Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-03257/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-03257-0/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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1

 Many inmates apparently believe that they will receive an immediate payout from a fund

established in Hart v. Hill, No. CV 77-0479-PHX-EHC (MS) (D. Ariz.). No such fund exists. The

inmates in Hart asked for injunctive relief and not monetary damages. The Court at t his t ime

expresses no opinion on whether Plaintiff’s lawsuit may result in an award of damages. 

TERMPSREF

WO BL

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Marvin W. Phillips, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, et al., 

Defendants. 

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No. CV 05-3257-PHX-DGC (ECV)

ORDER

Plaintiff Marvin W. Phillips, currently confined in the Maricopa County Tent City

Jail, Arizona, has filed a pro se Complaint pursuant to § 1983.1 T his act ion is one of more

than one thousand lawsuits filed in this district since September 2004 alleging that the

overcrowded conditions in the Maricopa County jail system have resulted in a variety of

constitutional violations. The Court will order that the act ion be served upon Defendant

Arp aio, t hat Defendant Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office will be dismissed with prejudice

and that Count I will be dismissed without prejudice.

A. Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis & Filing Fee.

Plaintiff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis will be granted. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a).

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1), Plaintiff is required to pay the st at ut ory filing fee of

$250.00 for this action. An initial partial filing fee of $2.10 will be assessed by this Order.

Case 2:05-cv-03257-DGC-ECV Document 4 Filed 11/01/05 Page 1 of 7
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2

 Plaintiff listed Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as a Defendant in the caption, but not as

a named Defendant. Out of an abundance of caution, it is presumed that Plaintiff seeks to name

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as a named Defendant in his action.

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28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). By separate order, the Court will direct the appropriate agency to

collect the init ial p artial filing fee from Plaintiff’s trust account and forward it to the Clerk

of Court. Thereafter, Plaintiff will be obligated for monthly payments of 20 percent of the

p receding month’s income credited to Plaintiff’s trust account. These payments will be

forwarded by the appropriate agency t o t he Clerk of Court each time the amount in

Plaintiff’s account exceeds $10.00, until the filing fee is paid in full. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

Plaintiff should take notice that if he is released before t he filing fee is paid in full,

he must pay the remaining unpaid amount of the filing fee within 120 days of the date of

his release. If Plaintiff fails to pay the remainder of the filing fee within 120 days of the date

of his release, the action will be dismissed, unless Plaintiff shows good cause, in writing,

why he is unable to pay the remainder of the filing fee.

B. 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 p ortion thereof if the Plaintiff has raised

claims that are legally “frivolous or malicious,” that fail to state a claim up on 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). 

C. Complaint.

Plaintiff names as Defendants (1) Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office2 and (2) Joseph

M. Arpaio, Sheriff of Maricopa County, alleging t hat he oversees the jails in an inhumane

manner. Plaintiff sets forth the following causes of action.

Count I

Plaintiff asserts that when he complained to the detention officers, he was accused

of being problematic. Plaintiff maint ains that afterwards, he was informed that because he

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filed a grievance, t he entire pod would be put on restriction. He also alleges that he was

threatened with disciplinary segregation, and loss of commissary privileges, phone

privileges, and recreational time.

Count II

Plaintiff alleges that he was subject ed t o unsanitary conditions in the showers. As

a result, staph infections were rampant, and he was bitten by spiders. Plaintiff also alleges

that because the ceiling tiles were missing, he was exposed to asbestos.

Count III

Plaintiff alleges that his constitutional rights were violated due to overcrowding.

Plaintiff asserts that as a result, he experiences paranoia, high anxiety, and insomnia.

Plaintiff seeks monetary and other relief.

D. Failure to State a Claim.

1. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is not a proper Defendant. In Arizona, the

responsibility of operating jails and caring for prisoners is p laced by law upon the sheriff.

See A.R.S. § 11-441(A)(5); A.R.S. § 31-101. A sheriff’s office is simply an administrative

creation of the county sheriff to allow him t o carry out his statutory duties, and not a

“person” amenable to suit pursuant to § 1983. Accordingly, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s

Office will be dismissed from this action as an improper Defendant. 

2. Retaliation 

To state a valid constitutional claim, a plaintiff must allege that he suffered specific

injury as a result of the specific conduct of a defendant, and show an affirmative link

between the injury and the conduct of the defendant. Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362, 371-72,

377 (1976). For a person to liable in his official capacity , Plaint iff must allege that he acted

as a result of a policy, pract ice, or custom. See Cortez v. County of Los Angeles, 294 F.3d

1186, 1188 (9th Cir. 2001). A supervisor, in his individual capacit y , “is only liable for

constitutional violations of his subordinates if the supervisor participated in or directed

the violations, or knew of the violations and failed to act to prevent them.” Taylor v. List,

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880 F.2d 1040, 1045 (9th Cir. 1989). “A plaintiff must allege facts, not simply conclusions,

that show that an individual was personally involved in the deprivation of his civil rights.”

Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194 (9th Cir. 1998).

In Count I, Plaintiff alleges that as a result of him filing grievances with detention

officers, he and his entire pod were punished. However, Plaintiff did not establish that the

detention officers’ actions were the result of a policy or practice instituted by Defendant

Arpaio. Moreover, Plaintiff did not allege that Defendant Arpaio was involved in, or even

aware that Plaintiff’s constitutional rights were allegedly being violated. Because

Defendant Arpaio is the only remaining Defendant, this Count will be dismissed without

prejudice.

E. Claims For Which An Answer Will be Required.

At this early stage, Plaintiff has sufficiently set forth a claim that his constitutional

rights were violated by (1) unsanit ary conditions and (2) overcrowding. Defendant Arpaio

will be ordered to answer Counts II and III.

F. 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. 1992) (district court may dismiss action for failure to comply with any order

of the Court).

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that: 

(1) Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. #1) is granted

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1).

(2) Plaintiff is obligated to pay the stat ut ory filing fee of $250.00 for this action.

Plaintiff is assessed an initial partial filing fee of $2.10. All fees shall be collected and paid

in accordance with this Court=s Order to the appropriate government agency filed

concurrently herewith.

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(3) Count I is dismissed without prejudice and Defendant Maricopa County Sheriff’s

Office is dismissed with prejudice.

(4) Defendant Arpaio will be required to answer Counts II and III.

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

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

Arpaio.

(6) 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.

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

service of the Summons and 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 lat er, the action may

be dismissed as to each Defendant not served p ursuant to Rule 4(m) of the Federal Rules

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

(8) The United States Marshal shall ret ain the Summons, a copy of the Complaint,

and a copy of this Order for future use.

(9) The Unit ed St at es Marshal shall 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 shall include a copy of this Order. The

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

returned as undeliverable as soon as t hey 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, Complaint, and this Order up on

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

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

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

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

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the Defendant. The costs of service shall be enumerated on the ret urn of service

form (USM-285) and shall include the cost s 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) A Defendant who agrees to waive service of the Summons and Complaint shall

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

(11) Defendant shall answer the Complaint or otherwise respond by appropriate

motion within the time provided by the applicable provisions of Rule 12(a) of t he Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure.

(12) Any answer or responsive p leading shall state the Defendant by name on

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

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

(13) 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 certificat e st at ing t he 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.

(14) At all times during the pendency of this action, Plaint iff shall immediately

advise the Court and the Unit ed St at es 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 it s effective date.

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

include any mot ions for any other relief. Failure to file a Notice of Change of Address may

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result in t he dismissal of the action for failure to prosecute pursuant to Rule 41(b) of the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

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

accomp any each original pleading or other document filed with the Clerk for use by the

District Judge or Magist rat e 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. 

(16) This matter is referred t o Magistrate Edward C. Voss pursuant to Local Rules

of Civil Procedure 72.1 and 72.2 for further proceedings.

DATED this 31st day of October, 2005.

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