Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_03-cv-06338/USCOURTS-caed-1_03-cv-06338-4/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

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

HENRI BROTHER,

Plaintiff,

v.

TEHACHAPI PRISON MEDICAL

PROVIDER, et al.,

Defendants.

 /

CASE NO. CV-F-03-6338 REC SMS P

ORDER DECLINING TO ADOPT FINDINGS

AND RECOMMENDATIONS AT THIS

JUNCTURE, AND REFERRING MATTER

BACK TO MAGISTRATE JUDGE TO ORDER

FURTHER BRIEFING AND SET

EVIDENTIARY HEARING

(Doc. 62)

Plaintiff Henri Brother (“plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma

pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The matter was referred to a United

States Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rule 72-302.

On March 23, 2005, the Magistrate Judge filed a Findings and Recommendations herein

which was served on the parties and which contained notice to the parties that any objections to the

Findings and Recommendations were to be filed within thirty days. Plaintiff filed objections on

April 11, 2005. 

In accordance with the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C) and Local Rule 73-305, this

Court has conducted a de novo review of this case. Having carefully reviewed the entire file, the

Court finds the Findings and Recommendations to be supported by the record and by proper analysis

based on the law at that time. However, one day after the Magistrate Judge issued the Findings and

Recommendations, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued Ngo v.

Woodford, 403 F.3d 620 (9th Cir. 2005). The Magistrate Judge’s recommendation was based on

Case 1:03-cv-06338-AWI -SMS Document 76 Filed 05/19/05 Page 1 of 2
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the fact that plaintiff failed to submit any evidence that he filed a timely grievance but was thwarted.

In Ngo, the Ninth Circuit held that because the prisoner’s administrative appeal was deemed timebarred and no further level of appeal remained in the state prison’s internal appeals process, he

completed all avenues of administrative review available to him and therefore exhausted. Ngo, 403

F.3d at 630. In light of Ngo, the timeliness of plaintiff’s attempts is no longer relevant. Once the

issue of timeliness of plaintiff’s attempts is removed from the analysis, the Court is left with a factual

dispute concerning what steps plaintiff took and what did or did not happen to his appeals.

Therefore, the matter shall be referred back to the Magistrate Judge for further briefing and an

evidentiary hearing. Wyatt v. Terhune, 315 F.3d 1108, 1119-120 (9th Cir. 2003) (In deciding a

motion to dismiss for failure to exhaust administrative remedies, the court may look beyond the

pleadings and decide disputed issues of fact.). 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Based on the issuance of Ngo v. Woodford, 403 F.3d 620 (9th Cir. 2005), the

Findings and Recommendations, filed March 23, 2005, is not adopted at this time;

and 

2. This matter is referred back to the Magistrate Judge for further proceedings

consistent with this order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 19, 2005 /s/ Robert E. Coyle 

668554 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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