Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_10-cv-01891/USCOURTS-casd-3_10-cv-01891-3/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

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JIM DALE DAVIS, Civil No. 10cv1891-CAB (RBB)

Plaintiff,

ORDER (1) ADOPTING REPORT AND

RECOMMENDATION AND (2)

GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN

PART DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO

DISMISS 

[Doc. Nos. 30, 35]

v.

R. POWELL, T. BOREM, L. SMALL, K. OURS,

Defendant.

On October 6, 2011, plaintiff filed a Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”). [Doc. No. 29.] On

October 13, 2011, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the SAC. [Doc. No. 30.] On October 31, 2011,

Plaintiff filed an opposition to the motion to dismiss. [Doc. No. 31.] On November 7, 2011, Defendants

filed a reply to the opposition. [Doc. No. 33.] On July 25, 2012, Magistrate Judge Brooks prepared a

Report and Recommendation (“Report”) recommending that the motion to dismiss the SAC be granted

in part and denied in part. [Doc. No. 35.] The Report also ordered that any objections were to be filed by

August 24, 2012. [Report at 71.] To date, no objection has been filed, nor have there been any requests

for an extension of time in which to file an objection. 

A district court’s duties concerning a magistrate judge’s report and recommendation and a

respondent’s objections thereto are set forth in Rule 72(b) of the Federal rules of Civil Procedure and 28

U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). When no objections are filed, the district court is not required to review the

magistrate judge’s report and recommendation. The Court reviews de novo those portions of the Report

and Recommendation to which objections are made. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). The Court may “accept,

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reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings or recommendations made by the magistrate judge.”

Id. However, “[t]he statute makes it clear that the district judge must review the magistrate judge's

findings and recommendations de novo if objection is made, but not otherwise.” United States v.

Reyna–Tapia, 328 F.3d 1114, 1121 (9th Cir.2003) (en banc) (emphasis in original). “Neither the

Constitution nor the statute requires a district judge to review, de novo, findings and recommendations

that the parties themselves accept as correct.” Id. In the absence of timely objection, the Court “need

only satisfy itself that there is no clear error on the face of the record in order to accept the

recommendation.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 72 advisory committee’s note (citing Campbel v. U.S. Dist. Court,

501 F.2d 196, 206 (9th Cir. 1974)).

Here, neither party has timely filed objections to the Report. Having reviewed it, the Court finds

that it is thorough, well reasoned, and contains no clear error. Accordingly, the Court hereby (1)

ADOPTS Magistrate Judge Brooks’ Report and Recommendation; and (2) GRANTS IN PART AND

DENIES IN PART Defendants’ motion to dismiss the SAC as set forth below.

Per Magistrate Judge Brook’s Report and Recommendation, the Court ORDERS AS

FOLLOWS:

(1) Plaintiff’s references to violations of the California Code of Regulations are not separate

causes of action. Therefore, Defendants’ motion to dismiss this portion of count two is GRANTED

without leave to amend.

(2) Plaintiff improperly includes several new causes of action in count two of his SAC. First, an

amendment to include a retaliation claim in count two against Defendant Small for the addendum he

approved on September 16, 2009, would not clearly be futile. This retaliation claim is properly asserted. 

Defendant Small’s motion to dismiss this claim is DENIED. A retaliation claim against Defendant

Small for the October 25, 2010 policy, however, would be futile; this claim shall not be considered. 

Therefore, Defendant Small’s motion to dismiss this claim is GRANTED without leave to amend.

(3) Retaliation claims against Defendants Powell, Borem, and Ours for the September 2009 and

October 2010 policies would also be futile. Their motion to dismiss both retaliation claims against them

is GRANTED without leave to amend.

(4) Defendants Powell, Borem, and Ours’s motion to dismiss the conspiracy causes of action

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against them in count two is GRANTED without leave to amend; an amendment to include a conspiracy

claim against Defendant Small would be futile, and the conspiracy claim against him is DISMISSED

without leave to amend.

(5) Defendant Small’s motion to dismiss the equal protection claim in count two regarding the

September 16, 2009 policy addendum is DENIED. An amendment to include an equal protection claim

against Powell, Borem, and Ours for this policy would be futile and is DISMISSED without leave to

amend. Likewise, an amendment to include an equal protection cause of action against all Defendants

based on the October 25, 2010 policy would be futile and is DISMISSED without leave to amend.

(6) The motion to dismiss the First Amendment and RLUIPA causes of action against all

Defendants in count one is DENIED; in count two, the Defendants’ motion to dismiss the First

Amendment and RLUIPA claims is GRANTED without leave to amend.

(7) All of the Defendants are entitled to qualified immunity for the First Amendment claims

against them in count two, and their motion to dismiss Plaintiff’s claim for civil damages on this basis is

GRANTED. The Defendants are not, however, entitled to qualified immunity as to the First

Amendment allegations in count one, and their motion to dismiss on this basis is DENIED.

(8) Defendant Ours, Powell, and Borem’s motion to dismiss Plaintiff’s claim for civil damages

for the equal protection violation alleged in count two on qualified immunity grounds is GRANTED. 

Defendant Small is not immune from damages attributable to the equal protection claim against him in

count two for the September 2009 policy. His motion to dismiss on this ground is DENIED. Defendant

Small is, however, entitled to qualified immunity for the equal protection claim against him in count

two, focusing on the October 2010 addendum, and his motion to dismiss Plaintiff’s claim for civil

damages for this claim is GRANTED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: October 4, 2012

CATHY ANN BENCIVENGO

United States District Judge

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