Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-02521/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-02521-0/pdf.json

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

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KM

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Rafael Diaz Gomez, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Joseph M. Arpaio, et al.,

Defendants. 

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No. CV 05-2521-PHX-DGC (ECV)

ORDER

On August 22, 2005, Plaintiff Rafael Diaz Gomez, p resently confined in the Maricopa

County Durango Jail, filed a pro se Complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This action is

one of more than one thousand (1,000) lawsuits filed in t his district since September 2004

alleging that the overcrowded conditions in the Maricopa County jail system have result ed

in a variety of constitutional violations. T he Court will order Defendants Arpaio and

Peterson to answer the Complaint.

Plaintiff did not pay the two hundred fifty dollar ($250.00) filing fee but filed with the

Complaint a certified Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and inmat e account

statement.

Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and Filing Fee

Plaint iff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis will be granted. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a).

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1), Plaint iff is required to pay the statutory filing fee of two

Case 2:05-cv-02521-DGC-ECV Document 4 Filed 12/23/05 Page 1 of 6
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hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for this action. 

An initial partial filing fee of forty-nine dollars and fourteen cents ($49.14) will be

assessed by this Order. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). By separate order, the Court will direct the

appropriate agency to collect the initial partial filing fee from Plaintiff’s trust account and

forward it to the Clerk of Court. 

Plaintiff will be obligated for monthly payments of twenty percent (20%) of t he

preceding month’s income credited to Plaintiff’s trust account. T he Court will direct the

ap p rop riate agency to collect these monthly payments, which will be forwarded to the Clerk

of Court each t ime t he amount in Plaintiff’s account exceeds ten dollars ($10.00), until the

filing fee is paid in full. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

Plaintiff should take notice that if he is released before the filing fee is paid in full,

he must p ay t he remaining unpaid amount of the filing fee within one hundred twenty (120)

days of the date of his release. If Plaintiff fails to pay the remainder of the filing fee wit hin

one hundred twenty (120) days of the date of his release, the act ion will be dismissed,

unless Plaintiff shows good cause, in writing, why he is unable to pay the remainder of the

filing fee.

Statutory Screening and Complaint

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 Plaint iff 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). The Court also must dismiss a complaint or portion

thereof if Plaintiff fails to exhaust any administrative remedy available to him. 42 U.S.C. §

1997e(a).

Named as Defendants to the Complaint are: 1) Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph M.

Arpaio; 2) Durango Jail Commander Captain Pet erson; and 3) Unknown Detention Officers

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1-100. 

 Plaintiff alleges three grounds for relief in t he Complaint: 1) Plaintiff is exposed to

infectious diseases because of a lack of medical screening, in violation of the Eighth and

Fourteenth Amendments; 2) detention officers punish an entire pod, rather than individual

inmates, for individual inmat es' misbehavior in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth

Amendments; and 3) Plaintiff receives insufficient and frequently spoiled food in violation

of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. These allegations adequately st at e a claim and

the Court will require Defendants Arpaio and Peterson to file an answer.

Dismissal of Defendants Unknown Detention Officers

Defendants Unknown Detention Officers 1-100 are not properly named Defendants.

Plaintiff alleges that these Defendants are liable for "following and enforcing the sheriff's

rules and regulations." This is not a basis for liability under § 1983 where, as in this case,

Defendants have no authority to change the policies at issue. Accordingly, Defendants

Unknown Detention Officers 1-100 will be dismissed.

Rule 41 Cautionary Notice

Plaintiff should take notice that if he fails to timely comply with every provision of

this Order, or any order entered in this matter, this action will be dismissed pursuant to

Rule 41(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. See Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258,

1260-61 (9th Cir.) (district court may dismiss action for failure t o comply with any order of

the Court), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 915 (1992).

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED as follows:

(1) Plaintiff's Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis, filed with the Complaint, is

GRANTED;

(2) Plaintiff is OBLIGATED t o p ay the statutory filing fee of two hundred fifty

dollars ($250.00) for this action. Plaintiff is assessed an init ial partial filing fee of forty-nine

dollars and fourteen cents ($49.14). All fees shall be collected and paid in accordance with

this Court’s Order to the appropriate government agency filed concurrently herewith;

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(3) Defendants Unknown Detention Officers 1-100 are DISMISSED from this action;

(4) The Clerk of Court shall send Plaintiff a service packet including the Complaint,

this Order, and both summons and request for waiver forms for Defendant s Arp aio and

Peterson;

(5) Plaintiff shall comp lete and return the service packets to the Clerk of Court within

twenty (20) days of the date of filing of t his Order. The United States Marshal will not

provide service of process if Plaintiff fails to comply with this Order;

(6) If Plaint iff does not either obtain a waiver of service of the summons or complete

service of the Summons and Complaint on Defendants wit hin one hundred twenty (120)

days of the filing of the Complaint or within sixty (60) days of the filing of this Order,

whichever is later, the action may be dismissed as to the Defendant not served p ursuant

to Rule 4(m) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Local Rule of Civil Procedure

16.2(b)(2)(B)(i); 

(7) The United States M arshal shall retain the Summons, a copy of the Complaint,

and a copy of this Order for future use;

(8) The United States Marshal shall notify Defendants Arpaio and Peterson of the

commencement of this action and request waiver of service of the summons p ursuant to

Rule 4(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The not ice t o Defendants shall include

a copy of this Order. The Marshal shall file waivers of service of the summons or requests

for waivers that were returned as undeliverable as soon as they are received. If a waiver

of service of summons is not returned by a Defendant within thirty (30) days from the date

the request for waiver was sent by the Marshal, the Marshal shall:

(a) Personally serve copies of the Summons, Complaint, and this Order upon

the Defendant pursuant to Rule 4(e)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure;

(b) Within ten (10) days after personal service is effected, file the return of

service for the Defendant, along with evidence of the attempt to secure a waiver of

service of the summons and of the costs subsequently incurred in effecting service

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upon the Defendant. The costs of service shall be enumerated on the return of

service form (USM-285) and shall include the costs incurred by the Marshal for

photocopying additional copies of the Summons, Complaint, or this Order and for

preparing new process receipt and return forms (USM-285), if required. Costs of

service will be taxed against the personally served defendant pursuant to Rule

4(d)(2) and (5) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, unless otherwise ordered by

the Court;

(9) If a Defendant agrees to waive service of the S ummons and Complaint, the

Defendant shall return the signed waiver forms to the United States Marshal, not the

Plaintiff;

(10) Defendants Arpaio and Peterson shall answer the Comp laint or otherwise

respond by appropriate mot ion within the time provided by the applicable provisions of

Rule 12(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure;

(11) Plaintiff shall serve up on Defendant, or if appearance has been entered by

counsel, upon counsel, a copy of every further pleading or other document submitted for

consideration by the Court. Plaintiff shall include with the original document and copy , t o

be filed wit h t he Clerk of the Court, a certificate stating the date a true and correct copy of

the pleading or document was mailed to Defendant or counsel. Any paper received by a

District Court Judge or Magistrate Judge which has not been filed with the Clerk of Court

may be disregarded by the Court;

(12) At all times during the pendency of this action, Plaintiff shall immediately advise

the Court and the United States Marshal of any change of address and its effective date.

Such not ice shall be captioned “NOTICE OF CHANGE OF ADDRESS.” The notice shall

contain only information pertaining to the change of address and it s effective date.

Plaintiff shall serve a copy of the notice on all opposing p arties. The notice shall not

include any motions for any other relief. Failure t o file a Notice of Change of Address may

result in the dismissal of the action for failure to prosecute pursuant to Rule 41(b) of the

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Federal Rules of Civil Procedure; 

(13) A clear, legible copy of every pleading or other document filed shall accompany

each original pleading or other document filed with the Clerk for use by the District Judge

or Magistrate Judge to whom the case is assigned. Failure to comply with this requirement

will result in the pleading or document being stricken without further notice to Plaintiff; and

(14) This matter is referred to Magistrate Judge Edward C. Voss p ursuant to Local

Rules of Civil Procedure 72.1 and 72.2 for further proceedings.

DATED this 21st day of December, 2005.

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