Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-01831/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-01831-0/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

GILBERT L. NADAULD,

Plaintiff,

vs.

M. FREEMAN, et al.,

Defendants

Case No. 1:14 cv 01831 GSA PC

ORDER DISMISSING COMPLAINT AND 

GRANTING PLAINTIFF LEAVE TO FILE 

AN AMENDED COMPLAINT

AMENDED COMPLAINT DUE

IN THIRTY DAYS

I. Screening Requirement

Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights

action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff has consented to magistrate judge jurisdiction 

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c).1 

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 portion thereof if the prisoner has raised claims that are 

legally “frivolous or malicious,” that fail to state a claim upon 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). “Notwithstanding any filing fee, or any portion thereof, that may have been 

paid, the court shall dismiss the case at any time if the court determines that . . . the action or 

 

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Plaintiff filed a consent to proceed before a magistrate judge on February 3, 2015 (ECF No. 6).

Case 1:14-cv-01831-GSA Document 7 Filed 02/19/15 Page 1 of 6
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appeal . . . fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.” 28 U.S.C. § 

1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). 

“Rule 8(a)‟s simplified pleading standard applies to all civil actions, with limited 

exceptions,” none of which applies to section 1983 actions. Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N. A., 534 

U.S. 506, 512 (2002); Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). Pursuant to Rule 8(a), a complaint must contain “a 

short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief . . . .” Fed. R. 

Civ. P. 8(a). “Such a statement must simply give the defendant fair notice of what the plaintiff‟s 

claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” Swierkiewicz, 534 U.S. at 512. However, “the 

liberal pleading standard . . . applies only to a plaintiff‟s factual allegations.” Neitze v. Williams, 

490 U.S. 319, 330 n.9 (1989). “[A] liberal interpretation of a civil rights complaint may not 

supply essential elements of the claim that were not initially pled.” Bruns v. Nat‟l Credit Union 

Admin., 122 F.3d 1251, 1257 (9th Cir. 1997) (quoting Ivey v. Bd. of Regents, 673 F.2d 266, 268 

(9th Cir. 1982)).

II. Plaintiff’s Claims

Plaintiff, an inmate in the custody of the California Department of Corrections (CDCR) at 

the California Health Care Facility at Stockton, brings this civil rights action against Dr. M. 

Freeman, a physician at San Joaquin Hospital in Bakersfield and Dr. Li, a physician employed by 

the CDCR at CHC Stockton. Plaintiff claims that he was subjected to inadequate medical care 

such that it violated the Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. 

Plaintiff alleges that on June 6, 2014, he was admitted to San Joaquin Hospital and 

treated for a bladder infection. Plaintiff alleges that “I received a skin flap. My wounds became 

infected and I was given antibiotics, at which time the infection stopped.” On July 4, 2014, 

Plaintiff‟s wound again became infected, emitting a strong odor. At this time, Plaintiff was 

housed at CHC Stockton. Plaintiff complained “over and over again” to Dr. Li and staff at CHC 

Stockton. In October, Plaintiff was sent to an outside hospital in Oakland. Plaintiff alleges that 

as a direct result of the delay in treatment, he now has bone cancer. 

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A. Medical Care

“[T]o maintain an Eighth Amendment claim based on prison medical treatment, an 

inmate must show „deliberate indifference to serious medical needs.‟” Jett v. Penner, 439 F.3d 

1091, 1096 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 106, 97 S.Ct. 295 (1976)). 

The two part test for deliberate indifference requires the plaintiff to show (1) “„a serious medical 

need‟ by demonstrating that „failure to treat a prisoner‟s condition could result in further 

significant injury or the unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain,‟” and (2) “the defendant‟s 

response to the need was deliberately indifferent.” Jett, 439 F.3d at 1096 (quoting McGuckin v. 

Smith, 974 F.2d 1050, 1059 (9th Cir. 1992), overruled on other grounds, WMX Techs., Inc. v. 

Miller, 104 F.3d 1133, 1136 (9th Cir. 1997) (en banc) (internal quotations omitted)). Deliberate 

indifference is shown by “a purposeful act or failure to respond to a prisoner‟s pain or possible 

medical need, and harm caused by the indifference.” Id. (citing McGuckin, 974 F.2d at 1060). 

Where a prisoner is alleging a delay in receiving medical treatment, the delay must have led to 

further harm in order for the prisoner to make a claim of deliberate indifference to serious 

medical needs. McGuckin at 1060 (citing Shapely v. Nevada Bd. of State Prison Comm‟rs, 766 

F.2d 404, 407 (9th Cir. 1985)). 

Here, the Court finds that, as to Dr. Freeman, Plaintiff has failed to state a claim for relief. 

To state a claim under section 1983, a plaintiff must allege that (1) the defendant acted under 

color of state law and (2) the defendant deprived him of rights secured by the Constitution or 

federal law. Long v. County of Los Angeles, 442 F.3d 1178, 1185 (9th Cir. 2006). “A person 

deprives another of a constitutional right, where that person „does an affirmative act, participates 

in another‟s affirmative acts, or omits to perform an act which [that person] is legally required to 

do that causes the deprivation of which complaint is made.‟” Hydrick v. Hunter, 500 F.3d 978, 

988 (9th Cir. 2007) (quoting Johnson v. Duffy, 588 F.2d 740, 743 (9th Cir. 1978)). “[T]he 

„requisite causal connection can be established not only by some kind of direct, personal 

participation in the deprivation, but also by setting in motion a series of acts by others which the 

actor knows or reasonably should know would cause others to inflict the constitutional injury.‟” 

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Id. (quoting Johnson at 743-44). Plaintiff has not specifically charged Dr. Freeman with any 

conduct indicating that he knew of and disregarded a serious risk to Plaintiff‟s health, resulting in 

injury to Plaintiff. Plaintiff may not hold Dr. Freeman liable simply because he treated 

Plaintiff‟s bladder infection. Plaintiff must allege facts indicating that Dr. Freeman was aware of 

a specific harm to Plaintiff, and acted with deliberate indifference to that harm. Mere 

„indifference,‟ „negligence,‟ or „medical malpractice‟ will not support this cause of action.” 

Broughton v. Cutter Laboratories, 622 F.2d 458, 460 (9th Cir. 1980)(citing Estelle, 429 U.S. at 

105-06). See also Toguchi v. Chung, 391 F.3d 1051, 1060 (9th Cir. 2004). Plaintiff has failed to 

state a claim as to Dr. Freeman. He should therefore be dismissed. Plaintiff will, however, be 

granted leave to file an amended complaint.

As to Dr. Li, Plaintiff is advised that the federal venue statute requires that a civil action, 

other than one based on diversity jurisdiction, be brought only in “(1) a judicial district where 

any defendant resides, if all defendants reside in the same state, (2) a judicial district in which a 

substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred, or a substantial part 

of the property that is the subject of the action is situated, or (3) a judicial district in which any 

defendant may be found, if there is no district in which the action may otherwise be brought.” 28 

U.S.C. § 1391(b). The decision to transfer venue of a civil action under § 1404(a) lies soundly 

within the discretion of the trial court. Jones v. GNC Franchising, Inc., 211 F.3d 495, 498 (9th

Cir. 2000). CHC Stockton is located in San Joaquin County, in the Sacramento Division of this 

District. Any claims against Dr. Li should therefore be brought in the Sacramento division of the 

Eastern District of California. Should Plaintiff file an amended complaint with allegations of 

conduct at CHC Stockton, the Court will transfer those claims to the Sacramento division of the 

Eastern District.

III. Conclusion and Order

The Court has screened Plaintiff‟s complaint and finds that it does not state any claims 

upon which relief may be granted under section 1983. The Court will provide Plaintiff with the

opportunity to file an amended complaint curing the deficiencies identified by the Court in this

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order. Noll v. Carlson, 809 F.2d 1446, 1448-49 (9th Cir. 1987). Plaintiff is cautioned that he

may not change the nature of this suit by adding new, unrelated claims in his amended

complaint. George, 507 F.3d at 607 (no “buckshot” complaints).

Plaintiff need not, however, set forth legal arguments in support of his claims. In order to 

hold an individual defendant liable, Plaintiff must name the individual defendant, describe where 

that defendant is employed and in what capacity, and explain how that defendant acted under 

color of state law. Plaintiff should state clearly, in his or her own words, what happened. 

Plaintiff must describe what each defendant, by name, did to violate the particular right described 

by Plaintiff.

Plaintiff‟s amended complaint should be brief, Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a), but must state what 

each named defendant did that led to the deprivation of Plaintiff‟s constitutional or other federal 

rights, Hydrick, 500 F.3d at 987-88. Although accepted as true, the “[f]actual allegations must 

be [sufficient] to raise a right to relief above the speculative level . . . .” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. 

Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 554 (2007) (citations omitted). 

Finally, Plaintiff is advised that an amended complaint supercedes the original complaint, 

Forsyth v. Humana, Inc., 114 F.3d 1467, 1474 (9th Cir. 1997); King v. Atiyeh, 814 F.2d 565, 

567 (9th Cir. 1987), and must be “complete in itself without reference to the prior or superceded 

pleading,” Local Rule 15-220. Plaintiff is warned that “[a]ll causes of action alleged in an 

original complaint which are not alleged in an amended complaint are waived.” King, 814 F.2d 

at 567 (citing to London v. Coopers & Lybrand, 644 F.2d 811, 814 (9th Cir. 1981)); accord

Forsyth, 114 F.3d at 1474.

Accordingly, based on the foregoing, it is HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff‟s complaint is dismissed, with leave to amend, for failure to state a 

claim;

2. The Clerk‟s Office shall send to Plaintiff a complaint form;

3. Within thirty (30) days from the date of service of this order, Plaintiff shall file 

an amended complaint; 

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4. Plaintiff may not add any new, unrelated claims to this action via his amended 

complaint and any attempt to do so will result in an order striking the amended 

complaint; and 

5. If Plaintiff fails to file an amended complaint, the Court will dismiss this action, 

with prejudice, for failure to state a claim.

 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 18, 2015 

/s/ Gary S. Austin 

 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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