Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00060/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00060-9/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

---

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

1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

COREY LAMAR SMITH, et al.,

 Plaintiffs, 

 v. 

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, et al.,

 Defendants.

1:14-CV-00060-LJO-SAB

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND 

ORDER RE PLAINTIFFS’ 

OBJECTIONS TO FINDINGS AND 

RECOMMENDATIONS (DOC. 70)

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs are former and current inmates at Pleasant Valley State Prison (“PVSP”) in Coalinga, 

California or Avenal State Prison (“ASP”) in Avenal, California, who contracted “Valley Fever” during 

their terms of incarceration. Doc. 2 (“Compl.”) at ¶ 1. This case is one of four related suits brought by 

various Plaintiffs who contracted Valley Fever while incarcerated. See Jackson v. State of California, 

1:13-CV-1055-LJO-SAB; Beagle v. Schwarzenegger, 1:14-CV-430-LJO-SAB; Abukar v. 

Schwarzenegger, 1:14-CV-816-LJO-SAB. Plaintiffs bring this suit against Defendants,1various former 

and current government officials and former and current employees of PVSP, for their roles in causing

Plaintiffs to contract Valley Fever. Id.

 

1 Defendants are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Former Governor of California; Edmund G. Brown, Governor of California; 

Jeffrey A. Beard, Secretary, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; Paul D. Brazelton 

Former Warden, Pleasant Valley State Prison; Matthew Cate, Former Secretary, California Department of Corrections and 

Rehabilitation; James D. Hartley, Warden, Avenal State Prison; Susan Hubbard, Former Director, Division of Adult 

Operations; Deborah Hysen, Chief Deputy Secretary, Facilities Planning, Construction & Management; Felix Igbinosa, 

Medical Director, Pleasant Valley State Prison; Chris Meyer, Senior Chief, Facilities Planning, Construction & Management; 

Tanya Rothchild, Former Chief, Classification Services Unit; Dwight Winslow, M.D., Former Medical Director, California 

Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and James A. Yates, Former Warden, Pleasant Valley State Prison 

(collectively, “Defendants”).

Case 1:14-cv-00060-LJO-SAB Document 80 Filed 07/30/14 Page 1 of 2
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

2

On June 24, 2014, the Magistrate Judge issued Findings and Recommendations (“F&Rs”). Doc. 

70. Plaintiffs filed objections to the F&Rs on July 8, 2014 (Doc. 72) to which Defendants responded on 

July 22, 2014 (Docs. 76, 77). 

Likewise, the Magistrate Judge issued F&Rs in Beagle on June 24, 2014. Beagle, 14-CV-430-

LJO-SAB, Doc. 64. Plaintiffs filed objections to the F&Rs on July 8, 2014 (id. at Doc. 66) to which 

Defendants responded on July 22, 2014 (id. at Docs. 70, 71). On July 25, 2014, this Court issued a 

decision and order in Beagle resolving the plaintiffs’ objections to the F&Rs issued in that case. Id. at

Doc. 74 (“the Beagle order”).

The Court has reviewed the record of this case and that of Beagle and finds they are essentially 

identical. Specifically, the Court finds the Beagle order to be directly applicable here. That is, the Beagle

order resolves Plaintiffs’ pending objections to the F&Rs and explains the extent to which the Court will 

adopt the F&Rs here. Accordingly, for the reasons more thoroughly explained in the Beagle order, the 

Court ORDERS that

1. Plaintiffs’ second cause of action is DISMISSED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND.

2. Plaintiffs’ third cause of action is DISMISSED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND.

3. Defendants Winslow, Igbinosa, and Schwarzenegger’s motions to dismiss are 

GRANTED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND.

4. The Court ADOPTS IN PART the Findings and Recommendations filed on June 24, 

2014 (Doc. 70).2

This is the last time amendment will be allowed. The Court neither has the time nor the 

responsibility to become authors of amended complaints. Legal direction has been supplied herein—

once. Any amended complaint shall be filed on or before August 22, 2014.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 30, 2014 /s/ Lawrence J. O’Neill 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

 

2 As explained in the Beagle order, the Court adopted the F&Rs unless otherwise indicated. See Beagle, 14-CV-430-LJOSAB, Doc. 74, at 2 n. 3. The Court likewise ADOPTS the F&Rs here to the extent the Court did so in Beagle.

Case 1:14-cv-00060-LJO-SAB Document 80 Filed 07/30/14 Page 2 of 2