Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_10-cv-00194/USCOURTS-cand-4_10-cv-00194-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

---

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CHUCK LEE FULTON,

Plaintiff,

 v.

 RENEE KANAN, et al.,

Defendants. /

No. C 10-00194 SBA (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL;

INSTRUCTIONS TO CLERK

Plaintiff, a state prisoner, has filed a pro se complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. He has been

granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis. Plaintiff has not exhausted California's prison

administrative process, however. 

 The Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PLRA) amended 42 U.S.C. § 1997e to provide

that "[n]o action shall be brought with respect to prison conditions under [42 U.S.C. § 1983], or any

other Federal law, by a prisoner confined in any jail, prison, or other correctional facility until such

administrative remedies as are available are exhausted." 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). Although once

within the discretion of the district court, exhaustion in prisoner cases covered by § 1997e(a) is now

mandatory. Porter v. Nussle, 534 U.S. 516, 524 (2002). All available remedies must now be

exhausted; those remedies "need not meet federal standards, nor must they be 'plain, speedy, and

effective.'" Id. (citation omitted). Even when the prisoner seeks relief not available in grievance

proceedings, notably money damages, exhaustion is a prerequisite to suit. Id.; Booth v. Churner,

Case 4:10-cv-00194-SBA Document 8 Filed 08/25/10 Page 1 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2

532 U.S. 731, 741 (2001). Similarly, exhaustion is a prerequisite to all prisoner suits about prison

life, whether they involve general circumstances or particular episodes, and whether they allege

excessive force or some other wrong. Porter, 534 U.S. at 532. PLRA's exhaustion requirement

requires "proper exhaustion" of available administrative remedies. Woodford v. Ngo, 548 U.S. 81,

94 (2006). 

The State of California provides its prisoners the right to appeal administratively "any

departmental decision, action, condition or policy perceived by those individuals as adversely

affecting their welfare." Cal. Code Regs. tit. 15, § 3084.1(a). It also provides them the right to file

appeals alleging misconduct by correctional officers/officials. Id. § 3084.1(e). In order to exhaust

available administrative remedies within this system, a prisoner must proceed through several levels

of appeal: (1) informal resolution; (2) formal written appeal on a CDC 602 inmate appeal form;

(3) second level appeal to the institution head or designee; and (4) third level appeal to the Director

of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Barry v. Ratelle, 985 F. Supp. 1235,

1237 (S.D. Cal. 1997) (citing Cal. Code Regs. tit. 15, § 3084.5). A final decision from the Director's

level of review satisfies the exhaustion requirement under § 1997e(a). Id. at 1237-38. 

 Non-exhaustion under § 1997e(a) is an affirmative defense which should be brought by

defendants in an unenumerated motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b). 

Wyatt v. Terhune, 315 F.3d 1108, 1119 (9th Cir. 2003). However, a complaint may be dismissed by

the court for failure to exhaust if a prisoner "conce[des] to nonexhaustion" and "no exception to

exhaustion applies." Id. at 1120. Here, Plaintiff concedes he has not exhausted his administrative

remedies. Plaintiff has not presented any extraordinary circumstances which might compel that he

be excused from complying with PLRA's exhaustion requirement. Cf. Booth, 532 U.S. at 741 n.6

(courts should not read "futility or other exceptions" into § 1997e(a)). 

Accordingly, the complaint is DISMISSED without prejudice to refiling after exhausting

California's prison administrative process. See McKinney v. Carey, 311 F.3d 1198, 1199-1201 (9th

Cir. 2002) (action must be dismissed without prejudice unless prisoner exhausted available

Case 4:10-cv-00194-SBA Document 8 Filed 08/25/10 Page 2 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

G:\PRO-SE\SBA\CR.10\Fulton0194.DISMISS(new-unexh).wpd 3

administrative remedies before he filed suit, even if prisoner fully exhausts while the suit is

pending). 

The Court has rendered its final decision on this matter; therefore, this Order TERMINATES

Plaintiff's case. The Clerk of the Court shall close the file and terminate any pending motions.

The Clerk shall also send a printed copy of the complaint and all attachments (docket no. 1)

to Plaintiff along with a copy of this Order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: 8/25/10 

SAUNDRA BROWN ARMSTRONG

United States District Judge

Case 4:10-cv-00194-SBA Document 8 Filed 08/25/10 Page 3 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

G:\PRO-SE\SBA\CR.10\Fulton0194.DISMISS(new-unexh).wpd 4

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CHUCK LEE FULTON,

Plaintiff,

 v.

RENEE KANAN et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV10-00194 SBA 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. District

Court, Northern District of California.

That on August 25, 2010, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing said

copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by depositing said

envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery receptacle

located in the Clerk's office.

Chuck Lee Fulton C-23377

304-37 L

P.O. Box 3535

Norco, CA 92860

Dated: August 25, 2010

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: LISA R CLARK, Deputy Clerk

Case 4:10-cv-00194-SBA Document 8 Filed 08/25/10 Page 4 of 4