Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-01640/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-01640-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CHARLES ROBERT ADAMS, ) 

 )

Plaintiff, )

)

)

v. )

)

FORD MOTOR CREDIT, et al, ) 

 )

Defendants. )

)

 )

1:06-cv-1640-OWW-SMS 

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION

TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS

(DOC. 2) 

ORDER DISMISSING PLAINTIFF’S

COMPLAINT WITH LEAVE TO FILE A

FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT NO LATER

THAN THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE DATE

OF SERVICE OF THIS ORDER (DOC. 1)

ORDER DIRECTING THE CLERK TO SEND

TO PLAINTIFF A BLANK CIVIL RIGHTS

COMPLAINT FORM FOR A PERSON IN

CUSTODY

Plaintiff is a state prisoner housed at Jamestown proceeding

pro se with an action for damages and other relief. The matter

has been referred to the Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §

636(b) and Local Rules 72-302 and 72-304.

I. Application to Proceed in Forma Pauperis

Plaintiff has submitted a declaration and attachments that

make the showing required by § 1915(a). Accordingly, the request

to proceed in forma pauperis will be granted. 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(a).

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1), Plaintiff is required to

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 The filing fee for civil actions is $350.00. 28 U.S.C. 1

§ 1914, as amended effective April 8, 2006. Pub. L. No. 109-171,

120 Stat. 4 (2006).

 The Court will screen the complaint and any amended complaint that is 2

filed and will issue an order determining that claims against specific

defendants have been stated before the Court will direct that the complaint be

served on any defendant.

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pay the statutory filing fee of $350.00 for this action. No 1

initial partial filing fee with be assessed by this order because

Plaintiff has no funds in his prison trust account. 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(b)(1). By separate order, the Court will direct the

appropriate agency to collect the filing fee in monthly payments

of twenty percent of the preceding month’s income credited to

Plaintiff’s prison trust account. These payments will be

forwarded by the appropriate agency to the Clerk of the Court

each time the amount in Plaintiff’s account exceeds $10.00, until

the filing fee is paid in full. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

II. Screening the Complaint

In cases wherein the plaintiff is proceeding in forma

pauperis, the Court is required to screen cases and shall dismiss

the case at any time if the Court determines that the allegation

of poverty is untrue, or the action or appeal is frivolous or

malicious, fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted,

or seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from

such relief. 28 U.S.C. 1915(e)(2).2

Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a) provides:

A pleading which sets forth a claim for relief,

whether an original claim, counterclaim, crossclaim, or third-party claim, shall contain

(1) a short and plain statement of the grounds

upon which the court’s jurisdiction depends,

unless the court already has jurisdiction and 

the claim needs no new grounds of jurisdiction

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to support it, (2) a short and plain statement

of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled

to relief, and (3) a demand for judgment for

the relief the pleader seeks. Relief in the 

alternative or of several different types 

may be demanded.

A complaint must contain a short and plain statement as required

by Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Although the Federal Rules adopt a

flexible pleading policy, a complaint must give fair notice and

state the elements of the claim plainly and succinctly. Jones v.

Community Redev. Agency, 733 F.2d 646, 649 (9th Cir. 1984).

Plaintiff must allege with at least some degree of particularity

overt acts which the defendants engaged in that support

Plaintiff's claim. Id. Although a complaint need not outline all

elements of a claim, it must be possible to infer from the

allegations that all elements exist and that there is entitlement

to relief under some viable legal theory. Walker v. South Cent.

Bell Telephone Co., 904 F.2d 275, 277 (5 Cir. 1990); Lewis v. th

ACB Business Service, Inc., 135 F.3d 389, 405-06 (6 Cir. 1998). th

In reviewing a complaint under this standard, the Court must

accept as true the allegations of the complaint in question,

Hospital Bldg. Co. v. Trustees of Rex Hospital, 425 U.S. 738, 740

(1976), construe the pro se pleadings liberally in the light most

favorable to the Plaintiff, Resnick v. Hayes, 213 F.3d 443, 447

(9 Cir. 2000), and resolve all doubts in the Plaintiff’s favor, th

Jenkins v. McKeithen, 395 U.S. 411, 421 (1969).

If the Court determines that the complaint fails to state a

claim, leave to amend should be granted to the extent that the

deficiencies of the complaint can be cured by amendment. Lopez v.

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

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complaint, or a portion thereof, should only be dismissed for

failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted if it

appears beyond doubt that the Plaintiff can prove no set of

facts, consistent with the allegations, in support of the claim

or claims that would entitle him to relief. See Hishon v. King &

Spalding, 467 U.S. 69, 73 (1984), citing Conley v. Gibson, 355

U.S. 41, 45-46 (1957); see also Palmer v. Roosevelt Lake Log

Owners’ Ass’n., Inc., 651 F.2d 1289, 1294 (9 Cir. 1981). th

Dismissal of a pro se complaint for failure to state a claim is

proper only where it is obvious that the Plaintiff cannot prevail

on the facts that he has alleged and that an opportunity to amend

would be futile. Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d at 1128.

A claim is frivolous if it lacks an arguable basis either in

law or fact. Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 324 (1989). A

frivolous claim is based on an inarguable legal conclusion or a

fanciful factual allegation. Id. A federal court may dismiss a

claim as frivolous if it is based on an indisputably meritless

legal theory or if the factual contentions are clearly baseless.

Id. 

The test for malice is a subjective one that requires the

Court to determine whether the applicant is proceeding in good

faith. Kinney v. Plymouth Rock Squab. Co., 236 U.S. 43, 46

(1915); see Wright v. Newsome, 795 F.2d 964, 968 n. 1 (11 Cir. th

1986). A lack of good faith is most commonly found in repetitive

suits filed by plaintiffs who have used the advantage of costfree filing to file a multiplicity of suits. A complaint may be

inferred to be malicious if it suggests an intent to vex the

defendants or abuse the judicial process by relitigating claims

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decided in prior cases, Crisafi v. Holland, 655 F.2d 1305, 1309

(D.C.Cir. 1981); if it threatens violence or contains

disrespectful references to the Court, id.; or if it contains

untrue material allegations of fact or false statements made with

knowledge and an intent to deceive the Court, Horsey v. Asher,

741 F.2d 209, 212 (8 Cir. 1984). th

III. Plaintiff’s Complaint 

Plaintiff filed his complaint on a form for complaints

brought under the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff

names Ford motor Credit in the caption, but he also names

Allstate Insurance Company as the sole defendant. Plaintiff

alleges that at an unspecified time he purchased a new 2006 Ford

Focus which was covered by an Allstate insurance policy; at a

time when his insurance policy was “current,” Plaintiff crashed

the car, had it towed to a shop for repairs, but was denied his

insurance claim by the insurer. This in turn caused the shop to

file a lien on the car, but Ford Credit, the first lienholder,

repossessed his car even though he was current on his payments.

Plaintiff seeks monetary damages and punitive damages of

$3,500,000.00.

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. To state a claim pursuant to § 1983, a

plaintiff must plead that defendants acted under color of state

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law at the time the act complained of was committed and that the

defendants deprived the plaintiff of rights, privileges, or

immunities secured by the Constitution or laws of the United

States. Gibson v. United States, 781 F.2d 1334, 1338 (9 Cir. th

1986). 

It does not appear that Plaintiff is asserting that any

governmental officer or employee deprived Plaintiff of any civil

rights while proceeding under color of state law. It appears that

Plaintiff is asserting a claim in the nature of a civil

contractual claim against a private party.

Further, it does not appear that Plaintiff has alleged facts

that would show jurisdiction in this Court on any other basis.

IV. Amendment of Complaint

In summary, the Court finds it necessary to dismiss the

complaint in its entirety. Plaintiff has failed to state a

cognizable claim against the defendants and has failed to plead

facts demonstrating jurisdiction in this Court. However, it is

possible that Plaintiff can allege a set of facts, consistent

with the allegations, in support of the claim or claims that

would entitle him to relief. Thus, the Court will grant Plaintiff

an opportunity to amend the complaint to cure the deficiencies of

this complaint. Failure to cure the deficiencies will result in

dismissal of this action without leave to amend.

A complaint must contain a short and plain statement as

required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Although the Federal Rules

adopt a flexible pleading policy, a complaint must give fair

notice and state the elements of the claim plainly and

succinctly. Jones v. Community Redev. Agency, 733 F.2d 646, 649

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(9th Cir. 1984). Plaintiff must allege with at least some degree

of particularity overt acts which the defendants engaged in that

support Plaintiff's claim. Id. 

In addition, Plaintiff is informed that the Court cannot

refer to a prior pleading in order to make Plaintiff's amended

complaint complete. Local Rule 15-220 requires that an amended

complaint be complete in itself without reference to any prior

pleading. This is because, as a general rule, an amended

complaint supersedes the original complaint. See Loux v. Rhay,

375 F.2d 55, 57 (9th Cir. 1967). Once Plaintiff files an amended

complaint, the original pleading no longer serves any function in

the case. Therefore, in an amended complaint, as in an original

complaint, each claim and the involvement of each defendant must

be sufficiently alleged.

V. Directions to Clerk

The Clerk of the Court IS DIRECTED to send to Plaintiff a

blank civil rights form for an incarcerated plaintiff.

Accordingly, it IS ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff's request for leave to proceed in forma

pauperis is granted; and

2. Plaintiff is obligated to pay the statutory filing fee of

$350.00 for this action; Plaintiff is not assessed an initial

partial filing fee; all fees shall be collected and paid in

accordance with this Court’s order to the Director of the

California Department of Corrections filed concurrently herewith;

and

3. Plaintiff's complaint IS DISMISSED with leave to amend;

and

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4. Plaintiff IS GRANTED thirty days from the date of service

of this order to file a first amended complaint that complies

with the requirements of the pertinent substantive law, the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and the Local Rules of

Practice; the amended complaint must bear the docket number

assigned this case and must be labeled "First Amended Complaint"; 

failure to file an amended complaint in accordance with this

order will be considered to be a failure to comply with an order

of the Court pursuant to Local Rule 11-110 and will result in

dismissal of this action; and

5. The Clerk IS DIRECTED to send to Plaintiff a blank civil

rights complaint form for a person in custody.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 21, 2006 /s/ Sandra M. Snyder 

icido3 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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