Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-01078/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-01078-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

---

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

TERMPSREF

WO LMH

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Rene Antonio Vera, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Albert Smith, et al., 

Defendants. 

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

No. CV 05-1078-PHX-NVW (JRI)

ORDER

In this civil rights action filed by a state prisoner, Plaintiff has submitted a First

Amended Complaint. The Court will order Defendant Smith to answer the First Amended

Complaint and dismiss Defendant City of Phoenix Police Department without prejudice. 

A. Statutory Screening of Prisoner Complaints.

The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against

a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if the Plaintiff has raised

claims that are legally “frivolous or malicious,” that fail to state a claim upon which relief

may be granted, or that seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such

relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1),(2). 

B. First Amended Complaint.

Plaintiff sues the City of Phoenix Police Department and one of its officers, Albert

Smith. Plaintiff alleges that Officer Smith, during an arrest, punched Plaintiff behind his

Case 2:05-cv-01078-NVW-JRI Document 12 Filed 11/18/05 Page 1 of 5
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

TERMPSREF - 2 -

head with a gun, slammed Plaintiff’s face on the sidewalk, put his knee in Plaintiff’s head,

and then kicked Plaintiff. Other unidentified officers arrived and joined Smith in kicking

Plaintiff. They did not stop until they heard over their radios that civilians were watching.

Plaintiff also alleges that the officers were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs. He

suffered various physical injuries, including fractured ribs and a bump on his head. For

relief, he requests an award of 3.5 million dollars and an order for medical treatment. These

allegations adequately state a claim against Defendant Smith, and the Court will require him

to answer the Complaint.

The Court will, however, dismiss the City of Phoenix Police Department. Plaintiff

was informed in the Court’s earlier Order that to state a claim against the city, he must allege

that his injury occurred as a result of a policy or custom of the city. Plaintiff has not set forth

any allegations to cure that deficiency. 

Plaintiff may have intended to sue the unidentified police officers who joined Smith

in kicking him; his allegations are not entirely clear. See First. Am. Compl. at 2, ¶ 4. The

Ninth Circuit has held that where identity is unknown prior to the filing of a complaint, the

plaintiff should be given an opportunity through discovery to identify the unknown

defendants. Wakefield v. Thompson, 177 F.3d 1160, 1163 (9th Cir. 1999) (citing Gillespie

v. Civiletti, 629 F.2d 637, 642 (9th Cir. 1980)). Thus, Plaintiff he may later seek to amend

his complaint to add these person as parties once he learns the names in discovery. 

C. Warning of Possible Dismissal Pursuant to Rule 41.

Plaintiff should take notice that if he fails to timely comply with every provision of

this Order, or any order entered in this matter, this action will be dismissed pursuant to Rule

41(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. See Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1260-

61 (9th Cir.) (district court may dismiss action for failure to comply with any order of the

Court), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 915 (1992).

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that: 

(1) Defendant City of Phoenix Police Department is dismissed without prejudice.

(2) Defendant Smith will be required to answer the First Amended Complaint. 

Case 2:05-cv-01078-NVW-JRI Document 12 Filed 11/18/05 Page 2 of 5
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

TERMPSREF - 3 -

(3) The Clerk of Court shall send Plaintiff a service packet including the First

Amended Complaint (Doc. #10), this Order, and both summons and request for waiver forms

for Defendant Smith.

(4) Plaintiff shall complete and return the service packet to the Clerk of Court within

20 days of the date of filing of this Order. The United States Marshal will not provide

service of process if Plaintiff fails to comply with this Order.

(5) If Plaintiff does not either obtain a waiver of service of the summons or complete

service of the Summons and First Amended Complaint on the Defendant within 120 days of

the filing of the complaint or within 60 days of the filing of this Order, whichever is later, the

action may be dismissed as to each Defendant not served pursuant to Rule 4(m) of the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Local Rule of Civil Procedure 16.2(b)(2)(B)(i).

(6) The United States Marshal shall retain the Summons, a copy of the First Amended

Complaint, and a copy of this Order for future use.

(7) The United States Marshal shall notify Defendants of the commencement of this

action and request waiver of service of the summons pursuant to Rule 4(d) of the Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure. The notice to Defendants shall include a copy of this Order. The

Marshal shall file waivers of service of the summons or requests for waivers that were

returned as undeliverable as soon as they are received. If a waiver of service of summons

is not returned by a Defendant within thirty days from the date the request for waiver was

sent by the Marshal, the Marshal shall:

(a) Personally serve copies of the Summons, First Amended Complaint, and

this Order upon the Defendant pursuant to Rule 4(e)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure;

(b) Within 10 days after personal service is effected, file the return of service

for the Defendant, along with evidence of the attempt to secure a waiver of service of

the summons and of the costs subsequently incurred in effecting service upon the

Defendant. The costs of service shall be enumerated on the return of service form

(USM-285) and shall include the costs incurred by the Marshal for photocopying

Case 2:05-cv-01078-NVW-JRI Document 12 Filed 11/18/05 Page 3 of 5
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

TERMPSREF - 4 -

additional copies of the Summons, First Amended Complaint, or this Order and for

preparing new process receipt and return forms (USM-285), if required. Costs of

service will be taxed against the personally served defendant pursuant to Rule 4(d)(2)

and (5) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, unless otherwise ordered by the

Court.

(8) A Defendant who agrees to waive service of the Summons and First Amended

Complaint shall return the signed waiver forms to the United States Marshal, not the

Plaintiff.

(9) Defendant shall answer the First Amended Complaint or otherwise respond by

appropriate motion within the time provided by the applicable provisions of Rule 12(a) of

the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

(10) Any answer or responsive pleading shall state the specific Defendant by name

on whose behalf it is filed. The Court may strike any answer, responsive pleading, or other

motion or paper that does not identify the specific Defendant by name on whose behalf it is

filed.

(11) Plaintiff shall serve upon Defendant, or if appearance has been entered by

counsel, upon counsel, a copy of every further pleading or other document submitted for

consideration by the Court. Plaintiff shall include with the original document and copy, to

be filed with the Clerk of the Court, a certificate stating the date a true and correct copy of

the pleading or document was mailed to Defendant or counsel. Any paper received by a

District Court Judge or Magistrate Judge which has not been filed with the Clerk of Court

may be disregarded by the Court.

(12) At all times during the pendency of this action, Plaintiff shall immediately advise

the Court and the United States Marshal of any change of address and its effective date.

Such notice shall be captioned “NOTICE OF CHANGE OF ADDRESS.” The notice shall

contain only information pertaining to the change of address and its effective date. Plaintiff

shall serve a copy of the notice on all opposing parties. The notice shall not include any

motions for any other relief. Failure to file a Notice of Change of Address may result in the

Case 2:05-cv-01078-NVW-JRI Document 12 Filed 11/18/05 Page 4 of 5
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

TERMPSREF - 5 -

dismissal of the action for failure to prosecute pursuant to Rule 41(b) of the Federal Rules

of Civil Procedure. 

(13) A clear, legible copy of every pleading or other document filed shall accompany

each original pleading or other document filed with the Clerk for use by the District Judge

or Magistrate Judge to whom the case is assigned. Failure to comply with this requirement

may result in the pleading or document being stricken without further notice to Plaintiff. 

(14) This matter is referred to Magistrate Jay R. Irwin pursuant to Local Rules of

Civil Procedure 72.1 and 72.2 for further proceedings.

DATED this 17th day of November, 2005.

Case 2:05-cv-01078-NVW-JRI Document 12 Filed 11/18/05 Page 5 of 5