Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-00828/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-00828-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TANYA McDANIEL,

Plaintiff,

v.

THE SECRETARIAT, et al.,

Defendant.

No. 2:15-cv-0828 GEB CKD PS

ORDER

Plaintiff is proceeding in this action pro se and in forma pauperis. Plaintiff has filed an 

amended complaint. Concurrent with the filing of the amended complaint, plaintiff filed a motion 

to amend the complaint. Because the court had previously granted leave to file an amended 

complaint, plaintiff’s motion will be denied as moot. 

The federal in forma pauperis statute authorizes federal courts to dismiss a case if the 

action is legally “frivolous or malicious,” fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, 

or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915(e)(2). 

A claim is legally frivolous when it lacks an arguable basis either in law or in fact.

Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 325 (1989); Franklin v. Murphy, 745 F.2d 1221, 1227-28 (9th 

Cir. 1984). The court may, therefore, dismiss a claim as frivolous where it is based on an 

/////

Case 2:15-cv-00828-GEB-CKD Document 9 Filed 06/16/15 Page 1 of 4
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2

indisputably meritless legal theory or where the factual contentions are clearly baseless. Neitzke, 

490 U.S. at 327. 

In order to avoid dismissal for failure to state a claim a complaint must contain more than 

“naked assertions,” “labels and conclusions” or “a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause 

of action.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555-557 (2007). In other words, 

“[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory 

statements do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937, 1949 (2009). Furthermore, a claim 

upon which the court can grant relief has facial plausibility. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570. “A 

claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw 

the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 

at 1949. When considering whether a complaint states a claim upon which relief can be granted, 

the court must accept the allegations as true, Erickson v. Pardus, 127 S. Ct. 2197, 2200 (2007), 

and construe the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, see Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 

U.S. 232, 236 (1974). 

The court finds the allegations in plaintiff’s amended complaint so vague and conclusory 

that it is unable to determine whether the current action is frivolous or fails to state a claim for 

relief. The court has determined that the complaint does not contain a short and plain statement 

as required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Although the Federal Rules adopt a flexible pleading 

policy, a complaint must give fair notice and state the elements of the claim plainly and 

succinctly. Jones v. Community Redev. Agency, 733 F.2d 646, 649 (9th Cir. 1984). Plaintiff 

must allege with at least some degree of particularity overt acts which defendants engaged in that 

support plaintiff’s claim. Id. Because plaintiff has failed to comply with the requirements of Fed. 

R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2), the complaint must be dismissed. The court will, however, grant leave to file 

an amended complaint.

If plaintiff chooses to amend the complaint, plaintiff must set forth the jurisdictional 

grounds upon which the court’s jurisdiction depends. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a). 

Further, plaintiff must demonstrate how the conduct complained of has resulted in a deprivation 

of plaintiff’s federal rights. See Ellis v. Cassidy, 625 F.2d 227 (9th Cir. 1980). 

Case 2:15-cv-00828-GEB-CKD Document 9 Filed 06/16/15 Page 2 of 4
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

3

The Civil Rights Act under which this action was filed provides as follows:

Every person who, under color of [state law] . . . subjects, or causes 

to be subjected, any citizen of the United States . . . to the 

deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the 

Constitution . . . shall be liable to the party injured in an action at 

law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.

42 U.S.C. § 1983. The statute requires that there be an actual connection or link between the 

actions of the defendants and the deprivation alleged to have been suffered by plaintiff. See

Monell v. Department of Social Servs., 436 U.S. 658 (1978); Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362 

(1976). “A person ‘subjects’ another to the deprivation of a constitutional right, within the 

meaning of § 1983, if he does an affirmative act, participates in another's affirmative acts or 

omits to perform an act which he is legally required to do that causes the deprivation of which 

complaint is made.” Johnson v. Duffy, 588 F.2d 740, 743 (9th Cir. 1978). 

To state a claim under section 1983, a plaintiff must allege that: (1) defendant was acting 

under color of state law at the time the complained of act was committed; and (2) defendant’s 

conduct deprived plaintiff of rights, privileges or immunities secured by the Constitution or laws 

of the United States. 42 U.S.C. § 1983; see West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). In this case, 

plaintiff alleges claims only against private entities; there are no allegations which would support 

a finding that these individuals were state actors for purposes of liability under section 1983. In 

the previous order dismissing plaintiff’s original complaint, the court advised plaintiff of this 

deficiency. The amended complaint fails to cure this deficiency. Plaintiff is advised that if a 

second amended complaint is filed and does not properly allege, within the strictures of Federal 

Rule of Civil Procedure 11, that defendants are state actors subject to liability under section 1983, 

the court will recommend that the action be dismissed.

In addition, plaintiff is informed that the court cannot refer to a prior pleading in order to 

make plaintiff’s amended complaint complete. Local Rule 15-220 requires that an amended 

complaint be complete in itself without reference to any prior pleading. This is because, as a 

general rule, an amended complaint supersedes the original complaint. See Loux v. Rhay, 375 

F.2d 55, 57 (9th Cir. 1967). Once plaintiff files an amended complaint, the original pleading no 

longer serves any function in the case. Therefore, in an amended complaint, as in an 

Case 2:15-cv-00828-GEB-CKD Document 9 Filed 06/16/15 Page 3 of 4
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

4

original complaint, each claim and the involvement of each defendant must be sufficiently 

alleged. 

In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s motion to amend the complaint (ECF No. 8) is denied as moot;

2. Plaintiff’s amended complaint is dismissed; and

3. Plaintiff is granted thirty days from the date of service of this order to file a second

amended complaint that complies with the requirements of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 

and the Local Rules of Practice; the second amended complaint must bear the docket number 

assigned this case and must be labeled “Second Amended Complaint”; plaintiff must file an 

original and two copies of the second amended complaint; failure to file a second amended 

complaint in accordance with this order will result in a recommendation that this action be 

dismissed.

Dated: June 16, 2015

4 mcdaniel0828.lta2

_____________________________________

CAROLYN K. DELANEY

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 2:15-cv-00828-GEB-CKD Document 9 Filed 06/16/15 Page 4 of 4