Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-04513/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-04513-0/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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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DERRICK L. JOHNSON,

Plaintiff,

v.

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND 

REHABILITATION, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No.16-cv-04513-JD 

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

Re: Dkt. Nos. 3, 6

Plaintiff, a state prisoner, has filed a pro se civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

DISCUSSION

STANDARD OF REVIEW

Federal courts must engage in a preliminary screening of cases in which prisoners seek 

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

§ 1915A(a). In its review, the Court must identify any cognizable claims, and dismiss any claims 

which are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or seek 

monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. Id. at 1915A(b)(1),(2). Pro se 

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

Cir. 1990).

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) requires only “a short and plain statement of the 

claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Although a complaint “does not need detailed 

factual allegations, . . . a plaintiff’s obligation to provide the ‘grounds’ of his ‘entitle[ment] to 

relief’ requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a 

cause of action will not do. . . . Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above 

the speculative level.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007) (citations 

Case 3:16-cv-04513-JD Document 8 Filed 11/16/16 Page 1 of 4
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

omitted). A complaint must proffer “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its 

face.” Id. at 570. The United States Supreme Court has explained the “plausible on its face” 

standard of Twombly: “While legal conclusions can provide the framework of a complaint, they 

must be supported by factual allegations. When there are well-pleaded factual allegations, a court 

should assume their veracity and then determine whether they plausibly give rise to an entitlement 

to relief.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 679 (2009). 

To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege that: (1) a right secured by 

the Constitution or laws of the United States was violated, and (2) the alleged deprivation was 

committed by a person acting under the color of state law. West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988).

LEGAL CLAIMS

Plaintiff seeks money damages from the judge involved with his criminal case and to be 

released from prison. In order to recover damages for an allegedly unconstitutional conviction or 

imprisonment, or for other harm caused by actions whose unlawfulness would render a conviction 

or sentence invalid, a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 plaintiff must prove that the conviction or sentence has 

been reversed on direct appeal, expunged by executive order, declared invalid by a state tribunal 

authorized to make such determination, or called into question by a federal court's issuance of a 

writ of habeas corpus. Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477, 486-487 (1994). A claim for damages 

bearing that relationship to a conviction or sentence that has not been so invalidated is not 

cognizable under § 1983. Id. at 487.

A state judge is absolutely immune from civil liability for damages for acts performed in 

his judicial capacity. See Pierson v. Ray, 386 U.S. 547, 553-55 (1967) (applying judicial 

immunity to actions under 42 U.S.C. § 1983). Judicial immunity is an immunity from suit for 

damages, not just from an ultimate assessment of damages. See Mitchell v. Forsyth, 472 U.S. 511, 

526 (1985). 

Before plaintiff may seek damages, he must first demonstrate that his conviction has been 

reversed or invalidated. Plaintiff has also failed to demonstrate that he is entitled to damages from 

the judge. This case is dismissed without leave to amend because allowing further amendment 

would be futile. Should plaintiff’s conviction be reversed he may refile this case. To the extent 

Case 3:16-cv-04513-JD Document 8 Filed 11/16/16 Page 2 of 4
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United States District Court

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plaintiff seeks to be released from prison, he must file a habeas petition after exhausting state court 

remedies. 

CONCLUSION

1. This action is DISMISSED for the reasons set forth above. Plaintiff’s motions 

(Docket Nos. 3, 6) are DENIED.

2. The Clerk shall close this file.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 16, 2016

JAMES DONATO

United States District Judge

Case 3:16-cv-04513-JD Document 8 Filed 11/16/16 Page 3 of 4
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DERRICK L. JOHNSON,

Plaintiff,

v.

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND 

REHABILITATION, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 16-cv-04513-JD 

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 November 16, 2016, 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.

Derrick L. Johnson ID: AY7574

Salinas Valley State Prison

P.O. Box 705

Soledad, CA 93960 

Dated: November 16, 2016

Susan Y. Soong

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

LISA R. CLARK, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable JAMES DONATO

Case 3:16-cv-04513-JD Document 8 Filed 11/16/16 Page 4 of 4