Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_07-cv-01252/USCOURTS-azd-2_07-cv-01252-0/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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TERMPSREF

WO SVK

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Rockney Willard Martineau, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Joseph M. Arpaio, 

Defendant. 

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No. CV 07-1252-PHX-SMM (JRI)

ORDER

Plaintiff Rockney Willard Martineau, who is confined in the Maricopa County Towers

Jail, has filed a pro se civil rights Complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and an Application

to Proceed In Forma Pauperis. The Court will order Defendant to answer the Complaint.

Plaintiff has also filed a Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary

Injunction, which the Court will deny without prejudice.

I. Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and Filing Fee

Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis will be granted. 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(a). Plaintiff must pay the statutory filing fee of $350.00. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1).

The Court will assess an initial partial filing fee of $12.00. The remainder of the fee will be

collected monthly in payments of 20% of the previous month’s income each time the amount

in the account exceeds $10.00. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). The Court will enter a separate

Case 2:07-cv-01252-SMM-JRI Document 6 Filed 07/03/07 Page 1 of 6
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Order requiring the appropriate government agency to collect and forward the fees according

to the statutory formula. 

II. Statutory Screening of Prisoner Complaints

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

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

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

III. Complaint

Plaintiff names Sheriff Joseph M. Arpaio as Defendant. The Complaint contains one

count. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Arpaio has instituted a policy of limiting incoming

mail to metered postcards. Plaintiff alleges that this policy unreasonably infringes on his

right to receive mail from his family and business and that security concerns are unfounded

or can be dealt with in ways that do not limit mail to a postcard.

Plaintiff seeks a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, and court costs

and fees. 

Plaintiff’s allegations adequately state a claim, and the Court will direct Defendant

to answer the Complaint.

IV. Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction

Plaintiff has filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary

injunctive relief. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(b) provides that a temporary restraining

order may not be granted without written or oral notice to the adverse party unless:

1) it clearly appears from specific facts shown by affidavit or by the verified

complaint that immediate and irreparable injury, loss or damage will result to the

applicant before the adverse party or that party's attorney can be heard in

opposition, and

2) the [applicant] certified to the court in writing the efforts, if any, which have

been made to give the notice and the reasons supporting the claim that notice

should not be required.

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Plaintiff has not satisfied the requirements for a temporary restraining order. Moreover, the

Court finds that the harm Plaintiff alleges is speculative and therefore does not warrant the

issuance of a temporary restraining order before Defendant or his attorney can be heard in

opposition. The standard for issuing a temporary retraining order is the same as the standard

for issuing a preliminary injunction. Whitman v. Hawaiian Tug & Barge Corp./Young Bros.,

Ltd.Salaried Pension Plan, 27 F.Supp. 2d 1225, 1228 (D. Haw. 1998).

 When seeking injunctive relief the moving party must show either: “(1) a likelihood

of success on the merits and the possibility of irreparable injury; or (2) that serious questions

going to the merits were raised and the balance of hardships tips sharply in its favor.”

Walczak v. EPL Prolong, Inc., 198 F.3d 725, 731 (9th Cir. 1999). These two formulations

both operate as a sliding scale, whereby a stronger showing of irreparable harm can

compensate for a weaker likelihood of success. See id.; United States v. Nutri-cology, Inc.,

982 F.2d 394, 397 (9th Cir. 1992). Under either test, the movant bears the burden of

persuasion, Mattel, Inc. v. Greiner & Hausser GmbH, 354 F.3d 857, 869 (9th Cir. 2003), and

must demonstrate a significant threat of irreparable injury. AGCC v. Coalition for Economic

Equity, 950 F.2d 1401, 1410 (9th Cir. 1991). In other words, a plaintiff must show a real or

immediate threat—a likelihood of substantial and immediate irreparable injury. Gomez v.

Vernon, 255 F.3d 1118, 1129 (9th Cir. 2001) (quotation and citation omitted). Speculative

injury is not sufficient. Caribbean Marine Servs. v. Baldridge, 844 F.2d 668, 674 (9th Cir.

1988). 

In his motion, Plaintiff asserts that a policy that limits communication to postcards is

inadequate for communication between an inmate and his family, would prohibit inmates

from conducting business, and would be inadequate for legal matters such as wills and

powers of attorney. But the limitations, at least as alleged, are merely general and

speculative; Plaintiff does not even state that he is actually being prevented from engaging

in any particular communication as a result of the policy. Plaintiff has not alleged or

established a real or immediate threat of injury.

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Finally, under Federal Rule Civil Procedure 65(a)(1), no preliminary injunction can

be issued without notice to the opposing party. Defendant has not yet been served in this

action. In addition, neither Plaintiff’s motion nor the accompanying Memorandum of Points

and Authorities indicate that Plaintiff provided notice to Defendant of his request for

preliminary injunctive relief. Consequently, Plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction

will be denied. 

V. Warnings

A. Release

Plaintiff must pay the unpaid balance of the filing fee within 120 days of his release.

Also, within 30 days of his release, he must either (1) notify the Court that he intends to pay

the balance or (2) show good cause, in writing, why he cannot. Failure to comply may result

in dismissal of this action.

B. Address Changes

Plaintiff must file and serve a notice of a change of address in accordance with Rule

83.3(d) of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure. Plaintiff must not include a motion for other

relief with a notice of change of address. Failure to comply may result in dismissal of this

action.

C. Copies

Plaintiff must serve Defendant, or counsel if an appearance has been entered, a copy

of every document that he files. Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(a). Each filing must include a certificate

stating that a copy of the filing was served. Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(d). Also, Plaintiff must submit

an additional copy of every filing for use by the Court. See LRCiv 5.4. Failure to comply

may result in the filing being stricken without further notice to Plaintiff.

D. Possible Dismissal

If Plaintiff fails to timely comply with every provision of this Order, including these

warnings, the Court may dismiss this action without further notice. See Ferdik v. Bonzelet,

963 F.2d 1258, 1260-61 (9th Cir. 1992) (a district court may dismiss an action for failure to

comply with any order of the Court).

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IT IS ORDERED: 

(1) Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis,filed with the Complaint,

is GRANTED. 

(2) As required by the accompanying Order to the appropriate government agency,

Plaintiff must pay the $350.00 filing fee and is assessed an initial partial filing fee of $12.00.

(3) Defendant must answer the Complaint. 

(4) Plaintiff’s Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary

Injunction (Doc. #3) is DENIED without prejudice.

(5) The Clerk of Court must send Plaintiff a service packet including the

Complaint (Doc. #1), this Order, and both summons and request for waiver forms for

Defendant.

(6) Plaintiff must 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.

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

complete service of the Summons and Complaint on 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. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m); LRCiv 16.2(b)(2)(B)(i).

(8) The United States Marshal must retain the Summons, a copy of the Complaint,

and a copy of this Order for future use.

(9) The United States Marshal must notify Defendant 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 Defendant must include a copy of this Order. The

Marshal must immediately file requests for waivers that were returned as undeliverable and

waivers of service of the summons. If a waiver of service of summons is not returned by

Defendant within 30 days from the date the request for waiver was sent by the Marshal, the

Marshal must:

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(a) personally serve copies of the Summons, Complaint, and this Order upon

Defendant pursuant to Rule 4(e)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure; and

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

for 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 Defendant.

The costs of service must be enumerated on the return of service form (USM-285) and

must include the costs incurred by the Marshal for photocopying additional copies of

the Summons, 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.

(10) If Defendant agrees to waive service of the Summons and Complaint, he

must return the signed waiver forms to the United States Marshal, not the Plaintiff.

(11) Defendant must answer the 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.

(12) This matter is referred to Magistrate Judge Jay R. Irwin pursuant to Rules 72.1

and 72.2 of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure for further proceedings.

DATED this 2nd day of July, 2007.

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