Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-02495/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-02495-0/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DAVID B. TRACEY,

Plaintiff, No. CIV S-07-2495 LKK EFB P

vs.

SACRAMENTO COUNTY

SHERIFF DEPARTMENT, et al.,

Defendants. ORDER

 /

Plaintiff is a state prisoner without counsel prosecuting a civil rights action. See 42

U.S.C. § 1983. He has submitted an affidavit requesting leave to proceed in forma pauperis

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1). 

Plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis is incomplete in that it lacks the

certificate portion of the application indicating the average monthly balance and average

monthly deposits in his trust account for the six-month period immediately preceding the filing

of this complaint. Plaintiff has also failed to submit a certified copy of his trust-account

statement for the six-month period immediately preceding the filing of this complaint. Section

1915(a)(2) requires “a prisoner seeking to bring a civil action without prepayment of fees or

security therefor, in addition to filing the affidavit filed under paragraph (1), shall submit a

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certified copy of the trust fund account statement (or institutional equivalent) for the prisoner for

the 6-month period immediately preceding the filing of the complaint . . . , obtained from the

appropriate official of each prison at which the prisoner is or was confined.” Plaintiff has not

submitted the required trust account statement. Plaintiff will be granted leave to file the

appropriate certification.

The court has reviewed plaintiff’s complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A and finds it

does not state a cognizable claim against any defendant. To proceed, plaintiff must file an

amended complaint.

Any amended complaint must show that the federal court has jurisdiction and that

plaintiff’s action is brought in the right place, that plaintiff is entitled to relief if plaintiff’s

allegations are true, and must contain a request for particular relief. Plaintiff must identify as a

defendant only persons who personally participated in a substantial way in depriving plaintiff of

a federal constitutional right. Johnson v. Duffy, 588 F.2d 740, 743 (9th Cir. 1978) (a person

subjects another to the deprivation of a constitutional right if he does an act, participates in

another’s act or omits to perform an act he is legally required to do that causes the alleged

deprivation). 

Plaintiff’s claims must be set forth in short and plain terms, simply, concisely and

directly. See Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N.A., 534 U.S. 506, 514 (2002) (“Rule 8(a) is the starting

point of a simplified pleading system, which was adopted to focus litigation on the merits of a

claim.”); Fed. R. Civ. P. 8. 

A prisoner who claims his Eighth Amendment guarantee against cruel and unusual

punishment has been violated by inadequate medical care must allege that on a specific day an

identified state actor with individual responsibility for obtaining or providing medical care knew

the prisoner faced substantial risk of serious harm but deliberately disregarded the risk by failing

to take reasonable measures resulting in avoidable persistent severe pain or avoidable substantial

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personal injury. Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 106 (1976); Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825,

837 (1994).

An amended complaint must be complete in itself without reference to any prior

pleading. Local Rule 15-220; see Loux v. Rhay, 375 F.2d 55, 57 (9th Cir. 1967). Once plaintiff

files an amended complaint, the original pleading is superseded.

Plaintiff is admonished that by signing an amended complaint he certifies he has made

reasonable inquiry and has evidentiary support for his allegations and that for violation of this

rule the court may impose sanctions sufficient to deter repetition by plaintiff or others. Fed. R.

Civ. P. 11. Prison rules require plaintiff to obey all laws, including this one, and plaintiff may

be punished by prison authorities for violation of the court’s rules and orders. See Cal. Code

Regs. tit. 15, § 3005.

A prisoner may bring no § 1983 action until he has exhausted such administrative

remedies as are available to him. 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). The requirement is mandatory. Booth

v. Churner, 532 U.S. 731, 741 (2001). Plaintiff is further admonished that by signing an

amended complaint he certifies his claims are warranted by existing law, including the law that

he exhaust administrative remedies, and that for violation of this rule plaintiff risks dismissal of

his action.

Accordingly, the court hereby orders that:

1. Plaintiff has 30 days from the date this order is served to submit a completed

application to proceed in forma pauperis together with a certified trust account statement for the

six-month period immediately preceding the filing of his complaint. Failure to comply with this

order will result in a recommendation that this action be dismissed; 

2. The Clerk of the Court is directed to send to plaintiff a copy of the in forma pauperis

application form used in this district; and 

3. The complaint is dismissed with leave to amend within 30 days. Plaintiff shall file an

original and one copy of the amended complaint, which must bear the docket number assigned to

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this case and be titled “First Amended Complaint.” Failure to file an amended complaint will

result in a recommendation this action be dismissed for failure to state a claim. If plaintiff files

an amended complaint stating a cognizable claim the court will proceed with service of process

by the United States Marshal. 

Dated: February 8, 2008.

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