Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02629/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02629-0/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

KENNETH TRASK, 

Plaintiff(s),

 v.

JIM HAMLET, et al.,

Defendant(s).

 

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No. C 05-2629 TEH (PR)

ORDER OF SERVICE

Plaintiff, a prisoner at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad

(“CTF”), has filed a pro se civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and 28

U.S.C. § 1367 alleging deprivation of his First Amendment right to free exercise

of his religion, Shi’a Islam, and various related state law claims. Plaintiff

specifically alleges that prison officials impermissibly burdened the practice of

his religion by failing to provide him with an adequate religious diet and a religious

leader and space to hold regular Shi’a services. 

DISCUSSION

A. 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). The court must identify cognizable

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1Former warden Jim Hamlet and acting chief of inmate appeals T. Surges

are dismissed because there are no allegations whatsoever connecting them to any

wrongdoing. And Does 1-20 are dismissed without prejudice to plaintiff

ascertaining their identities and seeking leave to amend to add them within 60 days

of this order. See Wakefield v. Thompson, 177 F.3d 1160, 1163 (9th Cir. 1999).

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claims or dismiss the complaint, or any portion of the complaint, if the complaint

"is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted,"

or "seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief." Id. §

1915A(b). Pro se pleadings must be liberally construed, however. Balistreri v.

Pacifica Police Dep't, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1990).

To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two 

elements: (1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States

was violated, and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a person acting

under the color of state law. West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988).

B. Legal Claims

In order to establish a free exercise violation, a prisoner must show the

defendants burdened the practice of his religion by preventing him from engaging

in conduct mandated by his faith without any justification reasonably related to

legitimate penological interests. See Freeman v. Arpaio, 125 F.3d 732, 736 (9th

Cir. 1997). Liberally construed, plaintiff’s allegations state a cognizable § 1983

First Amendment claim, and related state law claims, against the named defendants

and will be served.1 

CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons and for good cause shown,

1. The clerk shall issue summons and the United States Marshal shall

serve, without prepayment of fees, copies of the complaint in this matter, all

attachments thereto, and copies of this order on the following defendants: A. O.

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Amaya (food manager, CTF), Antar Jannah (Muslim chaplain, CTF), Lockwood

(business manager, CTF), Pat Baker (chief deputy warden, CTF), J. R. Solis

(former acting warden, CTF), V. Raso (business manager, CTF), W. A. Cohen

(associate warden, CTF), Summerset (food administrator, CTF), and N. Gannies

(chief of inmate appeals, Sacramento). The clerk also shall serve a copy of this

order on plaintiff. 

2. In order to expedite the resolution of this case, the court

orders as follows:

a. No later than 90 days from the date of this order, defendants

shall file a motion for summary judgment or other dispositive motion. A motion

for summary judgment shall be supported by adequate factual documentation and

shall conform in all respects to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, and shall

include as exhibits all records and incident reports stemming from the events at

issue. If defendants are of the opinion that this case cannot be resolved by

summary judgment or other dispositive motion, they shall so inform the court

prior to the date their motion is due. All papers filed with the court shall be served

promptly on plaintiff.

b. Plaintiff's opposition to the dispositive motion shall be filed

with the court and served upon defendants no later than 30 days after defendants

serve plaintiff with the motion. 

c. Plaintiff is advised that a motion for summary judgment under

Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will, if granted, end your case. 

Rule 56 tells you what you must do in order to oppose a motion for summary

judgment. Generally, summary judgment must be granted when there is no genuine

issue of material fact--that is, if there is no real dispute about any fact that would

affect the result of your case, the party who asked for summary judgment is

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entitled to judgment as a matter of law, which will end your case. When a party you

are suing makes a motion for summary judgment that is properly supported by

declarations (or other sworn testimony), you cannot simply rely on what your

complaint says. Instead, you must set out specific facts in declarations,

depositions, answers to interrogatories, or authenticated documents, as provided in

Rule 56(e), that contradicts the facts shown in the defendant's declarations and

documents and show that there is a genuine issue of material fact for trial. If you

do not submit your own evidence in opposition, summary judgment, if appropriate,

may be entered against you. If summary judgment is granted, your case will be

dismissed and there will be no trial. Rand v. Rowland, 154 F.3d 952, 962-63 (9th

Cir. 1998) (en banc) (App. A).

Plaintiff is also advised that a motion to dismiss for failure to exhaust

administrative remedies under 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) will, if granted, end your case,

albeit without prejudice. You must “develop a record” and present it in your

opposition in order to dispute any “factual record” presented by the defendants in

their motion to dismiss. Wyatt v. Terhune, 315 F.3d 1108, 1120 n.14 (9th Cir.

2003).

d. Defendants shall file a reply brief within 15 days of the date

on which plaintiff serves them with the opposition. 

e. The motion shall be deemed submitted as of the date the reply

brief is due. No hearing will be held on the motion unless the court so orders at a

later date. 

3. Discovery may be taken in accordance with the Federal Rules of

Civil Procedure. No further court order is required before the parties may conduct

discovery.

4. All communications by plaintiff with the court must be served on

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defendants, or defendants' counsel once counsel has been designated, by mailing a

true copy of the document to defendants or defendants' counsel.

5. It is plaintiff's responsibility to prosecute this case. Plaintiff must

keep the court and all parties informed of any change of address and must comply

with the court's orders in a timely fashion. Failure to do so may result in the

dismissal of this action under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b).

SO ORDERED.

DATED: 12/13/05 

THELTON E. HENDERSON

United States District Judge

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