Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-00318/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-00318-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MARCOS L MUSQUEZ, 

Plaintiff(s),

 v.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY JAIL

MEDICAL SERVICES, et al,

Defendant(s). 

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No C 07-0318 VRW (PR)

ORDER OF SERVICE

Plaintiff, a prisoner at the Santa Clara County Jail, has filed a pro se First

Amended Complaint ("FAC") under 42 USC § 1983 alleging inadequate care for

his mental illness, "Bipolar Type I." Plaintiff specifically alleges that the staff at

the jail have "denied and/or delayed" his prescribed medications on numerous

occasions causing him to "suffer unnecessarily." In support, he attaches

declarations from two employees at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley's

Mental Health Advocacy Project ("MHAP") setting forth specific dates on which

plaintiff contacted them regarding problems with his medications. 

Plaintiff names as defendants the Santa Clara County Jail Medical

Services, nursing supervisor Lorin Horn, as several Doe defendants. He seeks

injunctive relief – that "all of his medication be given to him daily as ordered;

that his medication not be changed without proper authorization and that the

deliberate act of denial/delay of his medication stop." He also seeks damages.

Case 3:07-cv-00318-VRW Document 13 Filed 08/02/07 Page 1 of 5
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DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

Federal courts must engage in a preliminary screening of cases in which

prisoners seek redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a

governmental entity. 28 USC § 1915A(a). The court must identify cognizable

claims or dismiss the complaint, or any portion of the complaint, if the complaint

"is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be

granted," or "seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such

relief." Id § 1915A(b). Pro se pleadings must be liberally construed, however. 

Balistreri v Pacifica Police Dep't, 901 F2d 696, 699 (9th Cir 1990).

To state a claim under 42 USC § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two

essential elements: (1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the

United States was violated, and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a

person acting under the color of state law. West v Atkins, 487 US 42, 48 (1988).

B. Legal Claims

A mentally ill prisoner may establish unconstitutional treatment on behalf

of prison officials by showing that officials have been deliberately indifferent to

his serious medical needs. See Doty v County of Lassen, 37 F3d 540, 546 (9th

Cir 1994); see also Hoptowit v Ray, 682 F2d 1237, 1253 (9th Cir 1982) (mental

health care requirements analyzed as part of general health care requirements). A

serious medical need exists if the failure to treat a prisoner's condition could

result in further significant injury or the unnecessary and wanton infliction of

pain. See Doty, 37 F3d at 546.

Liberally construed, plaintiff's allegations appear to state a § 1983 claim

for injunctive relief based on deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs

and will be served on the Santa Clara County Jail Medical Services and nursing

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supervisor Lorin Horn. Cf Leer v Murphy, 844 F2d 628, 633 (9th Cir 1988)

(when seeking injunctive relief, plaintiff does not have to establish same narrow

causal connection between his injuries and a responsible defendant as when

seeking damages from an individual). All other defendants are dismissed under

the authority of § 1915A(b); plaintiff may move to amend to add the named Doe

defendants once he ascertains their identities, however. See Wakefield v

Thompson, 177 F3d 1160, 1163 (9th Cir 1999). 

CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons and for good cause shown,

1. The clerk shall issue summons and the United States Marshal shall

serve, without prepayment of fees, copies of the FAC in this matter, all

attachments thereto, and copies of this order on the Santa Clara County Jail

Medical Services and nursing supervisor Lorin Horn. The clerk also shall serve a

copy of this order on plaintiff.

2. In order to expedite the resolution of this case, the court orders as

follows:

a. No later than 90 days from the date of this order, defendants

shall file a motion for summary judgment or other dispositive motion. A motion

for summary judgment shall be supported by adequate factual documentation and

shall conform in all respects to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, and shall

include as exhibits all records and incident reports stemming from the events at

issue. If defendants are of the opinion that this case cannot be resolved by

summary judgment or other dispositive motion, they shall so inform the court

prior to the date their motion is due. All papers filed with the court shall be

served promptly on plaintiff.

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b. Plaintiff's opposition to the dispositive motion shall be filed

with the court and served upon defendants no later than 30 days after defendants

serve plaintiff with the motion. 

c. Plaintiff is advised that a motion for summary judgment

under Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will, if granted, end your

case. Rule 56 tells you what you must do in order to oppose a motion for

summary judgment. Generally, summary judgment must be granted when there

is no genuine issue of material fact--that is, if there is no real dispute about any

fact that would affect the result of your case, the party who asked for summary

judgment is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, which will end your case. 

When a party you are suing makes a motion for summary judgment that is

properly supported by declarations (or other sworn testimony), you cannot simply

rely on what your complaint says. Instead, you must set out specific facts in

declarations, depositions, answers to interrogatories, or authenticated documents,

as provided in Rule 56(e), that contradicts the facts shown in the defendant's

declarations and documents and show that there is a genuine issue of material

fact for trial. If you do not submit your own evidence in opposition, summary

judgment, if appropriate, may be entered against you. If summary judgment is

granted, your case will be dismissed and there will be no trial. Rand v Rowland,

154 F3d 952, 962-63 (9th Cir 1998) (en banc) (App A).

Plaintiff is also advised that a motion to dismiss for failure to exhaust

administrative remedies under 42 USC § 1997e(a) will, if granted, end your case,

albeit without prejudice. You must “develop a record” and present it in your

opposition in order to dispute any “factual record” presented by the defendants in

their motion to dismiss. Wyatt v Terhune, 315 F3d 1108, 1120 n14 (9th Cir

2003).

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d. Defendants shall file a reply brief within 15 days of the date

on which plaintiff serves them with the opposition. 

e. The motion shall be deemed submitted as of the date the

reply brief is due. No hearing will be held on the motion unless the court so

orders at a later date. 

3. Discovery may be taken in accordance with the Federal Rules of

Civil Procedure. No further court order is required before the parties may

conduct discovery.

4. All communications by plaintiff with the court must be served on

defendants, or defendants' counsel once counsel has been designated, by mailing

a true copy of the document to defendants or defendants' counsel.

5. It is plaintiff's responsibility to prosecute this case. Plaintiff must

keep the court and all parties informed of any change of address and must comply

with the court's orders in a timely fashion. Failure to do so may result in the

dismissal of this action pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b).

SO ORDERED.

 

VAUGHN R WALKER

United States District Chief Judge

G:\PRO-SE\VRW\CR.07\Musquez1.or2.wpd

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