Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-00783/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-00783-2/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

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CHARLES GRADY,

CDCR #T-71212,

Civil No. 11cv0783 LAB (JMA)

Plaintiff,

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S

MOTION TO DISMISS PURSUANT

TO FED.R.CIV.P. 12(b)

[ECF No. 9]

vs.

RONQUILLO, Correctional Officer,

Defendant.

I.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Charles Grady (“Plaintiff”), a prisoner currently incarcerated at Pleasant Valley State

Prison in Coalinga, California, proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, filed this civil rights

action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on April 13, 2011. Plaintiff alleges that while he was

housed at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (“Donovan”) in 2010 and 2011 his

constitutional rights were violated.

Defendant Ronquillo has filed a Motion to Dismiss pursuant to FED.R.CIV.P. 12(b) and

12(b)(6). However, Plaintiff has failed to file an Opposition. The Court has determined that

Defendant’s Motion is suitable for disposition upon the papers without oral argument and that

Case 3:11-cv-00783-LAB-JMA Document 12 Filed 11/14/11 Page 1 of 5
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no Report and Recommendation from Magistrate Judge Jan M. Adler is necessary. See S.D.

CAL. CIVLR 7.1(d)(1), 72.3(e). 

II.

FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS

In October and November of 2010, Plaintiff, while housed at Donovan, alleges that

Defendant Ronquillo would destroy inmate administrate grievances. (See Compl. at 3.) As a

result, Plaintiff was unable to properly resolve his grievances. (Id.) Plaintiff wrote an

administrative grievance alleging that Defendant Ronquillo was “disrespectful” and Plaintiff

claims that Ronquillo began to retaliate against him for filing a grievance against her. (Id.)

Plaintiff further alleges that Ronquillo attempted to have Plaintiff “beat up” another inmate on

her behalf. (Id.) When Plaintiff refused to start a fight, he alleges Ronquillo informed him that

even though he did not currently have any enemies, she would “see that I would have some.”

(Id.) Plaintiff claims he also stopped receiving his halal religious meals as an act of retaliation

by Ronquillo. (Id.) Plaintiff further alleges Ronquillo purposefully staged events so that fights

would start among inmates. (Id.) 

On one occasion, Plaintiff claims that the cell door of another inmate and Plaintiff’s cell

were purposefully left open so that they would engage in combat. (Id. at 4.) Inmate Newell is

alleged to have “charged” at Plaintiff. (Id.) While this was happening, another correctional

officer “yelled lock-down” but Ronquillo intervened and stated “let it happen, this is going to

be a good one.” (Id.) As another inmate was hitting Plaintiff, Plaintiff claims he was shot “with

a block gun” four times. (Id. at 4-5.) Plaintiff claims that Ronquillo was known to set up fights

among inmates. (Id. at 5.) 

III.

DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS PURSUANT TO FED.R.CIV.P. 12(b)

As a preliminary matter, the Court will first consider Defendant’s arguments that

Plaintiff’s Complaint should be dismissed for failing to exhaust available administrative

remedies pursuant to FED.R.CIV.P. 12(b) and 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). 

/ / /

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A. Standard of Review per FED.R.CIV.P. 12(b) and 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a)

Defendant Ronquillo claims Plaintiff failed to exhaust available administrative remedies

pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) before bringing this suit, therefore, Ronquillo seeks dismissal

under the “non-enumerated” provisions of FED.R.CIV.P. 12(b). The Ninth Circuit has held that

“failure to exhaust nonjudicial remedies is a matter of abatement” not going to the merits of the

case and is properly raised pursuant to a motion to dismiss, including a non-enumerated motion

under FED.R.CIV.P. 12(b). See Wyatt v. Terhune, 315 F.3d 1108, 1119 (9th Cir. 2003) It is also

well established that non-exhaustion of administrative remedies as set forth in 42 U.S.C.

§ 1997e(a) is an affirmative defense which defendant prison officials have the burden of raising

and proving. See Jones v. Bock, 594 U.S. 199, 216 (2007); Wyatt, 315 F.3d at 1119. However,

unlike under Rule 12(b)(6), “[i]n deciding a motion to dismiss for failure to exhaust nonjudicial

remedies, the court may look beyond the pleadings and decide disputed issues of fact.” Wyatt,

F.3d at 1120.

B. Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies per 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a)

The Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”) amended 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) to provide

that “[n]o action shall be brought with respect to prison conditions under section 1983 . . . 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). “Once within the discretion of

the district court, exhaustion in cases covered by § 1997e(a) is now mandatory.” Porter v.

Nussle, 534 U.S. 516, 532 (2002). 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) has been construed broadly to “afford

[ ] corrections officials time and opportunity to address complaints internally before allowing

the initiation of a federal case, id. at 525-26, and to encompass inmate suits about both general

circumstances and particular episodes of prison life--including incidents of alleged excessive

force. Id. at 532. Finally, “[t]he ‘available’ ‘remed[y]’ must be ‘exhausted’ before a complaint

under § 1983 may be entertained,” “regardless of the relief offered through administrative

procedures.” Booth v. Churner, 532 U.S. 731, 738, 741 (2001); see also McKinney v. Carey,

311 F.3d 1198, 1200-01 (9th Cir. 2002).

/ / /

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The State of California provides its prisoners and parolees the right to administratively

appeal “any departmental policies, decisions, actions, conditions, or omissions that have a

material adverse effect on the welfare of inmates and parolees.” CAL. CODE REGS., tit. 15

§ 3084.1(a) (2011). Prior to January 28, 2011, in order to exhaust available administrative

remedies within this system, a prisoner would proceed through several levels: (1) informal

resolution, (2) formal written appeal on a CDC 602 inmate appeal form, (3) second level appeal

to the institution head or designee, and (4) third level appeal to the Director of the California

Department of Corrections. CAL. CODE REGS., tit. 15 § 3084.1(a) (2010). However, in January

2011, the process was changed. Following January 28, 2011, prison regulations no longer

required an inmate to submit to informal resolution while the other remaining levels remain the

same. CAL. CODE REGS. tit. 15 § 3084.5 (2011). 

C. Application of 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) to Plaintiff’s Case

Defendant Ronquillo argues that Plaintiff failed to exhaust his administrative remedies

prior to filing this lawsuit. In support of her claim, Defendant provides the declaration of R.

Cobb, Appeals Coordinator at Donovan. (See Defs. Mot, Cobb Decl. at ¶ 2.) Plaintiff was

housed at Donovan from March 22, 2010 to April 13, 2011. (Id. at ¶ 8.) In Cobb’s Declaration,

he states that he reviewed all the administrative appeals submitted by Plaintiff while housed at

Donovan. (Id. at ¶ 8.)

Plaintiff filed an administrative grievance on March 12, 2011 in which Plaintiff raised

several grievances against Defendant Ronquillo that were related to the issues in Plaintiff’s

Complaint. (Id. at ¶ 9(b)). This grievance was classified as a staff complaint. (Id.) However,

Cobb rejected this grievance on March 16, 2011 for failing to comply with the regulations. (Id.

citing CODE REGS., tit. 15 § 3084.2(a)(2) and 3084.6(b)(5) (2011)). Specifically, Plaintiff’s

grievance exceeded the page limitation. (Id.) Plaintiff was sent a rejection letter by Cobb

notifying Plaintiff that he had failed to comply with § 3084.6(b)(5). (Id., Ex. C. Screening at

First Level dated March 16, 2011). Plaintiff did “not attempt to re-submit the appeal.” (Id.)

/ / /

/ / /

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The Supreme Court has made clear that Plaintiff must “properly exhaust” his

administrative remedies before filing a prison conditions action. In Woodford v. Ngo, 548 U.S.

81, 91 (2006), the Supreme Court held that “[p]roper exhaustion demands compliance with an

agency’s deadlines and other critical procedural rules because no adjudicative system can

function effectively without imposing some orderly structure on the course of its proceedings.”

Woodford, 548 U.S. at 91. The Court further held that “[proper exhaustion] means ... a prisoner

must complete the administrative review process in accordance with the applicable procedural

rules ... as a precondition to bring suit in federal court.” Id.

Plaintiff has failed to rebut Defendant Ronquillo’s showing that he failed to properly

exhaust his administrative grievances prior to bringing this action. Thus, the Court GRANTS

Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff’s Complaint for failing to exhaust his administrative

remedies as required by 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). This dismissal is without prejudice to permit

Plaintiff to file a separate action once he has properly exhausted his administrative remedies.

The Court will not address the remainder of Defendant’s Motion as dismissal of the entire action

without prejudice is warranted at this time.

 IV.

CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Based on the foregoing, the Court hereby:

GRANTS Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff’s Complaint for failure to exhaust his

administrative remedies pursuant to FED.R.CIV.P. 12(b) and 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). This

dismissal is without prejudice.

The Clerk of Court shall close the file.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: November 10, 2011

 HON. LARRY ALAN BURNS

United States District Judge

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