Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-02371/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-02371-6/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

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOHN HARDNEY,

Plaintiff,

v.

G. PHILLIPS, et al.,

Defendants.

No. 2:13-cv-2371 TLN CKD P

ORDER AND 

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This pro se prisoner action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 proceeds against four defendants. 

(See ECF No. 12.) Before the court is defendants’ motion to dismiss one defendant as misjoined 

under Rule 20 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (ECF No. 34.) Plaintiff has opposed the 

motion (ECF No. 35), and defendants have filed a reply (ECF No. 36).

Parties may be joined as defendants only if “there is asserted against them jointly, 

severally, or in the alternative, any right to relief in respect of or arising out of the same 

transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and if any question of law or fact 

common to all defendants will arise in the action.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 20(a). As a practical matter, 

this means that claims involving different parties cannot be joined together in one complaint if the 

facts giving rise to the claims were not factually related in some way — that is, if there was not 

“similarity in the factual background.” Coughlin v. Rogers, 130 F.3d 1348, 1350 (9th Cir. 1997). 

General allegations are not sufficient to constitute similarity when the specifics are different. Id.

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The court, on its own initiative, may dismiss misjoined parties from an action, and any claim 

against a misjoined party may be severed and proceeded with separately. Fed. R. Civ. P. 21.

Plaintiff alleges that defendants Officers Phillips, Fernandez, and Yang violated his Eighth 

Amendment right to be free of cruel and unusual punishment when they sprayed him with pepper 

spray during a cell extraction on December 26, 2012. (ECF No. 1 at 8-9.) Plaintiff also alleges 

that, after he was wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct on March 14, 2013, defendant 

Mazyck

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violated the Eighth Amendment by keeping him in a padlocked, straitjacket-type 

jumpsuit for sixty days, including in hot weather. (Id. at 10-11.)

Defendants argue that Mazyck is misjoined because the claim against her is unrelated to 

the pepper spray claims under the Rule 20(a) standard. Plaintiff counters that Mazyck’s actions 

were part of a “series of transactions” in which he was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment 

over a period of several months. The undersigned concludes that, under Rule 20, Mazyck should 

be dismissed from this action without prejudice to plaintiff’s filing a separate action against her.

Defendants have also moved for a protective order staying discovery as to defendant 

Mazyck until the instant motion is resolved. (ECF No. 37.) This motion is unopposed. 

Courts have applied a two-part test in deciding whether to grant a stay of discovery 

pending resolution of a motion. California Sportfishing Protection Alliance v. Chico Scrap 

Metal, No. S-10-1207 GEB GGH, 2011 WL 130228, *4 (E.D. Cal. Jan. 14, 2011). First, the 

pending motion must be dispositive of the entire case, or at least dispositive on the issue at which 

discovery is intended. (Id.) Second, the court must determine whether the pending motion can be 

decided absent additional discovery. (Id.) If the court answers these two questions in the 

affirmative, a protective order staying discovery may issue. (Id.) 

Here, defendants’ misjoinder motion is dispositive as to Mazyck. Second, neither the 

complaint nor plaintiff’s opposition suggest any line of discovery that could potentially link the 

alleged actions of Mazyck and the other defendants so as to satisfy Rule 20(a). Based on the 

allegations and record to date, these appear to be two unrelated events, with different players, that 

 

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The court adopts defendants’ spelling of this name, which is apparently misspelled on the 

docket.

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occurred several months apart. Thus, the court will stay discovery as to Mazyck until the district 

court rules on the instant motion.

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT: 

1. Defendants’ motion for protective order (ECF No. 37) is granted.

2. Discovery in this action is stayed as to defendant Mazyck pending the district court’s 

ruling on defendants’ motion at ECF No. 34.

IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED THAT:

1. Defendants’ motion to dismiss misjoined defendant (ECF No. 34) be granted; and

2. Defendant Mazyck be dismissed from this action without prejudice to plaintiff’s filing 

a separate action asserting his claim against her.

These findings and recommendations are submitted to the United States District Judge 

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

after being served with these findings and recommendations, any party may file written 

objections with the court and serve a copy on all parties. Such a document should be captioned 

“Objections to Magistrate Judge’s Findings and Recommendations.” Any reply to the objections 

shall be served and filed within fourteen days after service of the objections. The parties are 

advised that failure to file objections within the specified time may waive the right to appeal the 

District Court’s order. Martinez v. Ylst, 951 F.2d 1153 (9th Cir. 1991). 

Dated: January 12, 2015

2 / hard2371.f&r

_____________________________________

CAROLYN K. DELANEY

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 2:13-cv-02371-TLN-CKD Document 43 Filed 01/12/15 Page 3 of 3