Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_22-cv-00171/USCOURTS-caed-1_22-cv-00171-4/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

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DAVID HANS MORALES,

Plaintiff,

v.

KATHLEEN ALLISON, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 1:22-cv-00171-KES-CDB (PC)

ORDER REGARDING PLAINTIFF’S 

NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION

(Doc. 20)

Plaintiff David Hans Morales is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis

in this civil rights action.

I. RELEVANT BACKGROUND

On July 31, 2024, the Court issued its Order Adopting Findings and Recommendations. 

(Doc. 18.) Specifically, the Court ordered that this action proceed on Plaintiff’s Eighth 

Amendment failure to protect claims, as asserted in the first amended complaint, against the 

following individuals employed at Pleasant Valley State Prison:

a. John Doe, Warden

b. John Doe, Facility B Captain 

c. John Doe, Facility B Lieutenant 

d. John Doe, Facility B Sergeant 

e. John Doe, Facility C Captain 

Case 1:22-cv-00171-KES-CDB Document 22 Filed 12/30/24 Page 1 of 8
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f. John Doe, Facility C Lieutenant 

g. John Doe, Facility C Sergeant

h. Correctional Officer Phillips

i. Correctional Officer Rodriguez

j. Correctional Officer Hernandez

k. O. Onyehe, and 

l. Ifeoma Oghuehi

(See Doc. 18.) 

On August 1, 2024, the Court issued its Order Granting Plaintiff 90 Days To Identify 

Defendant John Does. (Doc. 19.) 

On October 7, 2024, Plaintiff filed a document titled “Notice of Substitution, that 

Identifies the Identities of the seven Doe Defendants by Name.” (Doc. 20.) 

II. DISCUSSION

The Court’s August 1, 2024, Order

The Court’s order identified seven Doe Defendants referenced in Plaintiff’s first amended 

complaint. (Doc. 19 at 1-2.) Plaintiff was “advised that the United States Marshal cannot serve 

Doe defendants” and that Plaintiff would “be required to identify the seven John Doe

defendants ....” (Id. at 2.) Plaintiff was further advised that he was “not required to seek the 

identities of the seven Doe defendants by way of limited discovery if he is able to identify those 

individuals by other informal means.” (Id.) The Court indicated that assuming Plaintiff was able 

to “identify the seven John Doe defendants by actual name, he may submit a notice of 

substitution, providing the actual name for each Doe defendant, asking the Court to substitute the 

individual’s name for the previous Doe defendant designation.” (Id.) Additionally, Plaintiff was 

provided with information concerning the Court’s procedures for issuing Rule 45 subpoenas. (Id. 

at 3.) Finally, Plaintiff was granted 90 days within which to “file a notice of substitution if he is 

presently able to identify the seven John Doe defendants, and/or to discover the names of the 

seven John Doe defendants, through subpoena or otherwise, and to substitute these defendants’ 

actual names by filing a notice of substitution ....” (Id. at 4.) 

Case 1:22-cv-00171-KES-CDB Document 22 Filed 12/30/24 Page 2 of 8
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Plaintiff’s Notice Filed October 7, 2024

Plaintiff’s notice identifies and seeks to substitute the following individuals in place of the 

Doe Defendants:

a. Substitute Ron Godwin in place of “John Doe, Warden.”

b. Substitute R. Kuhn in place of “John Doe, Facility B Captain.”

c. Substitute D. A. Davis, Marquess III, M. Solis, A. A. Salas, J. Rios, J. A. 

Teater, N. Greene, E. A. Molina, and I. Rios in place of “John Doe, Facility B 

Lieutenant.” 

d. Substitute J. M. Elizalde, C. V. Kerber, J. Montano, D. Cardenas, C. A. 

Caldera, J. C. Black, Melendez Jr., and R. Ledesma, in place of “John Doe, 

Facility B Sergeant.” 

e. Substitute Fogal in place of “John Doe, Facility C Captain.”

f. Substitute E. A. Molina, L. D. Ybarra, T. D. Verbeek, A. R. Desfosses, J. L. 

Martin, and J. Rios, in place of “John Doe, Facility C Lieutenant.” 

g. Substitute J. M. Elizalde, C. V. Kerber, T. J. Ramos, N. Greene Jr., and A. M. 

Davidson, in place of “John Doe, Facility C Sergeant.”

(See Doc. 20 at 2-4.) Plaintiff states he obtained these individuals’ names “through a ‘Request to 

Inspect Public Records (CDCR 1432)[’] ... requesting the names of Doe defendants Second and 

Third Watch and their positions of 11/19/2020, 11/21/2020, 11/30/2020, 12/3/2020 and 

12/10/2020.” (Id. at 4-5.) Plaintiff contends “Second and Third Watch Doe defendants” on those 

dates “played a major role” in approving or disapproving “all inmates moved in and out of their 

facilities and housing units at the institution.” (Id. at 5.) Plaintiff submits he has provided “enough 

information (names, positions, dates, and place of employment) to identify the identities of the 

John Doe defendant(s) that the Court has Ordered” be identified. (Id. at 5-6.) If the Court requires 

additional information to effect service of process, Plaintiff asks he be advised of same and be 

permitted to conduct additional limited discovery according to Rules 34 and 45 of the Federal 

Rules of Civil Procedure. (Id. at 6.) Plaintiff attaches two exhibits, encompassing approximately 

51 pages. (Id. at 8-59.) The Court notes the majority of Exhibit A is illegible as the copies are too 

Case 1:22-cv-00171-KES-CDB Document 22 Filed 12/30/24 Page 3 of 8
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dark to be read (see id. at 8-54); however, the last page of Exhibit A (id. at 55) identifies Ron 

Godwin as the Acting Warden at Pleasant Valley State Prison in November 2020, Kuhn as 

Facility B Captain in 2020, and Fogal as Facility Captain in 2020. Exhibit B includes a copy of 

Plaintiff’s completed and signed CDCR 1432 Request to Inspect Public Records form (id. at 57-

58) and a completed CDCR 193 Trust Account Withdrawal Order form (id. at 59). 

Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint Filed February 24, 2023

The Court has again reviewed Plaintiff’s first amended complaint. Although Plaintiff 

refers to the Doe defendants in the singular for their position (i.e., “As the Facility B Captain, 

Lieutenant, Sergeant ...” [Doc. 13 at 7] and “[inmates] were authorized to be moved to Facility 

B3 by Warden, Facility C Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant ...” [id.]) and makes no mention of a 

particular watch worked by any Doe defendant, liberally construed and affording Plaintiff the 

benefit of doubt, the Court interprets the first amended complaint to make reference to any 

unknown Doe defendant working either of the watches/shifts on the relevant dates (11/19/2020, 

11/21/2020, 11/30/2020, 12/3/2020, 12/10/2020) identified by Plaintiff. (See Doc. 13 at 6-8.) 

Analysis

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(c), Relation Back of Amendments, provides:

(1) When an Amendment Relates Back. An amendment to the 

pleading relates back to the date of the original pleading when:

(C) the amendment changes the party or the naming of the party 

against whom a claim is asserted, if Rule 15(c)(1)(B) is satisfied and 

if, within the period provided by Rule 4(m) for serving the summons 

and complaint, the party to be brought in by amendment:

(i) received such notice of the action that it will not be prejudiced in 

defending on the merits; and

(ii) knew or should have known that the action would have been 

brought against it, but for mistake concerning the proper party's 

identity.

Although Plaintiff did not submit a proposed amended complaint identifying the 

defendants by name within the pleading as contemplated in Rule 15(c) and Local Rule 220, the 

August 1, 2024, Order Granting Plaintiff 90 Days To Identify Defendant John Does did not 

require him to do so. (See Doc. 19.) 

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As noted above and liberally construed, a review of the first amended complaint shows 

Plaintiff identifies the defendant John Does, with sufficient facts concerning their involvement in 

the claims alleged. (Doc. 13.) Thus, the filing of a second amended complaint to merely substitute 

the names of the John Doe defendants is unnecessary.

Accordingly, the first amended complaint will remain the operative complaint in this 

action and the Court will substitute the following individuals for the seven Doe defendants:

a. Ron Godwin in place of “John Doe, Warden.”

b. R. Kuhn in place of “John Doe, Facility B Captain.”

c. Facility B Lieutenants:

i. D. A. Davis (11/19/2020, 2nd watch; 11/21/2020, 2nd watch)

ii. Marquess III (11/19/2020, 3rd watch)

iii. M. Solis (11/21/2020, 3rd watch) 

iv. A. A. Salas (11/30/2020, 2nd watch)

v. J. Rios (11/30/2020, 3rd watch)

vi. J. A. Teater (12/3/2020, 2nd watch) 

vii. N. Greene (12/3/2020, 3rd watch)

viii. E. A. Molina (12/10/2020, 2nd watch)

ix. I. Rios (12/10/2020, 3rd watch). 

d. Facility B Sergeants:

i. J. M. Elizalde (11/19/2020, 2nd watch)

ii. C. V. Kerber (11/19/2020, 3rd watch)

iii. J. Montano (11/21/2020, 2nd & 3rd watch)

iv. D. Cardenas (11/30/2020, 3rd watch)

v. C. A. Caldera (12/3/2020, 2nd watch)

vi. J. C. Black (12/3/2020, 3rd watch)

vii. Melendez Jr. (12/10/2020, 2nd watch)

viii. R. Ledesma (12/10/2020, 3rd watch).

e. Fogal in place of “John Doe, Facility C Captain.”

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f. Facility C Lieutenants:

i. E. A. Molina (11/19/2020, 2nd watch; 11/21/2020, 3rd watch; 

12/3/2020, 2nd watch; 12/10/2020, 2nd watch)

ii. L. D. Ybarra (11/19/2020, 3rd watch)

iii. T. D. Verbeek (11/21/2020, 2nd watch)

iv. A. R. Desfosses (11/30/2020, 2nd watch) 

v. J. L. Martin (11/30/2020, 3rd watch; 12/10/2020, 3rd watch)

vi. J. Rios (12/3/2020, 3rd watch).

g. Facility C Sergeants: 

i. J. M. Elizalde (11/19/2020, 2nd watch)

ii. C. V. Kerber (11/19/2020, 3rd watch; 11/21/2020, 3rd watch)

iii. T. J. Ramos (11/21/2020, 2nd watch)

iv. N. Greene Jr. (11/30/2020, 2nd watch)

v. A. M. Davidson (11/30/2020, 3rd watch)

vi. E. A. Molina (12/3/2020, 2nd watch; 12/10/2020, 2nd watch)

vii.J. Rios (12/3/2020, 3rd watch)

viii. J. L. Martin (12/3/2020, 3rd watch)

See, e.g., Edwards v. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, No. 1:23-cv01180-NODJ-SKO, 2024 WL 774952, at *2 (E.D. Cal. Feb. 26, 2024); Cantu v. Doe 1, No. 1:20-

cv-00386-HBK, 2021 WL 2822531, at *1-2 (E.D. Cal. July 7, 2021); Altheide v. Williams, No. 

2:17-cv-02821JCM-BNW, 2020 WL 42462 *1 (D. Nev. Jan. 3, 2020) (similarly treating 

previously filed complaint as the operative complaint but substituting named-defendants for the 

John Doe Defendants).

III. CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Accordingly, and for the reasons stated above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s request to substitute John Doe defendants (Doc. 20) is GRANTED; 

2. The Clerk of the Court is DIRECTED to:

a. Substitute Ron Godwin in place of “Warden of Pleasant Valley State Prison.”

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b. Substitute R. Kuhn in place of “Facility B Captain at Pleasant Valley State 

Prison.”

c. Substitute Fogal in place of “C Facility Captain.”

d. Substitute the following individuals in place of “B Facility Lieutenant:”1

i. D. A. Davis

ii. Marquess III 

iii. M. Solis 

iv. A. A. Salas 

v. J. Rios 

vi. J. A. Teater 

vii. N. Greene

viii. E. A. Molina 

ix. I. Rios.

e. Substitute the following individuals in place of “B Facility Sergeant:”

i. J. M. Elizalde 

ii. C. V. Kerber 

iii. J. Montano

iv. D. Cardenas 

v. C. A. Caldera

vi. J. C. Black

vii. Melendez Jr. 

viii. R. Ledesma. 

f. Substitute the following individuals in place of “C Facility Lieutenant:”

i. L. D. Ybarra

ii. T. D. Verbeek

iii. A. R. Desfosses 

1 To the extent the same individual’s name appears subsequently for a different facility within the institution and/or 

on a different date, it has been omitted here only for purposes of avoiding duplication on the Court’s docket. 

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iv. J. L. Martin.

g. Substitute the following individuals in place of “C Facility Sergeant:”

i. T. J. Ramos 

ii. A. M. Davidson.

3. Limited discovery is now closed. The Court will issue a separate order regarding 

service of process of the foregoing individuals in due course. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 30, 2024 ___________________ _

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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