiracy in § 1983 actions is usually alleged by plaintiffs to draw 3 in private parties who would otherwise not be susceptible to a § 1983 action because of the 4 state action doctrine, or to aid in proving claims against otherwise tenuously connected 5 parties in a complex case. 6 Liberally construed, Plaintiff states a conspiracy claim against Defendants Serrato, 7 Guijarro and Akin based on their alleged concerted actions in the excessive force incident. 8 Furthermore, Plaintiff also states a conspiracy claim against Defendant Diaz for her part in 9 allegedly filing a false RVR in which Defendants’ actions are presented as justified. Dkt. 10 No. 1-1 at 20. 11 D. “1965 Civil Rights Act” 12 Plaintiff claims Defendants violated the “1965 Civil Rights Act” because the 13 “motive for their actions was racial prejudice.” Dkt. No. 1-1 at 17-20. Plaintiff asserts this 14 based on the fact that the incident occurred on a “Black Holiday; Juneteenth the day the 15 Black Americans celebrate the end of slavery in the United States.” Id. at 10. However, 16 there is no “1965 Civil Rights Act.” Perhaps Plaintiff is referring to the Civil Rights Act 17 of 1964 under Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq. Be that as it may, to the extent that 18 Plaintiff is alleging discriminatory intent, the Court will liberally construe this claim as one 19 under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. 20 “The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment commands that no 21 State shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, which 22 is essentially a direction that all persons similarly situated should be treated alike.” City of 23 Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center, 473 U.S. 432, 439 (1985). A plaintiff alleging denial 24 of equal protection based on race or other suspect classification must plead intentional 25 unlawful discrimination or allege facts that are at least susceptible of an inference of 26 discriminatory intent. Monteiro v. Tempe Union High School Dist., 158 F.3d 1022, 1026 1 actor acted at least in part because of the plaintiff's membership in a protected class. 2 Furnace v. Sullivan, 705 F.3d 1021, 1030 (9th Cir. 2013); Serrano v. Francis, 345 F.3d 3 1071, 1081-82 (9th Cir. 2003); see also Byrd v. Maricopa Cnty. Sheriff's Dep't, 629 F.3d 4 1135, 1140 (9th Cir. 2011) (en banc) (claim that alleged harmful treatment but mentioned 5 nothing about disparate treatment was properly dismissed); Village of Willowbrook v. 6 Olech, 528 U.S. 562, 564-65 (2000) (per curiam) (holding that “class of one” claim 7 requires only that action be irrational and arbitrary, rather than requiring discriminatory 8 intent). 9 Plaintiff’s allegations are simply insufficient to state an equal protection claim 10 because he fails to explain how Defendants discriminated against him because of his 11 membership in a protected class. It is not enough that the incident took place on a “Black 12 Holiday” to establish racial prejudice. Plaintiff must at least describe similarly situated 13 prisoners who received different treatment than Plaintiff such that Defendants’ actions 14 towards him were irrational and arbitrary. Accordingly, this claim is also dismissed with 15 leave to amend for Plaintiff to attempt to state sufficient factual allegations to support an 16 equal protection claim against each Defendant whom he believes is responsible for the 17 discriminatory treatment. 18 E. Due Process 19 Plaintiff claims Defendant Diaz filed a false Rule Violation Report (“RVR”) against 20 Plaintiff, and that Defendant Akin is responsible for falsifying documents to cover up 21 Defendants’ wrongful actions and for reviewing and approving the related reports. Dkt. 22 No. 1-1 at 19, 20. Liberally construed, Plaintiff appears to be attempting to state a due 23 process claim. 24 Prisoners retain their right to due process subject to the restrictions imposed by the 25 nature of the penal system. See Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539, 556 (1974). Thus, 26 although prison disciplinary proceedings are not part of a criminal prosecution and the full 1 violations are alleged and the sanctions to be applied implicate state statutes or regulations 2 which narrowly restrict the power of prison officials to impose the sanctions and the 3 sanctions are severe, the Due Process Clause requires certain minimum procedural 4 protections. See id. at 556-57, 571-72 n.19. The placement of a California prisoner in 5 isolation or segregation, or the assessment of good-time credits against him, as a result of 6 disciplinary proceedings, for example, is subject to Wolff’s procedural protections1 if (1) 7 state statutes or regulations narrowly restrict the power of prison officials to impose the 8 deprivation, and (2) the liberty in question is one of “real substance.” See Sandin v. 9 Conner, 515 U.S. 472, 477-87 (1995). The fact that a prisoner may have been innocent of 10 the charges does not raise a due process issue. The Constitution demands due process, not 11 error-free decision-making. See Ricker v. Leapley, 25 F.3d 1406, 1410 (8th Cir. 1994); 12 McCrae v. Hankins, 720 F.2d 863, 868 (5th Cir. 1983). 13 Plaintiff’s allegations are insufficient to state a due process claim against 14 Defendants Diaz and Akin because he does not describe what deprivations he suffered 15 during the disciplinary proceedings, whether he was found guilty, and if so, what sanctions 16 he received as a result of a guilty finding to trigger Wolff’s procedural protections. 17 Furthermore, even if the sanctions were severe enough to trigger Wolff, Plaintiff must 18 allege that he was actually deprived of at least one of Wolff’s protections. Plaintiff is also 19 1 Wolff established five procedural requirements. First, “written notice of the charges must 20 be given to the disciplinary-action defendant in order to inform him of the charges and to enable him to marshal the facts and prepare a defense.” Wolff, 418 U.S. at 564. Second, 21 “at least a brief period of time after the notice, no less than 24 hours, should be allowed to the inmate to prepare for the appearance before the [disciplinary committee].” Id. Third, 22 “there must be a 'written statement by the factfinders as to the evidence relied on and reasons' for the disciplinary action.” Id. (quoting Morrissey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471, 489 23 (1972)). Fourth, “the inmate facing disciplinary proceedings should be allowed to call witnesses and present documentary evidence in his defense when permitting him to do so 24 will not be unduly hazardous to institutional safety or correctional goals.” Id. at 566. Fifth, “[w]here an illiterate inmate is involved . . . or where the complexity of the issues 25 makes it unlikely that the inmate will be able to collect and present the evidence necessary for an adequate comprehension of the case, he should be free to seek the aid of a fellow 26 inmate, or . . . to have adequate substitute aid . . . from the staff or from a[n] . . . inmate 1 advised that if the procedurally protected liberty interest of which the prisoner is deprived 2 during the disciplinary process is restored during the prison administrative appeal process, 3 the prisoner does not have a due process claim. See Frank v. Schultz, 808 F.3d 762, 763- 4 64 (9th Cir. 2015) (summary judgment properly granted to defendants on due process 5 claim where prisoner filed a successful administrative appeal which led to the removal of 6 the incident report from his file and the forfeited credits were restored). 7 Plaintiff shall be granted leave to amend this claim to allege sufficient facts to state 8 a due process claim against Defendant Tapia, if he can do so in good faith. 9 F. Eleventh Amendment Immunity 10 Plaintiff sues each Defendant in his “individual and official capacity.” Dkt. No. 1-1 11 at 17-20. 12 The Eleventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bars a person from suing a state 13 in federal court without the state’s consent. See Pennhurst State Sch. & Hosp. v. 14 Halderman, 465 U.S. 89, 98-100 (1984). The U.S. Supreme Court has held that state 15 officials acting in their official capacities are not “persons” under Section 1983 because “a 16 suit against a state official in his or her official capacity is not a suit against the official but 17 rather is a suit against the official’s office.” See Will v. Mich. Dep’t of State Police, 491 18 U.S. 58, 71 (1989). Thus, such a suit is therefore no different from a suit against the state 19 itself. Id. Accordingly, the Eleventh Amendment bars Plaintiff’s claims for monetary 20 relief to the extent that they are based on acts by Defendants in their official capacity. See 21 id. Such claims for damages must be dismissed. 22 In preparing an amended complaint, Plaintiff is advised to state that he is suing 23 these individual Defendants only in their individual capacity, and not in an official 24 capacity. 25 /// 26 /// 1 CONCLUSION 2 For the foregoing reasons, the Court orders as follows: 3 1. The complaint states the following cognizable claims: (1) excessive force 4 claims against Defendants Serrato, Guijarro, and Akin; and (2) conspiracy to commit 5 assault against Defendants Serrato, Guijarro, Akin, and Diaz. 6 2. Plaintiff’s claim for damages against Defendants in their official capacity is 7 DISMISSED with prejudice as barred by the Eleventh Amendment. 8 3. The following claims are DISMISSED with leave to amend: (1) ADA/RA 9 claim against all Defendants; (2) equal protection claim against all Defendants; and (3) due 10 process claims against Defendants Diaz and Akin. 11 Within twenty-eight (28) days of the date this order is filed, Plaintiff shall file an 12 amended complaint to correct the deficiencies described above. The amended complaint 13 must include the caption and civil case number used in this order, Case No. 22-cv-05832 14 BLF (PR), and the words “AMENDED COMPLAINT” on the first page. If using the 15 court form complaint, Plaintiff must answer all the questions on the form in order for the 16 action to proceed. The amended complaint supersedes the original, the latter being treated 17 thereafter as non-existent. Ramirez v. Cty. Of San Bernardino, 806 F.3d 1002, 1008 (9th 18 Cir. 2015). Consequently, claims not included in an amended complaint are no longer 19 claims and defendants not named in an amended complaint are no longer defendants. See 20 Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1262 (9th Cir.1992). 21 In the alternative, Plaintiff may file notice in the same time provided that he 22 wishes to strike the deficient claims from the complaint and proceed solely on the 23 cognizable claims identified above. The Court will order those claims stricken, and the 24 matter shall proceed on the cognizable claims against the relevant Defendants. 25 4. Failure to respond in accordance with this order in the time provided 26 will result in the dismissal with prejudice of all the deficient claims under paragraph 1 || cognizable claims identified under paragraph 1. See supra at 11. 2 5. The Clerk shall include two copies of the court’s form complaint with a copy 3 of this order to Plaintiff. 4 IT IS SO ORDERED. 5 || Dated: __ March 28, 2023___ fouinbhacnan 6 BETH LABSON FREEMAN United States District Judge 7 8 9 10 11 g
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Oo Z 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Order of Dismissal with Leave to Amend PRO-SE\BLF\CR.22\05832 Washington dwlta 26 27