Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-00180/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-00180-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

I. Screening Requirement and Standard

Plaintiff Henry Hernandez (“Plaintiff”) is a former state prisoner proceeding pro se and in 

forma pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff initiated this action on 

January 8, 2015, and the matter was transferred to this Court on February 4, 2015. Plaintiff’s 

complaint, filed on January 8, 2015, is currently before the Court for screening. 

The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a 

governmental entity and/or against an officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 

1915A(a). Plaintiff’s complaint, or any portion thereof, is subject to dismissal if it is frivolous or 

malicious, if it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or if it seeks monetary relief 

from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1), (2); 28 U.S.C. § 

1915(e)(2)(B)(ii).

HENRY HERNANDEZ,

 Plaintiff,

v.

N. LOPEZ, et al.,

Defendants.

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Case No.: 1:15-cv-00180-AWI-BAM (PC)

SCREENING ORDER DISMISSING COMPLAINT 

WITH LEAVE TO AMEND

(ECF No. 1.)

THIRTY-DAY DEADLINE

Case 1:15-cv-00180-AWI-BAM Document 15 Filed 07/20/15 Page 1 of 5
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A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is 

entitled to relief. . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not required, but 

“[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, 

do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949 (2009) (citing Bell 

Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 1964-65 (2007)). While a plaintiff’s 

allegations are taken as true, courts “are not required to indulge unwarranted inferences.” Doe I v. 

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 572 F.3d 677, 681 (9th Cir. 2009) (internal quotation marks and citation 

omitted). 

To survive screening, Plaintiff’s claims must be facially plausible, which requires sufficient 

factual detail to allow the Court to reasonably infer that each named defendant is liable for the 

misconduct alleged. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. at 1949 (quotation marks omitted); Moss v. 

United States Secret Service, 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The sheer possibility that a defendant 

acted unlawfully is not sufficient, and mere consistency with liability falls short of satisfying the 

plausibility standard. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. at 1949 (quotation marks omitted); Moss, 572 

F.3d at 969.

II. Allegations in Complaint

Plaintiff alleges as follows:

Committe[e] action’s date Feb-4, 2014 Correctional N. Lopez and C. Hopper, and 

D. Franco all they’s [sic] committee[e] members denied my right to recive [sic] 

minimum custody right befor[e] the three judgement order Feb-10 2014 to give 

minimum custody good time credit’s 33/.3 percent and it was not my annual UCC 

review; it is on 5/7/2014 my annual UCC review all other levels name’s on 602 

Appeal See B. Section Full Name’s, officials and position’s and placement of 

[employment] Frist [sic] Level Review Aven[a]l State Prison, H. Hatten, CCII 

Facility : #D, Second Level; June-4-2014 C. Wofford; Warden Avenal State 

Prison Third Level Decision is Denied. K.J. Allen Appeals Examiner: R. L. 

Briggs (A) Office of Appeals; and asking the three judge [panel] to make a fair 

decision: on my claim civil suit with respect to the three judge’s.

(ECF No. 1, p. 2.) As relief, Plaintiff wants the “three judge [panel] that gave minimum custody 

good time credits at 33/3 [percent] to minimum custody prisoner’s as my self [order] of the three 

judge panel make a decision on my relief award for [refusing] my right’s by state officials give 

to me minimum credits. Make your decision on my award.” (ECF No. 1, p. 2.) 

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III. Deficiencies of Complaint

Plaintiff’s complaint is unclear and lacks basic facts. Plaintiff appears to complain about 

the failure to receive minimum custody good-time credits at the proper rate while incarcerated at 

Avenal State Prison. 

A. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8, a complaint must contain “a short and 

plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). 

Detailed factual allegations are not required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause 

of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 

(citation omitted). Plaintiff must set forth “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a 

claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. 

at 570, 127 S.Ct. at 1974). While factual allegations are accepted as true, legal conclusions are 

not. Id.; see also Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556–557.

As noted above, Plaintiff’s complaint lacks basic facts, including what happened and who 

was involved. More importantly, Plaintiff’s complaint does not sufficiently and succinctly state 

the basis for his claim. Plaintiff will be given leave to cure these deficiencies.

B. Linkage Requirement

The Civil Rights Act under which this action was filed provides:

Every person who, under color of [state law] ... subjects, or causes to be subjected, any 

citizen of the United States ... to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities 

secured by the Constitution ... shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit 

in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.

42 U.S.C. § 1983. The statute plainly requires that there be an actual connection or link between 

the actions of the defendants and the deprivation alleged to have been suffered by Plaintiff. See

Monell v. Dep’t of Soc. Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978); Rizzo v. 

Goode, 423 U.S. 362, 96 S.Ct. 598, 46 L.Ed.2d 561 (1976). The Ninth Circuit has held that “[a] 

person ‘subjects’ another to the deprivation of a constitutional right, within the meaning of 

section 1983, if he does an affirmative act, participates in another’s affirmative acts, or omits to 

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perform an act which he is legally required to do that causes the deprivation of which complaint 

is made.” Johnson v. Duffy, 588 F.2d 740, 743 (9th Cir. 1978).

Here, Plaintiff fails to link any individual defendant to a constitutional violation. While 

he identifies certain individuals as committee members, he does not clearly identify the 

constitutional violation. Critically, Plaintiff does not identify what any individual defendant did 

or did not do that resulted in a violation of his rights. Plaintiff will be given leave to cure these 

deficiencies. 

C. Application of Time Credits

Although the precise nature of the claim and Defendants’ involvement are not clear, 

Plaintiff may not challenge the length of his sentence in a section 1983 action. Wilkinson v. 

Dotson, 544 U.S. 74, 78, 125 S.Ct. 1242 (2005). Plaintiff’s sole remedy for the failure to 

properly credit time credits to his sentence lies in habeas corpus. Wilkinson, 544 U.S. at 78. 

Accordingly, this claim is not cognizable.

IV. Conclusion and Order

Plaintiff’s complaint fails to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 and fails to state a 

cognizable section 1983 claim. As Plaintiff is proceeding pro se, the Court will grant Plaintiff an 

opportunity to cure the identified deficiencies to the extent he is able to do so in good faith. Lopez v. 

Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1130 (9th Cir. 2000). 

Plaintiff’s amended complaint should be brief, Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a), but it must state what each 

named defendant did that led to the deprivation of Plaintiff’s constitutional rights, Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 

678-79, 129 S.Ct. at 1948-49. Although accepted as true, the “[f]actual allegations must be 

[sufficient] to raise a right to relief above the speculative level . . . .” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555

(citations omitted). 

Additionally, Plaintiff may not change the nature of this suit by adding new, unrelated claims 

in his first amended complaint. George v. Smith, 507 F.3d 605, 607 (7th Cir. 2007) (no “buckshot” 

complaints).

Finally, Plaintiff is advised that an amended complaint supersedes the original complaint. 

Lacey v. Maricopa County, 693 F.3d 896, 927 (9th Cir. 2012). Therefore, Plaintiff’s amended 

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complaint must be “complete in itself without reference to the prior or superseded pleading.” Local 

Rule 220. 

Based on the foregoing, it is HEREBY ORDERED that: 

1. The Clerk’s Office shall send Plaintiff a complaint form; 

2. Plaintiff’s complaint is dismissed with leave to amend; 

3. Within thirty (30) days from the date of service of this order, Plaintiff shall file a first

amended complaint; and

4. If Plaintiff fails to file a first amended complaint in compliance with this order, this 

action will be dismissed for failure to obey a court order and failure to state a claim.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 20, 2015 /s/ Barbara A. McAuliffe _

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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