Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_09-cv-04473/USCOURTS-cand-3_09-cv-04473-0/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RONNIE L. MOODY,

Plaintiff,

 v.

OFFICER SALAZAR and DENTAL

STAFF, CTF SOLEDAD,

Defendant. _________________________________

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No. C 09-4473 JSW (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

(Docket Nos. 3, 4, 6)

Plaintiff, a California prisoner, filed this pro se civil rights action under 42 U.S.C

§ 1983, complaining about the use of excessive force while Plaintiff was incarcerated at

the San Francisco County Jail and about the conditions of his confinement in prison. In

the complaint, Plaintiff states that he has not exhausted all of his administrative remedies

to the highest level available, alleging that he completed the exhaustion process through

the second level, but that he had not completed it through the final level, but “I will send

to 3rd level on receiving back. . .and making copies.” (Amended Complaint at 2.). 

Plaintiff’s motions to proceed in forma pauperis are GRANTED in a separate order filed

simultaneously (docket nos. 3, 4).

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

Case 3:09-cv-04473-JSW Document 11 Filed 04/16/10 Page 1 of 4
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immune from such relief. See id. at § 1915A(b)(1),(2). Pro se pleadings, however, must

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

Cir. 1988).

The Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321

(1996) (“PLRA”) provides: “No action shall be brought with respect to prison conditions

under [42 U.S.C. § 1983], or any other Federal law, by a prisoner confined in any jail,

prison, or other correctional facility until such administrative remedies as are available

are exhausted.” 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). Exhaustion is mandatory and not left to the

discretion of the district court. Woodford v. Ngo, 126 S. Ct. 2378, 2382 (2006). 

Exhaustion is a prerequisite to all prisoner lawsuits concerning prison life, whether such

actions involve general conditions or particular episodes, whether they allege excessive

force or some other wrong, and even if they seek relief not available in grievance

proceedings, such as money damages. Porter v. Nussle, 534 U.S. 516, 524 (2002). The

exhaustion requirement requires “proper exhaustion” of all available administrative

remedies. Woodford, 126 S. Ct. at 2387. 

Because exhaustion under § 1997e(a) is an affirmative defense, a complaint may

be dismissed for failure to exhaust only if failure to exhaust is obvious from the face of

the complaint and/or any attached exhibits. See Wyatt v. Terhune, 315 F.3d 1108,

1119-20 (9th Cir. 2003). The court may dismiss a complaint for failure to exhaust where

the prisoner “conce[des] to nonexhaustion” and “no exception to exhaustion applies.” Id.

at 1120. Here, Plaintiff concedes in his amended complaint that he has not exhausted his

administrative remedies (Amended Complaint at 2), and no exception to exhaustion is

alleged or apparent in the amended complaint. 

Section 1997e(a) requires that Plaintiff exhaust his claim before raising the claim

in a § 1983 complaint in federal court. An action must be dismissed unless the prisoner

exhausted his available administrative remedies before he or she filed suit, even if the

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prisoner fully exhausts while the suit is pending. McKinney v. Carey, 311 F.3d 1198,

1199 (9th Cir. 2002). As it is clear from the complaint that Plaintiff has not pursued all

levels of administrative review available to him in exhausting his complaint and there is

no applicable exception to the exhaustion requirement, dismissal without prejudice is

appropriate. 

Accordingly, the above-titled action is hereby DISMISSED, without prejudice to

Plaintiff’s refiling his claim after all available administrative remedies have been

exhausted. Plaintiff’s motion seeking injunctive relief is DENIED as moot (docket no.

6). The Clerk shall terminate all motions as decided by this order, close the file and enter

judgment in favor of Defendants. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: April 16, 2010 

 

JEFFREY S. WHITE

United States District Judge

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RONNIE L MOODY,

Plaintiff,

 v.

SF COUNTY et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV09-04473 JSW 

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 April 16, 2010, 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.

Ronnie Lee Moody T54036

Mission Shelter

1400 Yosemite Blvd

Modesto, CA 95350

Dated: April 16, 2010

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: Jennifer Ottolini, Deputy Clerk

Case 3:09-cv-04473-JSW Document 11 Filed 04/16/10 Page 4 of 4