Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-00113/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-00113-2/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

RUBIN LAWRENCE DUCKETT,

CDCR #G-46279,

Civil No. 11-0113 AJB (NLS)

Plaintiff, ORDER:

1) DISMISSING DEFENDANTS

ELIAS, PEDERSON, WEEKS 

AND DOE 

AND 

2) DIRECTING U.S. MARSHAL TO

EFFECT SERVICE OF FIRST

AMENDED COMPLAINT

PURSUANT TO 

FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3) 

& 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d)

vs.

L. SCHEMEHORN (aka L. SHAMEHORN),

Correctional Officer; A. CHRITIONSON

(aka A. CHRISTIANSON), Fac. 4 Sergeant; 

W. BEAUCHEMIN, Investigating Officer

(Lieutenant); M. RUIZ, M.D.,

Defendants.

I. Procedural History

On January 19, 2011, Rubin Lawrence Duckett (“Plaintiff”), a state prisoner currently

incarcerated at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison located in Blythe, California, and proceeding

in pro se, filed a civil rights Complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff alleged his Eighth

and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated by Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility

officials L. Schamehorn, A. Chritionson, W. Beauchemin, J. Elias, G. Pederson, G. Weeks and

an unidentified Doe while he was housed there in 2009. 

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On March 21, 2011, the Court granted Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis

(“IFP”), but sua sponte dismissed his Complaint for failing to state a claim pursuant to 28 U.S.C.

§§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(b). See March 21, 2011 Order [ECF No. 7] at 7. The Court granted

Plaintiff leave to file an Amended Complaint in order to correct the deficiencies of pleading

identified. Id. at 6. Plaintiff was specifically cautioned that any Defendant not re-named and

any claim not re-alleged in his Amended Complaint would be considered waived. Id. (citing

King v. Atiyeh, 814 F.2d 565, 567 (9th Cir. 1987)). 

On May 5, 2011, after seeking and receiving clarification from the Court as to how to

amend [ECF Nos. 10, 11], Plaintiff filed a First Amended Complaint which adds M. Ruiz, M.D.

as a Defendant, but which omits any reference to and fails to re-allege any claim against

previously named Defendants Elias, Pederson, Weeks or Doe [ECF No. 12].

II. Screening Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) & 1915A(b)

As discussed in the Court’s March 21, 2011 Order, because Plaintiff is proceeding IFP

and is a “prisoner” as defined by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(h), the Court must now review his Amended

Complaint sua sponte before service, and dismiss the entire action, or any part of his Amended

Complaint, if it is frivolous, malicious, fails to state a claim, or seeks damages from defendants

who are immune. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B) and § 1915A; Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122,

1126-27 (9th Cir. 2000) (en banc) (noting that 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e) “not only permits but

requires” the court to sua sponte dismiss an in forma pauperis complaint that fails to state a

claim); Resnick v. Hayes, 213 F.3d 443, 446 (9th Cir. 2000) (§ 1915A). 

Before amendment by the Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”), the former 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(d) permitted sua sponte dismissal of only frivolous and malicious claims. Lopez, 203

F.3d at 1126, 1130. An action is frivolous if it lacks an arguable basis in either law or fact.

Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 324 (1989). However, 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) and § 1915A

mandate that the court reviewing an IFP or prisoner’s suit make and rule on its own motion to

dismiss before effecting service of the Complaint by the U.S. Marshal pursuant to FED.R.CIV.P.

4(c)(3). See Lopez, 203 F.3d at 1127; see also McGore v. Wrigglesworth, 114 F.3d 601, 604-05

(6th Cir. 1997) (stating that sua sponte screening pursuant to § 1915 should occur “before service

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of process is made on the opposing parties”); Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194 (9th

Cir. 1998) (discussing 28 U.S.C. § 1915A).

“[W]hen determining whether a complaint states a claim, a court must accept as true all

allegations of material fact and must construe those facts in the light most favorable to the

plaintiff.” Resnick, 213 F.3d at 447; Barren, 152 F.3d at 1194 (noting that § 1915(e)(2)

“parallels the language of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)”); Andrews v. King, 398 F.3d

1113, 1121 (9th Cir. 2005). In addition, the Court has a duty to liberally construe a pro se’s

pleadings, see Karim-Panahi v. Los Angeles Police Dep’t, 839 F.2d 621, 623 (9th Cir. 1988),

which is “particularly important in civil rights cases.” Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1261

(9th Cir. 1992). In giving liberal interpretation to a pro se civil rights complaint, however, the

court may not “supply essential elements of claims that were not initially pled.” Ivey v. Board

of Regents of the University of Alaska, 673 F.2d 266, 268 (9th Cir. 1982).

The Court finds that Plaintiff’s Amended Complaint is now sufficiently pleaded to

survive the sua sponte screening required by 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(b). Therefore,

the Court will direct U.S. Marshal service on his behalf. See Lopez, 203 F.3d at 1126-27; 28

U.S.C. § 1915(d) (“The officers of the court shall issue and serve all process, and perform all

duties in [IFP] cases.”); FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3) (“[T]he court may order that service be made by

a United States marshal or deputy marshal ... if the plaintiff is authorized to proceed in forma

pauperis under 28 U.S.C. § 1915.”). Plaintiff is cautioned, however, that “the sua sponte

screening and dismissal procedure is cumulative of, and not a substitute for, any subsequent Rule

12(b)(6) motion that [a defendant] may choose to bring.” Teahan v. Wilhelm, 481 F. Supp. 2d

1115, 1119 (S.D. Cal. 2007).

III. CONCLUSION AND ORDER

 Good cause appearing therefor, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Defendants J. Elias, G. Pederson, G. Weeks and John Doe 1 are DISMISSED

without prejudice as Defendants in this matter.

2. The Clerk shall issue a summons as to Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint [ECF

No. 12] upon Defendants L. Shemehorn, (aka L. Shamehorn), A. Chritionson (aka A.

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Christianson), W. Beauchemin and M. Ruiz, and shall forward it to Plaintiff along with a blank U.S.

Marshal Form 285 for each of these Defendants. In addition, the Clerk shall provide Plaintiff with a

copy of this Order, the Court’s March 21, 2011 Order granting Plaintiff leave to proceed IFP [ECF No.

7], and copies of his First Amended Complaint and the summons for purposes of serving each

Defendant. Upon receipt of this “IFP Package,” Plaintiff is directed to complete the Form 285s as

completely and accurately as possible, and to return them to the U.S. Marshal according to the

instructions provided by the Clerk in the letter accompanying his IFP package. Thereafter, the U.S.

Marshal shall serve a copy of the First Amended Complaint and summons upon each Defendant as

directed by Plaintiff on each Form 285. All costs of service shall be advanced by the United States. See

28 U.S.C. § 1915(d); FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3).

3. Defendants are thereafter ORDERED to reply to Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint

within the time provided by the applicable provisions of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(a). See 42

U.S.C. § 1997e(g)(2) (while Defendants may occasionally be permitted to “waive the right to reply to

any action brought by a prisoner confined in any jail, prison, or other correctional facility under section

1983,” once the Court has conducted its sua sponte screening pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) and

§ 1915A(b), and thus, has made a preliminary 

determination based on the face on the pleading alone that Plaintiff has a “reasonable opportunity to

prevail on the merits,” Defendants are required to respond). 

4. Plaintiff shall serve upon Defendants or, if appearance has been entered by counsel, upon

Defendants’ counsel, a copy of every further pleading or other document submitted for consideration

of the Court. Plaintiff shall include with the original paper to be filed with the Clerk of the Court a

certificate stating the manner in which a true and correct copy of any document was served on

Defendants, or counsel for Defendants, and the date of service. Any paper received by the Court which

has not been filed with the Clerk or which fails to include a Certificate of Service will be disregarded.

DATED: August 24, 2011

Hon. Anthony J. Battaglia

U.S. District Judge

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