Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_16-cv-00293/USCOURTS-caed-1_16-cv-00293-0/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

I.

INTRODUCTION

On March 3, 2016, Plaintiff Stewart Manago, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, filed this civil 

rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, along with a motion to proceed in forma pauperis, 28 

U.S.C. § 1915(a). (ECF Nos. 1 and 2.) However, Plaintiff is subject to section 1915(g) of the statute,

and he may only proceed in forma pauperis if he has met the imminent danger exception. 28 U.S.C. § 

1915(g); Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, 1051-1052 (9th Cir. 2007). 

II.

LEGAL STANDARD

The Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PLRA) was enacted “to curb frivolous prisoner 

complaints and appeals.” Silva v. Di Vittorio, 658 F.3d 1090, 1099-1100 (9th Cir. 2011). Pursuant to 

the PLRA, the in forma pauperis statue was amended to include section 1915(g), a non-merits related 

STEWART MANAGO,

 Plaintiff,

v.

JEFFREY A. BEARD, et al.,

Defendants.

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Case No.: 1:16-cv-00293-LJO-SAB (PC)

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDING PLAINTIFF’S APPLICATION 

FOR IN FORMA PAUPERIS BE DENIED

[ECF No. 2]

Case 1:16-cv-00293-LJO-SAB Document 3 Filed 03/09/16 Page 1 of 4
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screening device which precludes prisoners with three or more “strikes” from proceeding in forma 

pauperis unless they are under imminent danger of serious physical injury. Andrews, 493 F.3d at 

1050. The statute provides that “[i]n no event shall a prisoner bring a civil action ... under this section 

if the prisoner has, on 3 or more prior occasions, while incarcerated or detained in any facility, brought 

an action or appeal in a court of the United States that was dismissed on the grounds that it is 

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

under imminent danger of serious physical injury.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). 

III.

DISCUSSION

There is no dispute that Plaintiff is subject to section 1915(g).1 The issue is whether Plaintiff 

has met the imminent danger exception, which requires Plaintiff to show that he is under (1) imminent 

danger of (2) serious physical injury and which turns on the conditions he faced at the time he filed 

suit on March 3, 2016. Andrews, 493 F.3d at 1053-1056. Conditions which posed imminent danger 

to Plaintiff at some earlier time are immaterial, as are any subsequent conditions. Id. at 1053. While 

the injury is merely procedural rather than a merits-based review of the claims, the allegations of

imminent danger must still be plausible. Id. at 1055. 

The Court has reviewed Plaintiff’s complaint and finds that Plaintiff does not meet the 

imminent danger exception. Andrews, 493 F.3d at 1053. Plaintiff’s allegations stem from events of 

which Plaintiff has previously relied on in other actions to avoid the three-strikes bar.2 As in the prior 

action, Plaintiff contends that he participated in an investigation relating to misconduct by a 

correctional officer and was thereafter subjected to retaliation. 

Plaintiff presently claims he is subject to imminent danger of serious physical injury relating to 

actions dating back to January 7, 2014, in failing to protect him. Plaintiff contends that he was 

 

1

The Court takes judicial notice of case numbers 3:90-cv-20256-MHP Manago v. Myers (N.D. Cal.) (dismissed Oct. 9, 

1991 for failure to state a claim); 3:94-cv-01528-MHP Manago v. Marshall (N.D. Cal.) (dismissed Mar. 25, 1998 for 

failure to state a claim), affirmed on appeal, 10 Fed.Appx 540 (9th Cir. 2001); and 1:99-cv-05525-REC-SMS Manago v. 

Gulare (E.D. Cal.) (dismissed Mar. 7, 2000 for failure to state a claim). 

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See, e.g., Manago v. Cate, et al., case numbers 2:13-cv-00081 GEB AC P; Manago v. Cate, 2:11-cv-2891 AC P; Manago 

v. Holland, et al., 13-cv-01523 AWI GSA PC, Manago v. Walsh, et al., 13-cv-01848 AWI BAM PC

Case 1:16-cv-00293-LJO-SAB Document 3 Filed 03/09/16 Page 2 of 4
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improperly classified as a member of the Black Guerrilla Family prison gang and was improperly 

subjected to double cell occupancy.3 Plaintiff also claims he has been labeled by certain officers as a 

“snitch.” Plaintiff further contends that certain legal property was confiscated and he has been denied 

adequate access to legal property in storage. Plaintiff also vaguely alludes to the denial of mental 

health treatment, but provides no factual support for such claim. All of these events took place in 

2014. 

While a threat to Plaintiff’s physical safety is certainly a serious allegation, the complaint does 

not demonstrate that Plaintiff is presently in imminent danger of serious physical injury. Plaintiff’s 

allegations involve speculative claims of threats to his physical safety based on his fear that at some 

future time he will be subjected to harm by a correctional officer or another inmate. Indeed, Plaintiff 

alleges that certain defendants “acted with deliberate indifference to the known and obvious posed 

[sic] by plaintiff, if they ever placed a documented enemy in plaintiff’s cell.” (ECF No. 1 at ¶ 33.) 

Plaintiff’s complaint demonstrates that he is and was housed in the security housing unit and any claim 

that he will be housed with a rival gang member is speculative, at best. Such speculative allegations 

fall short of establishing “imminent danger of serious physical injury.” Andrews, 493 F.3d at 1053

(“the availability of the exception turns on the conditions a prisoner faced at the time the complaint 

was filed, not at some earlier or later time.”) 

In sum, Plaintiff’s claims of failure to protect are vague and conclusory and devoid of 

sufficient factual support. There are no allegations that Plaintiff is presently in imminent danger of 

physical harm, and Plaintiff makes no request for relief from imminent danger and requests only 

monetary damages. Accordingly, Plaintiff is ineligible to proceed in forma pauperis in this action. 

IV.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the foregoing, it is HEREBY RECOMMENDED that:

1. Plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis be DENIED; and

 

3

Plaintiff has previously made similar allegations in Manago v. Cate, et al., Case No. 2:13-cv-00081 GEB AC P (denial of 

in forma pauperis status and dismissed for failure to pay the filing fee on May 1, 2013.) 

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2. Plaintiff be required to pay the $400.00 filing fee within thirty days of service of the 

Court’s order adopting these Findings and Recommendations. 

These Findings and Recommendations will be submitted to the United States District Judge 

assigned to the case, pursuant to the provisions of Title 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(l). Within thirty (30) days 

after being served with these Findings and Recommendations, Plaintiff may file written objections 

with the Court. The document should be captioned “Objections to Magistrate Judge’s Findings and 

Recommendations.” Plaintiff is advised that failure to file objections within the specified time may 

result in the waiver of rights on appeal. Wilkerson v. Wheeler, 772 F.3d 834, 838-39 (9th Cir. 2014)

(citing Baxter v. Sullivan, 923 F.2d 1391, 1394 (9th Cir. 1991)).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 8, 2016 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:16-cv-00293-LJO-SAB Document 3 Filed 03/09/16 Page 4 of 4