William Henry King v. State of Alabama D.O.C., et al.

CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Alabama
DecidedFebruary 17, 2026
Docket2:25-cv-00197
StatusUnknown

This text of William Henry King v. State of Alabama D.O.C., et al. (William Henry King v. State of Alabama D.O.C., et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
William Henry King v. State of Alabama D.O.C., et al., (M.D. Ala. 2026).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA NORTHERN DIVISION

WILLIAM HENRY KING, ) AIS # 319264, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) CASE NO. 2:25-CV-197-WKW ) [WO] STATE OF ALABAMA D.O.C., ) et al., ) ) Defendants. )

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

I. INTRODUCTION Plaintiff William Henry King, an inmate in the custody of the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), filed this pro se 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action against four Defendants: the State of Alabama D.O.C.; Fountain Correctional Facility Medical; Atmore Hospital; and Kilby Correctional Facility Medical. (Doc. # 1.) In a Memorandum Opinion and Order dated November 18, 2025, Plaintiff’s complaint was screened pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A. (Doc. # 17.) After screening Plaintiff’s complaint, the court determined that his claims had to be dismissed prior to service of process but afforded Plaintiff an opportunity to amend his complaint to correct the deficiencies. (Id. at 1–2.) On January 13, 2026, and February 2, 2026,1 Plaintiff filed amended complaints. (Docs. # 30 & 33.) This action is pending on the amended complaints

for screening under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A. Based upon this screening, all of Plaintiff’s claims must be dismissed, some with prejudice and some without prejudice.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW Plaintiff, a prisoner, is proceeding in forma pauperis (IFP). (Doc. # 4.) Under the IFP provisions of § 1915, any complaint filed is subject to mandatory court review. Because Plaintiff is seeking redress from state governmental officials, the

amended complaint also is subject to screening under § 1915A. Sections 1915 and 1915A require the court to dismiss a complaint, or any part of it, on its own initiative, if the allegations are frivolous, fail to state a claim on which relief may be granted,

or seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(i)–(iii); § 1915A(b)(1)–(2).2

1 “Under the ‘prison mailbox rule,’ a pro se prisoner’s court filing is deemed filed on the date it is delivered to prison authorities for mailing.” Williams v. McNeil, 557 F.3d 1287, 1290 n.2 (11th Cir. 2009). Absent evidence to the contrary, the court must “assume that a prisoner delivered a filing to prison authorities on the date that he signed it.” Jeffries v. United States, 748 F.3d 1310, 1314 (11th Cir. 2014). Plaintiff dated his amended § 1983 complaints “1-13-26” (Doc. # 30 at 4) and “February 2, 2026” (Doc. # 33 at 4.) Therefore, his amended complaints are deemed filed on January 13, 2026, and February 2, 2026.

2 The language in § 1915(e)(2)(B)(i)–(iii) is nearly identical to the language in § 1915A(b)(1)–(2). The Eleventh Circuit applies the same standards when evaluating complaints under both statutes. See Hutchinson v. Wexford Health Servs., Inc., 638 F. App’x 930, 932 (11th Cir. 2016) (per curiam) (observing that even if the district court had screened the complaint under the wrong statute, the outcome would have been the same because the standards under §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and On screening, the court may consider, sua sponte, affirmative defenses that are clear from the face of the complaint. Clark v. State of Ga. Pardons & Paroles

Bd., 915 F.2d 636, 640 & n.2 (11th Cir. 1990). “[I]f the district court sees that an affirmative defense would defeat the action, a section 1915[] dismissal is allowed.” Id. at 640. For example, “[t]he expiration of the statute of limitations serves as an

affirmative defense, the existence of which warrants a dismissal as frivolous.” Reid v. Republic Bank & Tr., Inc., 805 F. App’x 915, 916 (11th Cir. 2020) (per curiam). A complaint also must be dismissed at the statutory screening stage if it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. See § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii);

§ 1915A(b)(1). This review follows the same standard governing dismissals for failure to state a claim under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. See Douglas v. Yates, 535 F.3d 1316, 1320 (11th Cir. 2008). Hence, to state a claim

upon which relief may be granted, “a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). The plausibility standard “asks for more than a sheer

possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.” Id. To meet the plausibility standard, the plaintiff must plead factual content that “allows the court to draw the

1915A(b) are effectively identical). Therefore, this court applies the Eleventh Circuit’s interpretation of one statute to the other. reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. The allegations should present a “plain statement possessing enough heft to show

that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557 (cleaned up). “Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678.

Pro se pleadings are liberally construed and held “to less stringent standards” than pleadings drafted by attorneys. Bilal v. Geo Care, LLC, 981 F.3d 903, 911 (11th Cir. 2020) (quoting Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007)). However, the allegations still “must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative

level.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557. The court cannot “rewrite an otherwise deficient pleading [by a pro se litigant] in order to sustain an action.” GJR Invs. v. Escambia Cnty., 132 F.3d 1359, 1369 (11th Cir. 1998), overruled on other grounds by, Iqbal,

556 U.S. 662. III. THE AMENDED COMPLAINTS’ ALLEGATIONS Plaintiff names nine Defendants between his two amended complaints: (1) Warden Rolanda Calloway; (2) Warden Mary Cook; (3) Warden Brandon

McKenzie; (4) YesCare, as the medical provider for Fountain and Kilby Correctional Facilities; (5) Atmore Community Hospital; (6) the State of Alabama D.O.C.; (7) Steve Marshall; (8) Dr. O. Locke, LPN; and (9) Dr. Rahmian. (Doc. # 30 at 1,

2; Doc. # 33 at 1, 2.) However, the amended complaints do not attribute any specific act or omission to any Defendant.3 Collectively, the allegations in Plaintiff’s amended complaints are disjointed and difficult to follow. The court has endeavored

to decipher these allegations which, construed favorably to Plaintiff, set forth the following. In his amended complaints, Plaintiff alleges multiple incidents of medical

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William Henry King v. State of Alabama D.O.C., et al., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/william-henry-king-v-state-of-alabama-doc-et-al-almd-2026.