Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_13-cv-00973/USCOURTS-casd-3_13-cv-00973-4/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983pr Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BRANDON MEEKS,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 13cv973-GPC(BGS)

ORDER DECLINING TO ADOPT

REPORT AND

RECOMMENDATION AND

DENYING DEFENDANTS’

MOTION TO DISMISS; AND 

DENYING DEFENDANTS’

MOTION TO CONVERT 12(B)

MOTION INTO A MOTION FOR

SUMMARY JUDGMENT

[Dkt. Nos. 12, 34, 41.]

vs.

A. NUNEZ, ET AL.,

Defendants.

Before the Court is the Magistrate Judge’s report and recommendation granting

Defendants’ motion to dismiss and Defendants’ motion to convert 12(b) motion to

motion for summary judgment. (Dkt. Nos. 12, 34, 41.) 

On September 6, 2013, Defendant J. Wilborn and M. Estrada filed a motion to

dismiss the complaint for failure to exhaust administrative remedies pursuant to Federal

Rule of Civil Procedure (“Rule”) 12(b). (Dkt. No.12.) On October 16, 2013,

Defendants A. Nunez and T. Scott joined in Wilborn and Estrada’s motion to dismiss. 

(Dkt. No. 18.) On January 31, 2014, the Magistrate Judge issued a report and

recommendation granting Defendants’ motion to dismiss. (Dkt. No. 34.) Plaintiff filed

an objection to the report and recommendation on February 24, 2014. (Dkt. No. 38.) 

Defendants filed a reply on March 4, and 6, 2014. (Dkt. Nos. 39, 40.) On April 22,

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2014, all Defendants filed a motion to convert their 12(b) motion to motion for

summary judgment in light of the ruling in Albino v. Baca, __ F.3d ___, 2014 WL

1317141, at *4 (9th Cir. Apr. 3, 2014) (en banc). (Dkt. Nos. 41, 42.)

In a recent decision, the Ninth Circuit overruled Wyatt v. Terhune, 315 F.3d

1108 (9th Cir. 2003) concerning the proper procedural device to raise the issue of

administrative exhaustion. Albino, 2014 WL 1317141 at *4. The court in Albino held

that exhaustion should be raised either through 1) a motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule

12(b)(6), in the rare occasion that failure to exhaust is clear on the face of the

complaint; or 2) a motion for summary judgment. Id. An unenumerated Rule 12(b)

motion, as held in Wyatt, is no longer the procedural method to raise the exhaustion

issue. Id. 

Defendants filed a motion to dismiss Plaintiff’s Complaint for failure to exhaust

by filing an unenumerated motion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b). The

Magistrate Judge issued a report and recommendation granting Defendant’s motion to

dismiss given the state of the law at that time. In light of the Ninth Circuit’s decision

in Albino, however, an unenumerated 12(b) motion is no longer the proper procedure

for raising the issue of exhaustion. Accordingly, this Court DECLINES to adopt the

report and recommendation and DENIES Defendants’ motion to dismiss on procedural

grounds. The Court also DENIES Defendants’ motion to convert 12(b) motion to a

motion for summary judgment. Due to the number of filings related to the motion to

dismiss, and to avoid obscuring the docket, the appropriate procedure is for Defendants

to file a separate motion for summary judgment. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: May 20, 2014

HON. GONZALO P. CURIEL

United States District Judge

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