Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-05309/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-05309-0/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

STEVEN T. ENGLAND, 

Plaintiff(s),

 v.

ALAMEDA COUNTY JAIL,

Defendant(s). 

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No. C 06-5309 CRB (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL WITH

LEAVE TO AMEND

Plaintiff, a prisoner at the Alameda County Jail, Santa Rita Facility, has

filed a pro se civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging that prison

officials have refused to provide him with surgery to repair the nerves in his arm. 

He does not allege what treatment he has received or name any specific

defendant, however. 

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

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

Case 3:06-cv-05309-CRB Document 4 Filed 02/26/07 Page 1 of 4
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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

Deliberate indifference to a prisoner’s serious medical needs violates the

Eighth Amendment’s proscription against cruel and unusual punishment. See

Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 104 (1976). A prison official is deliberately

indifferent if he knows that a prisoner faces a substantial risk of serious harm and

disregards that risk by failing to take reasonable steps to abate it. Farmer v.

Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 837 (1994) (equating standard to that of criminal

recklessness). Consequently, proving negligence is not enough to establish

liability under the Eighth Amendment. Id. at 835-36 & n. 4. An “official’s

failure to alleviate a significant risk that he should have perceived but did not,

cannot under our cases be condemned as the infliction of punishment.” Id. at

838. Instead, “the official’s conduct must have been ‘wanton,’ which turns not

upon its effect on the prison, but rather, upon the constraints facing the official.” 

Frost v. Agnos, 152 F.3d 1124, 1128 (9th Cir. 1998) (citing Wilson v. Seiter, 501

U.S. 294, 302-03 (1991)). Prison officials violate their constitutional obligation

only by “intentionally denying or delaying access to medical care.” Estelle, 429

U.S. at 104-05.

A difference of opinion between a prisoner-patient and prison medical

authorities regarding treatment does not give rise to a § 1983 claim. Franklin v.

Oregon, 662 F.2d 1337, 1344 (9th Cir. 1981). Similarly, a showing of nothing

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more than a difference of medical opinion as to the need to pursue one course of

treatment over the another is generally insufficient to establish deliberate

indifference. Toguchi v. Chung, 391 F.3d 1051, 1058, 159-160 (9th Cir. 2004);

Sanchez v. Vild, 891 F.2d 240, 242 (9th Cir. 1989). In order to prevail on a

claim involving choices between alternative courses of treatment, a prisonerplaintiff must show that the course of treatment the doctors chose was medically

unacceptable under the circumstances and that they chose this course in

conscious disregard of an excessive risk to plaintiff’s health. Toguchi, 391 F.3d

at 1058; Jackson v. McIntosh, 90 F.3d 330, 332 (9th Cir. 1996).

Plaintiff's allegations that prison officials refuse to provide him with the

specific treatment he wants to repair the nerves in his arm are not enough to state

a claim for deliberate indifference. Plaintiff will be afforded an opportunity to

amend and, if possible, allege facts showing that he has received no treatment for

his arm or that the treatment the prison doctors have chosen is medically

unacceptable under the circumstances and that they chose this course in

conscious disregard of an excessive risk to plaintiff’s health. See id. Plaintiff

must also name specific defendants and allege facts showing how their

wrongdoing caused the deprivation of his constitutional rights. See Leer v.

Murphy, 844 F.2d 628, 634 (9th Cir. 1988).

CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons, the complaint is dismissed with leave to amend,

as indicated above, within 30 days of this order. The pleading must be simple

and concise and must include the caption and civil case number used in this order

and the words FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT on the first page. Failure to

file a proper amended complaint within the designated time will result in the

dismissal of this action.

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Plaintiff is advised that the amended complaint will supersede the original

complaint and all other pleadings. Claims and defendants not included in the

amended complaint will not be considered by the court. See King v. Atiyeh, 814

F.2d 565, 567 (9th Cir. 1987).

SO ORDERED.

DATED: Feb. 26, 2007 CHARLES R. BREYER

United States District Judge

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