Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-03938/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-03938-0/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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 Many inmates apparently believe that they will receive an immediate payout from a fund

established in Hart v. Hill, No. CV 77-0479-PHX-EHC (MS) (D. Ariz.). No such fund exists. The

inmates in Hart asked for injunctive relief and not monetary damages. The Court at this time

expresses no opinion on whether Plaintiff’s lawsuit may result in an award of damages. 

TERMPSREF

BL

WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Manuel Johnson, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, et al., 

Defendants. 

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No. CV 05-3938-PHX-DGC (ECV)

ORDER

Plaintiff Manuel Johnson, currently confined in t he M aricopa County Lower

Buckeye Jail in Phoenix, Arizona, has filed a pro se Complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.1

This action is one of more than one thousand lawsuits filed in this district since September

2004 alleging that the overcrowded conditions in the Maricopa County jail system have

resulted in a variety of constitutional violations. The Court will order that the action be

served upon Defendant Arpaio.

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A. Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis & Filing Fee.

Plaintiff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis will be granted. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a).

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1), Plaintiff is required to pay the statutory filing fee of

$250.00 for this action. No initial partial filing fee will be assessed by this Order. 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(b)(1). By separate order, the Court will direct the appropriate agency to collect

monthly payments of 20 percent of the preceding month’s income credited to Plaint iff’s

trust account . T hese payments will be forwarded by the appropriate agency to the Clerk

of Court each t ime t he amount in Plaintiff’s account exceeds $10.00, until the filing fee is

paid in full. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

Plaintiff should take notice that if he is released before the filing fee is paid in full,

he must pay t he remaining unpaid amount of the filing fee within 120 days of the date of

his release. If Plaintiff fails to pay the remainder of the filing fee within 120 days of the date

of his release, the action will be dismissed, unless Plaintiff shows good cause, in writing,

why he is unable to pay the remainder of the filing fee.

B. Statutory Screening of Prisoner Complaints.

The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief

against a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint or port ion thereof if the Plaintiff has raised

claims that are legally “frivolous or malicious,” that fail to state a claim up on which relief

may be granted, or that seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such

relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1),(2). 

C. Complaint.

Plaintiff names as Defendants (1) Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and (2) Joseph

M. Arpaio, alleging that he oversees M aricopa County Jails in an inhumane manner.

Plaintiff argues that his constitutional rights were violated by (1) retaliation because when

he comp lained to detention officers regarding jail conditions, they threatened him and his

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pod with a lock down and loss of privileges, (2) unsanitary conditions due to insufficient

facilities and supplies, clogged toilets, and t he p resence of blood and hair in the

bathrooms, resulting in staph infections, spider bites, colds and coughs, and (3)

overcrowding, resulting in insufficient facilities and supplies, lines, and clogged toilets,

constant noise and horseplay. Plaintiff seeks monetary and other relief.

D. Failure to State a Claim.

1. Defendant Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is not a p roper Defendant. In Arizona, the

responsibilit y of operating jails and caring for prisoners is placed by law upon the sheriff.

See A.R.S. § 11-441(A)(5); A.R.S. § 31-101. A sheriff’s office is simply an administrative

creation of the county sheriff to allow him to carry out his statutory duties, and not a

“person” amenable to suit pursuant to § 1983. Accordingly, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s

Office will be dismissed from this action as an improper Defendant. 

2. Count I - Retaliation

T o state a valid constitutional claim, a plaintiff must allege that he suffered specific

injury as a result of the sp ecific conduct of a defendant, and show an affirmative link

between the injury and the conduct of the defendant. Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362, 371-72,

377 (1976). For a p erson to liable in his official capacity, Plaintiff must allege that he acted

as a result of a policy, practice, or custom. See Cortez v. County of Los Angeles, 294 F.3d

1186, 1188 (9t h Cir. 2001). A supervisor, in his individual capacity, “is only liable for

constitutional violations of his subordinates if the supervisor participated in or directed

the violations, or knew of the violations and failed to act to prevent them.” Taylor v. List,

880 F.2d 1040, 1045 (9th Cir. 1989). “A plaintiff must allege fact s, not simply conclusions,

t hat show that an individual was personally involved in the deprivation of his civil right s.”

Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194 (9th Cir. 1998). 

In Count I, Plaintiff alleges t hat t he detention officers retaliated against him for

complaining about the conditions of the jail. However, Plaintiff fails to allege that the

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officers’ act ions were the result of a policy, custom, or practice enacted or enforced by

Defendant Arpaio. Plaintiff further fails to allege that Defendant Arpaio directly violated

his constitutional rights or was even aware that his rights were being violated. Thus,

Plaintiff fails to sufficiently allege that Defendant Arpaio violated his constitutional rights.

Thus, because Defendant Arp aio is the only defendant in this action, this Count will be

dismissed without prejudice.

E. Claims For Which An Answer Will be Required.

At this early st age, Plaintiff sufficinetly alleges that his constitutional rights were

violated by (1) unsanitary conditions and (2) overcrowding. Defendant Arpaio will be

ordered to answer these Counts.

F. Warning of Possible Dismissal Pursuant to Rule 41.

Plaintiff should take notice that if he fails to timely comply with every provision of

this Order, or any order ent ered in this matter, this action will be dismissed pursuant to

Rule 41(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. See Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258,

1260-61 (9th Cir. 1992) (district court may dismiss action for failure to comply with any order

of the Court).

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that: 

(1) Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. #1) is granted

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1).

(2) Plaintiff is obligated to pay t he st at ut ory filing fee of $250.00 for this action.

Plaintiff is assessed no initial partial filing fee. All fees shall be collected and paid in

accordance with this Court’s Order to the appropriate government agency filed

concurrently herewith.

(3) Count I and Defendant Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office are dismissed without

prejudice.

(4) Defendant Arpaio is ordered to answer Counts II and III.

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(5) The Clerk of Court shall send Plaintiff a service packet including the Complaint

(Doc. #1), this Order, and both summons and request for waiver forms for Defendant

Arpaio.

(6) Plaintiff shall complete and return the service packet to the Clerk of Court wit hin

20 days of the date of filing of this Order. The United States Marshal will not provide

service of process if Plaintiff fails to comply with this Order.

(7) If Plaintiff does not either obtain a waiver of service of the summons or complete

service of the Summons and Complaint on the Defendant within 120 days of the filing of

t he complaint or within 60 days of the filing of this Order, whichever is later, the action may

be dismissed as to each Defendant not served pursuant to Rule 4(m) of the Federal Rules

of Civil Procedure and Local Rule of Civil Procedure 16.2(b)(2)(B)(i).

(8) The United States Marshal shall retain the Summons, a copy of the Complaint,

and a copy of this Order for future use.

(9) The United States Marshal shall notify Defendant of the commencement of this

act ion and request waiver of service of the summons pursuant to Rule 4(d) of the Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure. The notice to Defendant shall include a copy of this Order. The

Marshal shall file waivers of service of the summons or request s for waivers that were

returned as undeliverable as soon as they are received. If a waiver of service of summons

is not returned by a Defendant within thirty days from the date the request for waiver was

sent by the Marshal, the Marshal shall:

(a) Personally serve copies of the Summons, Complaint, and this Order up on

the Defendant pursuant to Rule 4(e)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure;

(b) Within 10 days after personal service is effected, file t he ret urn of service

for the Defendant, along wit h evidence of the attempt to secure a waiver of service

of the summons and of the costs subsequently incurred in effecting service upon

the Defendant . T he costs of service shall be enumerated on the return of service

form (USM -285) and shall include the costs incurred by the Marshal for

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photocopying additional copies of the Summons, Complaint, or this Order and for

preparing new process receipt and return forms (USM-285), if required. Costs of

service will be taxed against the personally served defendant pursuant to Rule

4(d)(2) and (5) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, unless otherwise ordered by

the Court.

(10) A Defendant who agrees to waive service of the Summons and Complaint shall

return the signed waiver forms to the United States Marshal, not the Plaintiff.

(11) Defendant shall answer the Complaint or ot herwise respond by appropriate

motion within the time p rovided by the applicable provisions of Rule 12(a) of the Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure.

(12) Any answer or responsive pleading shall st at e the Defendant by name on

whose behalf it is filed. The Court may strike any answer, responsive pleading, or other

motion or paper that does not ident ify the Defendant by name on whose behalf it is filed.

(13) Plaintiff shall serve upon Defendant, or if appearance has been entered by

counsel, upon counsel, a copy of every further pleading or other document submitted for

consideration by the Court. Plaintiff shall include with the original document and copy , t o

be filed wit h t he Clerk of the Court, a certificate stating the date a true and correct copy of

the pleading or document was mailed to Defendant or counsel. Any paper received by a

District Court Judge or Magistrate Judge which has not been filed with the Clerk of Court

may be disregarded by the Court.

(14) At all t imes during the pendency of this action, Plaintiff shall immediately

advise the Court and the United States Marshal of any change of address and its effective

dat e. Such notice shall be captioned “NOTICE OF CHANGE OF ADDRESS.” The not ice

shall contain only informat ion pertaining to the change of address and its effective date.

Plaintiff shall serve a copy of the notice on all opposing p arties. The notice shall not

include any motions for any other relief. Failure to file a Notice of Change of Address may

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result in t he dismissal of the action for failure to prosecute pursuant to Rule 41(b) of the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

(15) A clear, legible copy of every pleading or other document filed shall

accomp any each original pleading or other document filed with the Clerk for use by the

District Judge or Magist rat e Judge to whom the case is assigned. Failure to comply with

this requirement may result in the pleading or document being stricken without further

notice to Plaintiff.

(16) This matter is referred t o Magistrate Judge Edward C. Voss pursuant to Local

Rules of Civil Procedure 72.1 and 72.2 for further proceedings.

DATED this 27th day of December, 2005.

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