Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_10-cv-00907/USCOURTS-azd-2_10-cv-00907-2/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Zdravko Kotzev, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Charles L. Ryan, et al., 

Defendants. 

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No. CV-10-0907-PHX-FJM

ORDER

The court has before it defendant Ryan’s motion for summary judgment (doc. 68),

plaintiff’s response (doc. 73), defendant’s reply (doc. 77), plaintiff’s motion for summary

judgment (doc. 70), defendant’s response (doc. 81), and plaintiff’s reply (doc. 82). We also

have before us defendant’s motion to exceed the page limit for his reply (doc. 76). 

After a jury trial, plaintiff was found guilty of (1) conspiracy, (2) participating in a

criminal syndicate, (3) use of a wire communication in a drug transaction, (4) possession of

a narcotic for sale, (5) fraudulent schemes and artifices, and (6) possession of drug

paraphernalia. On December 9, 2005, plaintiff was sentenced to five years in prison on

Counts 1, 2, 4, and 5, two and one-half years on Count 3, and two years probation plus

$1,350 in fines on Count 6. The sentences on Counts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were to run

concurrently, followed by community supervision. Plaintiff rejected probation on Count 6

and was instead sentenced to one year imprisonment, to run concurrently with the other

Case 2:10-cv-00907-FJM Document 83 Filed 04/16/12 Page 1 of 3
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sentences. Plaintiff was released from the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC)

custody on May 8, 2009, and he completed his community supervision on January 7, 2010.

After his release, plaintiff filed this action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, asserting that the

ADC, through its Director Charles Ryan, subjected him to unauthorized detention by

requiring him to serve a sentence that exceeded the maximum sentence imposed by the

sentencing court, improperly modified his sentence by requiring that he serve flat time and

probation, discriminated against him on the basis of his ethnicity by forcing him to

participate in the functional literacy program, denying him release credits because of his

ethnicity and his lack of English proficiency, subjected him to double jeopardy, and

conspired to violate his constitutional rights by participating in the alleged unconstitutional

activity. Plaintiff challenges the constitutionality of A.R.S. § 41-1604.07 and A.R.S. § 31-

229, as well as various policies of the ADC. The complaint asserts seven separate counts:

(1) unauthorized detention and confinement, (2) conspiracy for deprivation of civil rights,

(3) ethnic discrimination, (4) unauthorized modification of sentence, (5) double jeopardy

violation, (6) forcible spousal-separation, and (7) intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Plaintiff originally sought compensatory and punitive damages, as well as declaratory

and injunctive relief. In a previous order, this court dismissed counts 6 and 7, and dismissed

all claims against Ryan in his individual capacity (doc. 29), leaving only claims against Ryan

in his official capacity. Because claims for damages against Ryan in his official capacity are

prohibited under the Eleventh Amendment, Will v. Michigan Dep’t of State Police, 491 U.S.

58, 71 & n.10, 109 S. Ct. 2304, 2312 & n.10 (1989), the only claims remaining are plaintiff’s

claims for declaratory and injunctive relief against Ryan in his official capacity. Both parties

now move for summary judgment on all remaining claims.

We agree with defendant that plaintiff’s claims for declaratory and injunctive relief

are moot. A case becomes moot when the “issues presented are no longer ‘live’ or the parties

lack a legally cognizable interest in the outcome.” Murphy v. Hunt, 455 U.S. 478, 481, 102

S. Ct. 1181, 1183 (1982); Porter v. Jones, 319 F.3d 483, 489 (9th Cir. 2003). An inmate’s

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request for injunctive relief concerning the prison where he was incarcerated becomes moot

once he is released from prison. Dilley v. Gunn, 64 F.3d 1365, 1368 (9th Cir. 1995). The

same is true for claims seeking declaratory relief. See Rhodes v. Stewart, 488 U.S. 1, 4, 109

S. Ct. 202, 203-04 (1988). 

Plaintiff’s release from custody extinguishes his legal interest in injunctive or

declaratory relief because such relief would offer him no redress. See Bernhardt v. County

of Los Angeles, 279 F.3d 862, 871 (9th Cir. 2002). After his release, plaintiff is no longer

subject to the prison conditions, policies, and statutes that he challenges. Therefore, we

conclude that, because plaintiff was released from custody after serving his sentence, his

remaining claims for injunctive and declaratory relief are moot.

IT IS ORDERED GRANTING defendant’s motion to exceed the page limit (doc.

76).

IT IS ORDERED GRANTING defendant’s motion for summary judgment (doc. 68).

IT IS ORDERED DENYING plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment (doc. 70).

DATED this 16th day of April, 2012.

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