Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_14-cv-04648/USCOURTS-cand-5_14-cv-04648-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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Dismissal with leave to amend

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JERRY SMITH,

Plaintiff,

 v.

JERRY WHITE, et. al., 

Defendants. 

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No. C 14-04648 EJD (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

Plaintiff, a state prisoner at San Quentin State Prison, filed the instant pro se civil

rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff’s complaint was dismissed with

leave to amend for failing to allege an actual injury. (Docket No. 5 at 2.) Plaintiff’s

amended complaint is now before the Court for an initial review. (Docket No. 6.)

DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

A federal court must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which a

prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a

governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the court must identify

any cognizable claims and dismiss any claims that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a

claim upon which relief may be granted or seek monetary relief from a defendant who is

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immune from such relief. See id. § 1915A(b)(1),(2). Pro se pleadings must, however, be

liberally construed. See Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir.

1988). 

To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two essential

elements: (1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States was

violated, and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a person acting under the

color of state law. See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988).

B. Plaintiff’s Claims

Plaintiff claims that SQSP mailroom supervisor Alex Lile has violated his right of

access to the courts by repeatedly sending back Plaintiff’s legal mail unprocessed. 

(Docket No. 6 at 4.) He alleges that it has hindered his efforts to pursue Case No.

CV1400857, regarding lost property, in Marin County Superior Court. He also alleges

that on February 4, 2015, the mail room returned the case management status that he was

required to serve on the Attorney General in Case No. 1401048, also pending in Marin

County Superior Court.

Prisoners have a constitutional right of access to the courts. See Lewis v. Casey,

518 U.S. 343, 350 (1996); Bounds v. Smith, 430 U.S. 817, 821 (1977). To establish a

claim for any violation of the right of access to the courts, the prisoner must prove that

there was an inadequacy in the prison’s legal access program that caused him an actual

injury. See Lewis, 518 U.S. at 350-55. To prove an actual injury, the prisoner must show

that the inadequacy in the prison’s program hindered his efforts to pursue a non-frivolous

claim concerning his conviction or conditions of confinement. See id. at 354-55. 

Plaintiff’s original complaint was dismissed for failure to allege an actual injury. 

Plaintiff’s amended complaint has not corrected this deficiency. 

There are no claims against office assistant Jerry White, so he is DISMISSED

from this action. 

Plaintiff’s claims regarding Defendant Lile are, for the most part, conclusory. 

Plaintiff provides no details as to how his prosecution of either Marin County Superior

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Court cases was hindered by his mail being unprocessed. It is unclear if the failure to

serve his case management statement resulted in adverse action against him or otherwise

hindered his efforts to pursue relief in Case No. 1401048. If Plaintiff’s court documents

are being filed or served after court-ordered deadlines, that does not, without an adverse

effect, constitute actual injury. In other cases, courts have found actual injury where the

prisoners have had their cases dismissed with prejudice, or the prisoners have been unable

to file legal actions. Lewis, 518 U.S. at 356. This is not the case here. 

Plaintiff’s allegations are insufficient to state a claim of a denial of access to courts

because he has again failed to allege an actual injury. However the Court will allow

Plaintiff another change to amend his complaint to show actual injury, if he can truthfully

do so. 

The complaint is DISMISSED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND for Plaintiff to

attempt to show that defendant Lile’s failure to process his mail hindered his efforts to

pursue a non-frivolous claim concerning his conviction or conditions of confinement. 

See Lewis, 518 U.S. at 354-55. Plaintiff should again include the case number, the court

where the matter is being adjudicated, and the description of the claim. 

CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons, the Court orders as follows: 

1. Defendant Jerry White is DISMISSED from this action.

2. The complaint is DISMISSED with leave to amend. Within twenty-eight

(28) days of the date this order is filed, Plaintiff shall file an amended complaint using the

court’s form complaint. The amended complaint must include the caption and civil case

number used in this order, i.e., Case No. C 14-04648 EJD (PR), and the words “SECOND

AMENDED COMPLAINT” on the first page. Plaintiff must answer all the questions on

the form in order for the action to proceed. 

Failure to respond in accordance with this order by filing an amended

complaint will result in the dismissal of this action without prejudice and without

further notice to Plaintiff. 

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The Clerk shall include two copies of the court’s complaint with a copy of this

order to Plaintiff.

DATED: 

EDWARD J. DAVILA

United States District Judge 

4/14/2015

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JERRY SMITH,

Plaintiff,

v.

JERRY WHITE, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 5:14-cv-04648-EJD 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. 

District Court, Northern District of California.

That on 4/14/2015, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing said 

copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by depositing 

said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery receptacle 

located in the Clerk's office.

Jerry Smith ID: H44485

San Quentin State Prison

San Quentin, CA 94974 

Dated: 4/14/2015

Richard W. Wieking

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

Elizabeth Garcia, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable EDWARD J. DAVILA

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