Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_12-cv-02952/USCOURTS-casd-3_12-cv-02952-1/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

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JAMES M. WILLIAMS,

Inmate Booking No. 11118030 Civil No. 12cv2952 MMA (WMc)

Plaintiff, ORDER DIRECTING U.S.

MARSHAL TO EFFECT

SERVICE OF FIRST AMENDED

COMPLAINT PURSUANT TO

FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3) & 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d)

vs.

WILLIAM D. GORE; SAN DIEGO

COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEP’T,

Defendant.

I.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On December 11, 2012, Plaintiff, an inmate currently housed in the Vista

Detention Facility located in Vista, California and proceeding pro se, filed a civil

rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff also filed a Motion to Proceed In

Forma Pauperis (“IFP”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). On January 8, 2013, the

Court granted Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed IFP and sua sponte dismissed his

Complaint for failing to state a claim. (ECF No. 3 at 5-6.) Plaintiff was granted leave

to file an Amended Complaint in order to correct the deficiencies of pleading

identified by the Court. (Id. at 6.) Plaintiff was also cautioned that any “Defendants

not named and all claims not re-alleged in the Amended Complaint will be deemed to

have been waived.” (Id. citing King v. Atiyeh, 814 F.2d 565, 567 (9th Cir. 1987). 

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 On March 18, 2013, Plaintiff filed his First Amended Complaint (“FAC”). 

(ECF No. 9.) In his First Amended Complaint, Plaintiff no longer names Sanford

Toyen as a Defendant. Thus, Plaintiff has waived his claims against this Defendant

and he is dismissed from this action. King, 814 F.3d at 567. 

II.

SUA SPONTE SCREENING PER 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) AND § 1915A

As the Court stated in its previous Order, the Prison Litigation Reform Act

(“PLRA”) obligates the Court to review complaints filed by all persons proceeding

IFP and by those, like Plaintiff, who are “incarcerated or detained in any facility [and] 

accused of, sentenced for, or adjudicated delinquent for, violations of criminal law or

the terms or conditions of parole, probation, pretrial release, or diversionary program,”

“as soon as practicable after docketing.” See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(b). 

Under these provisions, the Court must sua sponte dismiss any IFP or prisoner

complaint, or any portion thereof, which is frivolous, malicious, fails to state a claim,

or which seeks damages from defendants who are immune. See 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and § 1915A

The Court finds that Plaintiff’s claims are now sufficiently pleaded to survive

the sua sponte screening required by 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(b). 

Therefore, Plaintiff is entitled to U.S. Marshal service on his behalf. See Lopez, 203

F.3d at 1126-27; 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d) (“The officers of the court shall issue and serve

all process, and perform all duties in [IFP] cases.”); FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3) (“[T]he

court may order that service be made by a United States marshal or deputy marshal ...

if the plaintiff is authorized to proceed in forma pauperis under 28 U.S.C. § 1915.”). 

Plaintiff is cautioned, however, that “the sua sponte screening and dismissal procedure

is cumulative of, and not a substitute for, any subsequent Rule 12(b)(6) motion that [a

defendant] may choose to bring.” Teahan v. Wilhelm, 481 F. Supp. 2d 1115, 1119

(S.D. Cal. 2007).

/ / /

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III.

CONCLUSION AND ORDER

 Good cause appearing therefor, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Defendant Sanford Toyen is DISMISSED from this action. The Clerk of

Court is directed to terminate this Defendant from the docket.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that:

2. The Clerk shall issue a summons as to Plaintiff’s First Amended

Complaint (ECF No. 9) upon Defendant and shall forward it to Plaintiff along with a

blank U.S. Marshal Form 285 for Defendant. In addition, the Clerk shall provide

Plaintiff with a certified copy of this Order, the Court’s Order granting Plaintiff leave

to proceed IFP (ECF No. 3), and certified copies of his First Amended Complaint and

the summons for purposes of serving Defendant. Upon receipt of this “IFP Package,”

Plaintiff is directed to complete the Form 285s as completely and accurately as

possible, and to return them to the United States Marshal according to the instructions

provided by the Clerk in the letter accompanying his IFP package. Thereafter, the

U.S. Marshal shall serve a copy of the First Amended Complaint and summons upon

each Defendant as directed by Plaintiff on each Form 285. All costs of service shall

be advanced by the United States. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d); FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3).

3. Defendants are thereafter ORDERED to reply to Plaintiff’s First

Amended Complaint within the time provided by the applicable provisions of Federal

Rule of Civil Procedure 12(a). See 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(g)(2) (while Defendants may

occasionally be permitted to “waive the right to reply to any action brought by a

prisoner confined in any jail, prison, or other correctional facility under section 1983,”

once the Court has conducted its sua sponte screening pursuant to 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(e)(2) and § 1915A(b), and thus, has made a preliminary 

determination based on the face on the pleading alone that Plaintiff has a “reasonable

opportunity to prevail on the merits,” Defendants are required to respond). 

/ / /

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4. Plaintiff shall serve upon Defendants or, if appearance has been entered

by counsel, upon Defendants’ counsel, a copy of every further pleading or other

document submitted for consideration of the Court. Plaintiff shall include with the

original paper to be filed with the Clerk of the Court a certificate stating the manner in

which a true and correct copy of any document was served on Defendant, or counsel

for Defendant, and the date of service. Any paper received by the Court which has

not been filed with the Clerk or which fails to include a Certificate of Service will be

disregarded.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: April 4, 2013

Hon. Michael M. Anello

United States District Judge

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