Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-01256/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-01256-2/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

Eastern District of California 

William J. Blue, III,

Plaintiff, No. Civ. S 05-1256 GEB PAN P

vs. Order

N. Grannis, et al.,

Defendants.

-oOoPlaintiff is a state prisoner without counsel prosecuting a

civil rights action. He seeks leave to proceed in forma

pauperis. This proceeding was referred to this court by Local

Rule 72-302 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). 

Plaintiff’s declaration makes the showing required by 28 

U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1) and (2).

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1), plaintiff must pay the

$250 filing fee required by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a). Plaintiff must

make monthly payments of 20 percent of the preceding month’s 

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income credited to his trust fund account. 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915(b)(2). The agency having custody of plaintiff shall

forward payments from plaintiff’s account to the clerk of the

court each time the amount in the account exceeds $10 until the

filing fee is paid. 

The court has reviewed plaintiff’s complaint pursuant to 28

U.S.C. § 1915A and finds it states a cognizable claim against

defendant C. Scavetta.

The complaint states no cognizable claim against defendants

T. Carey, S. Cervantes or N. Grannis. Plaintiff’s claims against

these defendants are dismissed.

Plaintiff may proceed forthwith to serve defendant C.

Scavetta and pursue his claims against only that defendant or he

may delay serving any defendant and attempt to state a cognizable

claim against defendant T. Carey, S. Cervantes and N. Grannis.

If plaintiff elects to attempt to amend his complaint to

state a cognizable claim against defendants T. Carey, S.

Cervantes and N. Grannis, he has 45 days so to do. He is not

obligated to amend his complaint and if he does it unavoidably

will delay this litigation.

If plaintiff elects to proceed forthwith against defendant

C. Scavetta, against whom he has stated a cognizable claim for

relief, then within 15 days he must return materials for service

of process enclosed herewith. In this event the court will

construe plaintiff’s election as consent to dismissal of all

claims against defendants T. Carey, S. Cervantes and N. Grannis

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without prejudice. 

Any amended complaint must show the federal court has

jurisdiction, the action is brought in the right place and

plaintiff is entitled to relief if plaintiff’s allegations are

true. It must contain a request for particular relief. 

Plaintiff must identify as a defendant only persons who

personally participated in a substantial way in depriving

plaintiff of a federal constitutional right. Johnson v. Duffy,

588 F.2d 740, 743 (9th Cir. 1978) (a person subjects another to

the deprivation of a constitutional right if he does an act,

participates in another’s act or omits to perform an act he is

legally required to do that causes the alleged deprivation). If

plaintiff contends he was the victim of a conspiracy, he must

identify the participants and allege their agreement to deprive

him of a specific federal constitutional right. 

In an amended complaint, the allegations must be set forth

in numbered paragraphs. Fed. R. Civ. P. 10(b). Plaintiff may

join multiple claims if they are all against a single defendant. 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 18(a). If plaintiff has more than one claim

based upon separate transactions or occurrences, the claims must

be set forth in separate paragraphs. Fed. R. Civ. P. 10(b).

The federal rules contemplate brevity. See Galbraith v.

County of Santa Clara, 307 F.3d 1119, 1125 (9th Cir. 2002)

(noting that “nearly all of the circuits have now disapproved any

heightened pleading standard in cases other than those governed

by Rule 9(b)”); Fed. R. Civ. P. 84; cf. Rule 9(b) (setting forth

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rare exceptions to simplified pleading).

Plaintiff’s claims must be set forth in short and plain

terms, simply, concisely and directly. See Swierkiewicz v.

Sorema N.A., 534 U.S. 506, 514 (2002) (“Rule 8(a) is the starting

point of a simplified pleading system, which was adopted to focus

litigation on the merits of a claim.”); Fed. R. Civ. P. 8. 

Plaintiff must eliminate from plaintiff’s pleading all

preambles, introductions, argument, speeches, explanations,

stories, griping, vouching, evidence, attempts to negate possible

defenses, summaries, and the like. McHenry v. Renne, 84 F.3d

1172 (9th Cir. 1996) (affirming dismissal of § 1983 complaint for

violation of Rule 8 after warning); see Crawford-El v. Britton,

523 U.S. 574, 597 (1998) (reiterating that “firm application of

the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure is fully warranted” in

prisoner cases). It is sufficient, for example, for a prisoner

who claims the conditions of his imprisonment violate the Eighth

Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment to

allege that an identified state actor used force against

plaintiff maliciously and sadistically for the very purpose of

causing harm. See Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 834 (1994). 

(On the other hand, prison officers imposing discipline act in

haste, under pressure and without the luxury of a second chance;

therefore, no Eighth Amendment violation occurs where force is

applied to maintain or restore discipline but not maliciously and

sadistically.) 

The court (and defendant) should be able to read and

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understand plaintiff’s pleading within minutes. McHenry, supra. 

A long, rambling pleading including many defendants with

unexplained, tenuous or implausible connection to the alleged

constitutional injury, or joining a series of unrelated claims

against many defendants, very likely will result in delaying the

review required by 28 U.S.C. § 1915 and an order dismissing

plaintiff’s action pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 41 for violation

of these instructions. 

If plaintiff’s pleading is deficient on account of an

omission or technical defect, the court will not dismiss it

without first identifying the problem and giving plaintiff an

opportunity to cure it. Noll v. Carlson, 809 F.2d 1446 (9th Cir.

1986). Plaintiff’s pleading will be construed “liberally” to

determine if plaintiff has a claim but it will be dismissed if

plaintiff violates the federal rules, once explained, or the

court’s plain orders.

An amended complaint must be complete in itself without

reference to any prior pleading. Local Rule 15-220; see Loux v.

Rhay, 375 F.2d 55, 57 (9th Cir. 1967). Once plaintiff files an

amended complaint, the original pleading is superseded.

Plaintiff is admonished that by signing a first-amended

complaint he certifies he has made reasonable inquiry and has

evidentiary support for his allegations and that for violation of

this rule the court may impose sanctions sufficient to deter

repetition by plaintiff or others. Fed. R. Civ. P. 11. Prison

rules require plaintiff to obey all laws, including this one, and

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plaintiff may be punished by prison authorities for violation of

the court’s rules and orders. See 15 Cal. Admin. Code § 3005.

Title 42 of the United States Code § 1997e(a) provides that

a prisoner may bring no § 1983 action until he has exhausted such

administrative remedies as are available to him. The requirement

is mandatory. Booth v. Churner, 532 U.S. 731, 741 (2001). A

California prisoner or parolee may appeal “any departmental

decision, action, condition, or policy which they can demonstrate

as having an adverse effect upon their welfare.” 15 California

Administrative Code § 3084.1, et seq. An appeal must be

presented on a CDC form 602 that asks simply that the prisoner

“describe the problem” and “action requested.” Therefore, this

court ordinarily will review only claims against prison officials

within the scope of the problem reported in a CDC form 602 or an

interview or claims that were or should have been uncovered in

the review promised by the department. Plaintiff further is

admonished that by signing an amended complaint he certifies his

claims are warranted by existing law, including the law that he

exhaust administrative remedies, and that for violation of this

rule plaintiff risks dismissal of his entire action, including

his claims against defendant C. Scavetta. 

Accordingly, the court hereby orders that:

1. Plaintiff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis is

granted. 

2. Plaintiff is obligated to pay the statutory filing fee

of $250 for this action. The fee shall be collected and paid in

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accordance with the notice to the Director of the California

Department of Corrections filed concurrently herewith. 

3. Claims against defendants T. Carey, S. Cervantes and N.

Grannis are dismissed with leave to amend. Within 45 days of

service of this order, plaintiff may amend his complaint to

attempt to state cognizable claims against these defendants. 

Plaintiff is not obliged to amend his complaint and if he does it

inevitably will delay this litigation.

4. The pleading states cognizable claims against defendant

C. Scavetta. With this order the Clerk of the Court shall

provide to plaintiff a blank summons, a copy of the pleading

filed June 23, 2005, one USM-285 form and instructions for

service of process on defendant C. Scavetta. Within 15 days of

service of this order plaintiff may return the attached Notice of

Submission of Documents with the completed summons, the completed

USM-285 form, and two copies of the June 23, 2005, complaint. 

The court will transmit them to the United States Marshal for

service of process pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 4. Defendants C.

Scavetta will be required to respond to plaintiff’s allegations

within the deadlines stated in Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(1). In this

event, the court will construe plaintiff’s election to proceed

forthwith as consent to an order dismissing his defective claims

against defendants T. Carey, S. Cervantes and N. Grannis.

Dated: January 31, 2006. 

 /s/ Peter A. Nowinski 

 PETER A. NOWINSKI

 Magistrate Judge

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United States District Court

Eastern District of California 

William J. Blue, III,

Plaintiff, No. Civ. S 05-1256 GEB PAN P

vs. Notice of Submission of Documents

N. Grannis, et al.,

Defendants.

-oOoPlaintiff hereby submits the following documents in

compliance with the court's order filed :

 1 completed summons form

 1 completed form USM-285 

 2 copies of the June 23, 2005 

 Complaint

Dated: 

 _________________________________

Plaintiff

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