Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01979/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01979-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 05:552 Freedom of Information Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WILLIAM M. BRYSON, Jr.,

Plaintiff,

v.

SUSAN B. GERSON,

Defendant.

Case No. 1:13-cv-1979-LJO-MJS

ORDER DISMISSING COMPLAINT 

WITH LEAVE TO AMEND

(ECF NO. 1)

AMENDED COMPLAINT DUE WITHIN 

THIRTY (30) DAYS

Plaintiff is a federal prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this

action under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552. (ECF No. 1.)

Plaintiff’s Complaint is now before the Court for screening.

I. SCREENING REQUIREMENT

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

against a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 

U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if the prisoner 

has raised claims that are legally “frivolous, malicious,” or that fail to state a claim upon 

which relief may be granted, or that seek monetary relief from a defendant who is 

immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1),(2). “Notwithstanding any filing fee, or 

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any portion thereof, that may have been paid, the court shall dismiss the case at any 

time if the court determines that . . . the action or appeal . . . fails to state a claim upon 

which relief may be granted.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii).

II. PLEADING STANDARD

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 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). 

Plaintiff must set forth “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to 

relief that is plausible on its face.” Id. Facial plausibility demands more than the mere 

possibility that a defendant committed misconduct and, while factual allegations are 

accepted as true, legal conclusions are not. Id. at 677-78.

II. PLAINTIFF’S CLAIMS

Plaintiff is currently housed at Atwater Penitentiary in Atwater, California. Plaintiff 

names as defendants (1) Susan B. Gerson, Assistant Director of the Executive Office 

for United States Attorneys, (2) President Bush, and (3) their successors. Plaintiff brings 

a sole claim under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), 5 U.S.C. § 552.

Plaintiff’s allegations concern two FOIA requests. Plaintiff sent the first request to 

the Executive Office for United States Attorneys on July 2, 2013, and sought 

“information and any presented evidence” from the grand jury proceedings in Plaintiff’s 

underlying criminal case. Plaintiff sent the second request to Defendant Gerson at the 

Executive Office for United States Attorneys on August 12, 2013, and sought 

documents presented at trial in Plaintiff’s criminal case. 

Plaintiff did not receive a response to either request. He asks that the court order 

the release of the requested records.

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III. ANALYSIS

With limited exceptions, government agencies must make records promptly 

available upon a request for records which “(i) reasonably describes such records and 

(ii) is made in accordance with published rules stating the time, place, fees (if any), and 

procedures to be followed.” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(3)(A).

“On complaint, the district court of the United States in the district in which the 

complainant resides . . . has jurisdiction to enjoin the agency from withholding agency 

records and to order the production of any agency records improperly withheld from the 

complainant.” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(B). “Under this provision, federal jurisdiction is 

dependent on a showing that an agency has (1) improperly (2) withheld (3) agency 

records.” U.S. Dep’t of Justice v. Tax Analysts, 492 U.S. 136, 142 (1989) (internal 

quotation marks omitted) (quoting Kissinger v. Reporters Comm. for Freedom of Press, 

445 U.S. 136, 150 (1980)). “Unless each of these criteria is met, a district court lacks 

jurisdiction to devise remedies to force an agency to comply with the FOIA's disclosure 

requirements.” Id.

Plaintiff’s Complaint sets forth when his FOIA requests were submitted, where he 

sent them, what information he sought, the government’s failure to respond, and that

the lack of a response was improper. Plaintiff has sufficiently alleged the substantive 

elements of a FOIA claim.

However, Plaintiff has failed to name a proper Plaintiff in this matter. Under 5 

U.S.C. § 522(a)(4)(B), the only proper plaintiff in a FOIA action is the agency that 

allegedly improperly withheld documents. Drake v. Obama, 664 F.3d 774, 785 (9th Cir. 

2011). The Court does not have jurisdiction over FOIA claims against Defendant 

Gerson or President Bush, and the Executive Office of United States Attorneys is not a 

party to this action. Accordingly, Plaintiff’s complaint must be dismissed.

Plaintiff will be given leave to amend his complaint. If he chooses to do so, he is 

advised that he must name as a defendant the agency that allegedly improperly 

withheld documents.

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IV. CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Plaintiff’s Complaint does not state a claim for relief. The Court will grant Plaintiff 

an opportunity to file an amended complaint. See Noll v. Carlson, 809 F.2d 1446, 1448-

49 (9th Cir. 1987). If Plaintiff opts to amend, he must name an agency as defendant and 

must demonstrate that the agency improperly withheld agency records. Drake, 664 F.3d 

at 785; Tax Analysts, 492 U.S. at 142.

Plaintiff should note that although he has been given the opportunity to amend, it 

is not for the purposes of adding new claims. George v. Smith, 507 F.3d 605, 607 (7th 

Cir. 2007). Plaintiff should carefully read this Screening Order and focus his efforts on 

curing the deficiencies set forth above.

Finally, Plaintiff is advised that Local Rule 220 requires that an amended 

complaint be complete in itself without reference to any prior pleading. As a general 

rule, an amended complaint supersedes the original complaint. See Loux v. Rhay, 375 

F.2d 55, 57 (9th Cir. 1967). Once an amended complaint is filed, the original complaint 

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. The amended complaint should be clearly and boldly titled “First 

Amended Complaint,” refer to the appropriate case number, and be an original signed 

under penalty of perjury. Plaintiff's amended complaint should be brief. Fed. R. Civ. P. 

8(a). 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).

Accordingly, it is HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. The Clerk’s Office shall send Plaintiff a copy of his Complaint, filed December 

2, 2013;

2. Plaintiff’s Complaint is dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief 

may be granted;

3. Plaintiff shall file an amended complaint within thirty (30) days; and

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4. If Plaintiff fails to file an amended complaint in compliance with this order, the 

Court will recommend that this action be dismissed, with prejudice, for failure 

to state a claim and failure to comply with a court order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 13, 2014 /s/Michael J. Seng 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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