Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_20-cv-00467/USCOURTS-azd-2_20-cv-00467-0/pdf.json

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

---

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

WO KM

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Melinda Gabriella Valenzuela,

Plaintiff, 

v. 

Unknown Gilwreath, et al.,

Defendants.

No. CV 20-00467-PHX-MTL (MHB)

ORDER

On March 3, 2020, Plaintiff Melinda Gabriella Valenzuela,1 who is confined in the 

Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis, filed a “Motion for Leave to File Pursuant to Court 

Order” (Doc. 1) and an Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. 3) and lodged a 

pro se civilrights Complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Court will grant the Motion 

to File and dismiss the Complaint and this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g).

I. Vexatious Litigant Orders

Plaintiff has filed more than 200 cases in this Court since 2002. In response, the 

Court has issued multiple vexatious litigant injunctions restricting Plaintiff’s ability to file 

in this Court. In a November 27, 2017 Order in CV 16-00951-PHX-NVW (MHB), the 

Court amended the current vexatious litigant injunction and set additional pre-filing 

requirements. Pursuant to the amended injunction entered against Plaintiff, before filing a 

1 Plaintiff has also filed Complaints under the names Enrique Gabrielle Mendez, 

Enrique Mendez-Valenzuela, and Quennell Glover. Plaintiff is biologically male, but 

identifies as female and refers to herself with feminine pronouns.

Case 2:20-cv-00467-MTL--MHB Document 6 Filed 04/01/20 Page 1 of 5
- 2 -

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

complaint, Plaintiff must obtain leave of the Court. Specifically, Plaintiff must file a 

Motion for Leave to File that conforms to the following provisions:

1. Plaintiff must file, with each new Complaint, 

documentation showing that Plaintiff has pursued available 

administrative remedies. The documentation must include 

copies of Plaintiff’s grievances, responses to those grievances, 

and any appeals filed by Plaintiff as well as responses to those 

appeals.

2. If Plaintiff’s claims are based on allegations that she has 

a serious medical condition or has suffered serious physical 

injuries, Plaintiff must file, with the Complaint, 

documentation of her medical condition(s) and/or injuries 

that goes beyond her own allegations in the complaint. This 

evidence may be in the form of medical records or sworn 

affidavits from medical professionals that document the 

conditions or injuries alleged in the complaint.

3. As stated in the 2004 Injunction, Plaintiff must also file 

a Motion for Leave to File which contains:

(1) in the FIRST sentence, a request for leave to file;

(2) in the SECOND sentence, a certification that the 

claims Plaintiff wishes to present are new claims never before 

raised and disposed of on the merits by any federal court.

If any future Motion for Leave to File does not contain 

these two requirements, IN THE FIRST TWO SENTENCES,

the Court will read no further, the Motion for Leave to File will 

be denied, and the case will be dismissed for failure to comply 

with this Order of this Court.

(3) in the THIRD sentence, a short, plain statement of 

the harm Plaintiff has suffered and by whom such harm was 

inflicted. If the THIRD SENTENCE does not contain this 

requirement, and if the Court cannot determine what harm 

Plaintiff claims to have suffered and what Defendant allegedly 

committed the harm, the Court will read no further, the Motion 

for Leave to File will be denied, and the case will be dismissed 

for failure to comply with this Order of the Court.

4. Because Plaintiff has “three strikes,” any in forma 

pauperis lawsuit she files must clearly, coherently, and 

credibly allege that Plaintiff is under imminent danger of 

Case 2:20-cv-00467-MTL--MHB Document 6 Filed 04/01/20 Page 2 of 5
- 3 -

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

serious physical injury. False allegations of imminent harm 

may subject Plaintiff to sanctions including further filing

restrictions.

5. If Plaintiff fails to comply with all the requirements

of this Order in any filing, the Court will, without further

notice, deny Plaintiff in forma pauperis status in that action 

and in all subsequent actions before this Court.

CV 16-00951-PHX-NVW (MHB) (Doc. 88 at 2-4 (emphasis in original)).

Plaintiff has filed a Motion for Leave to File, copies of grievances related to her 

claims, and some medical documentation supporting her medical claims. Accordingly, the 

Court will grant the Motion to File.

II. “Three Strikes Provision,” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g)

The Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PLRA), enacted on April 26, 1996, 

provides that a prisoner may not bring a civil action or appeal a civil judgment in forma 

pauperis under 28 U.S.C. § 1915 “if the prisoner has, on 3 or more prior occasions, while 

incarcerated or detained in any facility, brought an action or appeal in a court of the United 

States that was dismissed on the grounds that it is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a 

claim upon which relief may be granted, unless the prisoner is under immine nt danger of 

serious physical injury.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). The imminent danger exception applies “if 

the complaint makes a plausible allegation that the prisoner faced ‘imminent danger of 

serious physical injury’ at the time of filing.” Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, 1055 

(9th Cir. 2007). A prisoner barred from proceeding in forma pauperis pursuant to § 1915(g) 

may proceed under the fee provisions of 28 U.S.C. §§ 1911-14 applicable to everyone else. 

Adepegba v. Hammons, 103 F.3d 383, 388 (5th Cir. 1996).

Plaintiff has filed at least three actions in this Court that were dismissed as frivolous, 

malicious, or as failing to state a claim. See, e.g., CV 02-01670-PHX-JAT (DKD), CV 02-

01725-PHX-JAT (DKD), and CV 02-01726-PHX-JAT (DKD). Accordingly, Plaintiff 

may not bring a civil action without complete pre-payment of the $350.00 filing fee and 

$50.00 administrative fee unless Plaintiff is in imminent danger of serious physical injury. 

28 U.S.C. § 1915(g).

Case 2:20-cv-00467-MTL--MHB Document 6 Filed 04/01/20 Page 3 of 5
- 4 -

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

Plaintiff raises three claims for relief in the Complaint: (1) “Defendants have denied 

[her] care for throwing up feces, know she has had 3 SBO’s and has had surgery, and they 

don’t do anything knowing she is having issues”; (2) “Defendants have refused to issue 

the Dove soap that she . . . has an order for due to serious allergy to state soap”; and 

(3) because Plaintiff suffers from anemia, she gets cold quickly but Defendants “have the 

air on in her house and you can feel the coldness in [her] pod, there is no heat at all.” 

Plaintiff’s claims in Count One are duplicative of a previously filed case. In her 

First Amended Complaint in CV 19-04335, Plaintiff alleged that due to bowel problems 

she was “throwing up feces.” (Doc. 20 in CV 19-04335 at 7.) In that case, Plaintiff also 

alleged she was experiencing pain and Defendants would not send her to the hospital. In a 

February 13, 2020 Order in CV 19-04335, the Court ordered service and called for answer 

to Plaintiff’s claims regarding her bowel issues. Although Plaintiff alleges in this case that 

her problems are ongoing, she has not raised a new claim for relief or demonstrated she is 

imminent danger of serious injury different from the injury alleged in her earlier lawsuit. 

Further, Plaintiff’s claims in Counts Two and Three are insufficient show imminent danger 

of serious physical injury. 

The Court will deny Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and will 

dismiss Plaintiff’s Complaint and this action, without prejudice, pursuant to § 1915(g). If 

Plaintiff wants to reassert these claims in the future, she must prepay the entire $400.00 

filing and administrative fees when she files her action. 

IT IS ORDERED:

(1) Plaintiff’s Motion for Leave to File (Doc. 1) is granted; the Clerk of Court 

must file the Complaint.

(2) Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. 3) is denied.

(3) Plaintiff’s Complaint and this action are dismissed without prejudice, 

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). If Plaintiff wishes to reassert these claims in the future, 

she must prepay the entire $400.00 filing and administrative fees when she files her action.

. . . .

Case 2:20-cv-00467-MTL--MHB Document 6 Filed 04/01/20 Page 4 of 5
- 5 -

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

(4) The Clerk of Court must enter judgment accordingly and close this case.

Dated this 1st day of April, 2020.

Case 2:20-cv-00467-MTL--MHB Document 6 Filed 04/01/20 Page 5 of 5