Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-00916/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-00916-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BRUCE CREAMER, 

Plaintiff,

v.

CITY OF TULARE, et al.,

Defendants.

No. 1:15-cv-00916-DAD-EPG

ORDER DISMISSING PLAINTIFF’S 

SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT

(Doc. Nos. 14 and 15.) 

Plaintiff Bruce Creamer, appearing pro se and in forma pauperis, commenced this civil 

rights action on June 17, 2015. (Doc. No. 1.) On December 23, 2015, plaintiff’s original 

complaint was screened pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) and dismissed with leave to amend. 

(Doc. No. 11.) Plaintiff then filed an amended complaint that was again screened and dismissed 

with leave to amend. (Doc. Nos. 12 and 13.) 

On May 16, 2016, plaintiff filed the operative second amended complaint (“SAC”) 

naming the following defendants: City of Tulare, current/former pro term mayor David Macedo, 

city manager Don Dorman, chief of police Jerry Breckinridge, officer Richard Garcia, officer 

James Ussery, officer Frank Furtaw, officer Greg Merrill, officer V. Medina, Tulare County 

Superior Court Judge Walter Gorelick, chief deputy city clerk Roxanne Yoder, officer Rosa 

Moreno, Action Towing, Inc., United States Magistrate Judge Erica Grosjean, and an unknown 

number of Doe defendants. (Doc. No. 15.) Although plaintiff lists therein a litany of potential 

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state and federal claims, his SAC appears to focus on three claims alleging violations of 42 

U.S.C. §§ 1983, 1985, and 1986. (Id.) The court has reviewed the SAC and concludes that 

plaintiff has again failed to state a cognizable claim against any of the defendants in this action.1

I. Pleading Standard

Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), the court must conduct a review of a pro se complaint to 

determine whether it “state[s] a claim on which relief may be granted,” is “frivolous or 

malicious,” or “seek[s] monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.” If 

the court determines that the complaint fails to state a claim, it must be dismissed. Id.

A pro se plaintiff, like other litigants, must satisfy the pleading requirements of Rule 8(a) 

of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule 8(a)(2) “requires a complaint to include a short and 

plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief, in order to give the 

defendant fair notice of what the claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. 

Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 554, 562-563 (2007) (citing Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41 (1957)). 

While the complaint must comply with the “short and plaint statement” requirements of Rule 8

and detailed factual allegations are not required, its allegations must also include the specificity 

required by Twombly and Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 679 (2009).

To avoid dismissal for failure to state a claim a complaint must contain more than “naked 

assertions,” “labels and conclusions” or “a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of 

action.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555-557. In other words, “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of 

a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements do not suffice.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 

678. Furthermore, a claim upon which the court can grant relief must have facial plausibility. 

Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570. “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual 

content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the 

misconduct alleged.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678. When considering whether a complaint states a 

claim upon which relief can be granted, the court must accept the allegations as true, Erickson v.

 

1

 Notably, plaintiff has twice received direction from this court regarding the deficiencies 

reflected in his complaints. Nonetheless, plaintiff’s second amended complaint is largely 

identical to previously filed complaints.

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Pardus, 551 U.S. 89 (2007), and construe the complaint in the light most favorable to the 

plaintiff, see Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236 (1974). However, while factual allegations 

are accepted as true, legal conclusions are not. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678.

Finally, pleadings of pro se plaintiffs “must be held to less stringent standards than formal 

pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 (9th Cir. 2010) (holding that 

pro se complaints should continue to be liberally construed after Iqbal). See also Erickson, 551 

U.S. at 94.

II. Plaintiff’s Allegations

Plaintiff has included a timeline in his SAC, almost identical to that set forth in his prior 

complaints, in which he alleges the following.

Plaintiff lives on property at 725 W. San Joaquin Avenue in Tulare, California. As part of 

an unspecified business, plaintiff stored one or more vehicles on his property. The vehicles 

appear to have been kept in some state of disrepair. At some point in 2013 or 2014, defendant 

James Ussery, a code enforcement officer for the City of Tulare, left his business card on 

plaintiff’s door with a note asking plaintiff to contact him. On January 13, 2014, plaintiff 

received a Notice of Violation of Tulare Municipal Code § 7.28.030, which declares it a nuisance 

for any person to maintain (or fail to maintain) property under an enumerated list of conditions. 

The Notice was issued by defendant Richard Garcia and informed plaintiff that he had ten days to 

remedy the violation.

On January 26, 2014, plaintiff received a letter from defendant Garcia informing plaintiff 

that he had been cited for violating Tulare Municipal Code § 7.28.030(P)(5)(d), which requires 

that: “Abandoned, dismantled, wrecked, inoperative vehicles, or parts thereof, on private 

property shall be stored in a completely enclosed building or structure.” On January 29, 2014,

plaintiff sent a letter to the “city manager” in which plaintiff he requested a hearing on the 

citation.2 Two weeks later, on February 13, 2014, plaintiff received two letters from the Tulare 

Police Department informing him of the department’s intent to abate the nuisance under Tulare 

 

2

 It is ambiguous from the allegations of the SAC whether plaintiff received the hearing he 

requested.

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Municipal Code § 4.36.010 et seq., which defines the removal procedure for abandoned, wrecked, 

dismantled, or inoperative vehicles. On February 18, 2014, plaintiff delivered a letter to the 

police department, apparently challenging their authority under the Municipal Code to proceed in 

the manner indicated by their letters. On April 18, 2014, at least three Tulare Police Department 

officers arrived at plaintiff’s address. They handcuffed plaintiff and towed his vehicle(s) away 

with the assistance of defendant Action Towing Inc. The officers also produced a search warrant 

pursuant to which they searched plaintiff’s house, his garage, and a shed outside his house. 

Plaintiff generally contends that the warrant did not authorize a search of this breadth. The

officers also informed plaintiff that he would need to vacate the premises. On April 22, 2014, the 

police department mailed plaintiff receipts for the property that had been seized, although 

plaintiff contends that not all the property seized was reflected on those receipts. On April 28, 

2014, plaintiff received a notice from defendant Action Towing Inc. regarding the placement of a 

lien on his vehicle(s). Plaintiff returned the form, along with a statement in which plaintiff 

alleged that Action Towing Inc. owed him a number of fees, including a $1,400 per week rental 

fee for holding each of his vehicles and a $75,000 per vehicle charge if any of his property could 

not be returned.

On May 9, 2014, plaintiff filed a notice of tort claim with the City Clerk for Tulare. On 

June 13, 2014, plaintiff sent defendant code enforcement officer Frank Furtaw an email 

requesting unspecified information, but received an automated “out of office” reply. On July 11, 

2014, plaintiff again sent an email to defendant Furtaw, but received a reply stating that Furtaw 

was no longer assigned to code enforcement. Plaintiff sent Furtaw another email informing him

that he would be named in plaintiff’s lawsuit. On July 20, 2014, plaintiff received a letter from 

defendant Garcia referring him to the Tulare County Superior Court.

On July 30, 2014, plaintiff emailed defendant city clerk Roxanne Yoder regarding 

information on how to sue the city. The next day, Lori Heeszel, a different city clerk, responded. 

On December 23, 2014, an unknown police officer walked onto plaintiff’s property. Plaintiff 

asked him to leave, but the officer did not do so. Over the following four months, plaintiff 

attempted to investigate the Tulare Police Department, first by filing a police report with the

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Tulare Police Department and later by calling the FBI. Plaintiff filed his original complaint in 

this court on June 12, 2015.

III. Discussion

A. First Claim: 42 U.S.C. § 1983

As plaintiff has previously been advised, to state a cognizable claim under § 1983, a 

plaintiff “must allege a violation of a right secured by the Constitution and laws of the United 

States, and must show that the alleged deprivation was committed by a person acting under color 

of state law.” West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). See also Ellis v. Cassidy, 625 F.2d 227 

(9th Cir. 1980) (a plaintiff in a civil rights action must allege facts demonstrating how the 

conditions complained of resulted in a deprivation of his federal constitutional or statutory rights.) 

Plaintiff must allege in specific terms how each named defendant was involved in the deprivation 

of plaintiff’s rights. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 677 (“Because vicarious liability is inapplicable to Bivens

and § 1983 suits, a plaintiff must plead that each Government-official defendant, through the 

official’s own individual actions, has violated the Constitution.”); Simmons v. Navajo Cnty., Ariz., 

609 F.3d 1011, 1020-21 (9th Cir. 2010); Ewing v. City of Stockton, 588 F.3d 1218, 1235 (9th Cir. 

2009). There can be no liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 unless there is some affirmative link or 

connection alleged between a defendant’s actions and the claimed deprivation. Rizzo v. Goode,

423 U.S. 362 (1975); May v. Enomoto, 633 F.2d 164, 167 (9th Cir. 1980); Johnson v. Duffy, 588 

F.2d 740, 743 (9th Cir. 1978). Vague and conclusory allegations of official participation in civil 

rights violations, such as those made by plaintiff in his complaints thus far, are not sufficient. 

Ivey v. Board of Regents, 673 F.2d 266, 268 (9th Cir. 1982). Finally, to state such a claim the 

complaint must allege that every defendant also acted with the requisite state of mind to violate 

the underlying constitutional provision. OSU Student Alliance v. Ray, 699 F.3d 1053, 1070 (9th 

Cir. 2012).

Below, the court will once again address the deficiencies of plaintiff’s operative 

complaint, several of which clearly cannot be cured by any further amendment.

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1. Defendant Magistrate Judge 

In his latest complaint, plaintiff has elected to name as a defendant the magistrate judge 

assigned to this action. “It is well settled that judges are generally immune from civil liability 

under section 1983.” Meek v. Cnty. of Riverside, 183 F.3d 962, 965 (9th Cir. 1999) (citing 

Mireles v. Waco, 502 U.S. 9, 9–10 (1991)). Thus, “a judicial officer, in exercising the authority 

vested in [her], shall be free to act upon [her] own convictions, without apprehension of personal 

consequences to [her]self.” Bradley v. Fisher, 80 U.S. 335, 347 (1871). Accordingly, judges are 

immune from liability for damages for acts committed within their judicial discretion. Pierson v. 

Ray, 386 U.S. 547, 553-54 (1967). This absolute immunity applies for judicial acts even when a 

judge is accused of acting maliciously and corruptly. Id. at 554. 

Here, plaintiff’s sole allegation in his SAC against the magistrate judge assigned to this 

action is that the court’s May 5, 2016 screening order dismissing his complaint with leave to 

amend violated plaintiff’s right to freedom of speech. (Doc. No. 15 at 22.) Issuing a screening 

order such as the one entered in this action on May 5, 2016, is clearly a judicial act. The issuance 

of such an order by the court cannot subject the judicial officer to liability. Accordingly, plaintiff 

has obviously failed in his SAC to state any cognizable claim against U.S. Magistrate Judge 

Grosjean and all such claims are dismissed. Moreover, since amendment of those claims would 

obviously be futile, the dismissal in this regard will be with prejudice.

2. Defendant Officers and City Officials in their Official Capacities

As plaintiff has previously been advised, to state a cognizable claim against the defendant 

officers in their official capacities or, alternatively, against the City of Tulare, he must allege “that 

(1) the constitutional tort was the result of a ‘longstanding practice or custom which constitutes 

the standard operating procedure of the local government entity;’ (2) the tortfeasor was an official 

whose acts fairly represent official policy such that the challenged action constituted official 

policy; or (3) an official with final policy-making authority ‘delegated that authority to, or ratified 

the decision of, a subordinate.’” (Doc. No. 13 at 7) (quoting Price v. Sery, 513 F.3d 962, 966 (9th

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Cir. 2008).

3

In his SAC plaintiff once again fails to allege any facts explaining what role defendants

David Macedo, Don Dorman, Superior Court Judge Walter Gorelick4, Roxanne Yoder 

(collectively, the “city officials”), Jerry Breckinridge, Greg Merrill, V. Medina, Rosa Moreno, 

James Ussery, Richard Garcia (collectively, the “officers”) played, if any, in the alleged violation 

of his constitutional rights. (See Doc. No. 13 at 5) (advising plaintiff that he had failed to explain 

the role the defendants had played with respect to his allegations). Instead, plaintiff merely 

alleges the city employees conspired to file and serve an ordinance violation form. (Doc. Nos 13 

at 5; 15 at 7.) 

It is true that plaintiff has alleged that defendant Richard Garcia was the officer who cited 

him and was involved in the abatement action. (See Doc. No. 15 at 18.) However, such 

conclusory allegations are not sufficient to state a cognizable claim. The allegations of the SAC 

fail to link the acts of any of these named defendants to the alleged constitutional violations. Nor 

does the SAC allege that these defendants acted with the requisite state of mind to violate 

plaintiff’s constitutional rights. Moreover, in his SAC plaintiff has failed to allege that the 

claimed constitutional violations resulting from the actions of any of these defendants, including 

the City of Tulare, were part of a “longstanding practice or custom,” were acts which represented 

an official policy, or were carried out by an official who ratified the decision of a subordinate.

Accordingly, all of plaintiff’s claims against defendants the City of Tulare, David 

Macedo, Don Dorman, Superior Court Judge Walter Gorelick, Roxanne Yoder, Jerry 

Breckinridge, Greg Merrill, V. Medina, Rosa Moreno, James Ussery, and Richard Garcia in their 

official capacity will be dismissed. 

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3

 See also Ulrich v. City and Cnty. of S.F., 308 F.3d 968, 984-85 (9th Cir. 2002).

4

In addition, plaintiff’s allegations again Superior Court Judge Gorelick are based solely on the 

judge’s performance of his judicial duties. For the same reasons noted above, Judge Gorelick 

enjoys absolute immunity with respect to his judicial acts and no cognizable claim can be stated 

against him in this regard.

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3. Defendant Officers and City Officials in their Individual Capacities

In his SAC plaintiff has alleged at least two potential § 1983 claims against the defendant 

officers and city officials in their individual capacities. Those potential claims are addressed

below.

i. Illegal search and seizure

“A warrant cannot pass constitutional muster if the scope of the related search or seizure 

exceeds that permitted by the terms of the validly issued warrant.” Pac. Marine Center, Inc. v. 

Silva, 809 F. Supp. 2d 1266, 1280 (E.D. Cal. 2011) (quoting Al-Kidd v. Ashcroft, 598 F.3d 1123, 

1134 n.3 (9th Cir. 2010)). “A valid warrant must describe particularly the places that officers 

may search and the types of items that they may seize.” Dawson v. City of Seattle, 435 F.3d 

1054, 1064 (9th Cir. 2006). “This requirement exists to prevent[ ] general, exploratory searches 

and indiscriminate rummaging through a person’s belongings.” Id. (quoting United States v. 

Spilotro,800 F.2d 959, 963 (9th Cir. 1986) (internal quotations omitted).

Here, plaintiff alleges in his SAC that, on April 18, 2014, “no less than 5 City agents” 

entered his property to execute the warrant in question and seize property. (Doc. No. 15 at 17.) 

Specifically, plaintiff alleges “they gave a questionable unlawful search warrant dated Apr. 11th, 

2014, after they were finished which they breached the boundary by searching inside of home and 

breaking into garage and into shed of posted property then handed Plaintiff the warrant.” (Doc. 

No. 15, at 17.) Plaintiff plausibly alleges that the defendant officers were acting under color of 

state law when they conducted the search. Anderson v. Warner, 451 F.3d 1063, 1068 (9th Cir. 

2006) (“State employment is generally sufficient to render the defendant a state actor”) (quoting

West, 487 U.S. at 48). While plaintiff has attached numerous exhibits to his complaint, he has not 

included the search warrant in question. More importantly, as noted in the court’s prior screening 

order, “[p]laintiff has [again] not identified which officers were involved in the search.” (Doc. 

No. 13, at 7) The court specifically advised plaintiff in its prior order that “Plaintiff has named a 

number of defendants but has not explained how they are involved in the alleged constitutional 

violations. In amending his complaint, Plaintiff should explain how each defendant participated 

in the deprivation of his rights.” (Id. at 7.) Despite being directed to do so, plaintiff has failed to 

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allege which of the defendant officers were involved in the search or how each defendant officer 

participated in the alleged unlawful search. Accordingly, plaintiff has failed to plead a plausible 

Fourth Amendment claim under § 1983 against any of the defendants in their individual 

capacities.

ii. Procedural due process

“To obtain relief on a procedural due process claim, the plaintiff must establish the 

existence of ‘(1) a liberty or property interest protected by the Constitution; (2) a deprivation of 

the interest by the government; and (3) lack of process.’” Stamas v. Cnty. of Madera, 795 

F. Supp. 2d 1047, 1077 (E.D. Cal. 2011) (quoting Shanks v. Dressel, 540 F.3d 1082, 1090 (9th 

Cir. 2008)). “[P]rocedural due process claims do not ‘deal with the substance of the challenged 

decisions, but with the process by which they were reached’.” Id. (quoting Halverson v. Skagit 

Cnty., 42 F.3d 1257, 1260 (9th Cir. 1994)). “The due process clause does not prohibit every 

deprivation by the state of an individual’s property. Only those deprivations carried out without 

due process are actionable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.” Halverson, 42 F.3d at 1260. “‘Ordinarily, 

due process of law requires [notice and] an opportunity for some kind of hearing prior to the 

deprivation of a significant property interest.’” Id.

In his SAC plaintiff alleges that his property, specifically including the vehicles he kept on 

his property, was seized by City of Tulare police officers. Although according to the allegations 

of the SAC the “city manager” appears to have provided plaintiff advance notice that his property

would be seized, plaintiff alleges “Inside Rebuttal was their Hearing Request form. Which 

Plaintiff Requested to be heard in a State or County Court. . . . Which was denied to me.” (Doc. 

No. 15, at 17.) Thus, plaintiff alleges that he requested a hearing and it appears that he may be 

alleging that this request for a hearing was denied. Plaintiff’s allegations in this regard are, 

however, vague and insufficient despite the fact that the prior screening order specifically advised 

him that “[i] n amending his complaint, Plaintiff should explain how each defendant participated 

in the deprivation of his rights.” (Id. at 7.) Plaintiff has simply not done so.

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4. Remaining Defendants 

Plaintiff has named several additional individuals as defendants in the caption of his SAC. 

However, in order to state a claim against these individuals plaintiff must allege facts 

demonstrating that each of these defendants personally participated in the deprivation of his 

rights. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 677. The complaint must be clear as to whom plaintiffs are suing for 

what wrongs. McHenry v. Renne, 84 F.3d 1172, 1176 (9th Cir. 1996). A claim must be stated 

clearly enough to provide each defendant fair opportunity to frame a responsive pleading. Id. at 

1180. Here, for instance, plaintiff has identified Action Towing Inc., John Doe contractor, and 

John Doe truck driver in the heading of his SAC, but does not allege any facts in the body of the 

SAC tying any of these individuals or entities to any constitutional violation alleged. In the total 

absence of any factual allegations to tie these potential defendants to any wrongdoing alleged, the 

court must dismiss plaintiff’s claims against these remaining potential defendants identifies in the 

caption of the SAC.

The court notes that plaintiff was previously advised that he should “carefully consider 

which [d]efendants were actually involved in the sequence of events he alleges, as he can only 

pursue relief against those specific individuals.” (Doc. No. 13 at 9.) In identifying these 

additional individuals and entities in the caption of the SAC with no factual allegations relating to 

them in the body of the SAC, plaintiff has ignored the direction provided by the court.

B. Second Claim: 42 U.S.C. § 1985

As plaintiff has also been previously advised, an action under § 1985 requires a plaintiff to 

allege: “(1) a conspiracy, (2) to deprive any person or a class of persons of equal protection of 

the laws, or of equal privileges and immunities under the laws, (3) an act by one of the 

conspirators in furtherance of the conspiracy, and (4) a personal injury, property damage or a 

deprivation of any right or privilege of a citizen of the United States.” (Doc. No. 13 at 8) 

(quoting Gillespie, 629 F.2d at 641 and citing Griffin v. Breckenridge, 403 U.S. 88 (1971)). 

Section 1985, which was originally enacted during Reconstruction, has been roundly interpreted 

to require allegations and proof of some “invidiously discriminatory animus.” Griffin, 403 U.S. 

at 102. In other words, because the claim requires a defendant to deprive the plaintiff of the 

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“equal protection of the laws,” a plaintiff must also allege and “demonstrate a deprivation . . . 

motivated by ‘some racial, or perhaps otherwise class-based, invidiously discriminatory animus 

behind the conspirators’ action.’” Sever v. Alaska Pulp Corp., 978 F.2d 1529, 1536 (9th Cir. 

1992) (quoting Griffin, 403 U.S. at 102). 

Here, plaintiff’s SAC does not allege any discriminatory animus nor does it suggest any 

basis for such an allegation. As such, the second claim of the SAC is subject to dismissal. 

Because plaintiff has been previously advised of the deficiencies with the allegations made 

support of this claim and has been unable to cure them, the claim will be dismissed with 

prejudice.

C. Third Claim: 42 U.S.C. § 1986

Likewise, plaintiff has been previously advised, “[l]iability under § 1986 is derivative of § 

1985 liability, i.e., there can be no violation of § 1986 without a violation of § 1985.” (Doc. No. 

13 at 9) (quoting Jews for Jesus, Inc. v. Jewish Cmty. Relations Council of N.Y., Inc., 968 F.2d 

286, 292 (2nd Cir. 1992) and citing Carmen v. S.F. Unified Sch. Dist., 982 F. Supp. 1396, 1405 

(N.D. Cal. 1997), aff'd, 237 F.3d 1026 (9th Cir. 2001) (“A claim exists under section 1986 ‘only 

if the complaint contains a valid claim under § 1985.’”). In his SAC plaintiff has again failed to

adequately plead a cause of action under § 1985, and thus there can be no cognizable claim 

brought under § 1986. Accordingly, the third cause of action of plaintiff’s SAC is also subject to

dismissal. Again, because plaintiff has failed to cure the noted deficiencies of his complaint with 

respect to this claim, granting further leave to amend would be futile. Therefore, the dismissal of 

this claim is with prejudice. 

IV. Leave To Amend

The undersigned has carefully considered whether plaintiff could amend his SAC to 

remedy the defects noted above with respect to the § 1983 claims against the defendant officers 

and city officials. “Valid reasons for denying leave to amend include undue delay, bad faith, 

prejudice, and futility.” California Architectural Bldg. Prod. v. Franciscan Ceramics, 818 F.2d 

1466, 1472 (9th Cir.1988). See also Klamath–Lake Pharm. Ass’n v. Klamath Med. Serv. Bureau, 

701 F.2d 1276, 1293 (9th Cir.1983) (holding that while leave to amend shall be freely given, the 

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court does not have to allow futile amendments). Here, plaintiff has twice been advised by the 

court in screening orders of the deficiencies of his allegations. (Doc. Nos. 11 at 3–5; 13 at 5.) In 

addition, plaintiff has been provided guidance by the court in those orders as to what was required 

to cure the noted deficiencies. (Id.) He has failed to correct those deficiencies despite being 

provided two opportunities to do so. Moreover, the SAC before the court now is essentially the 

same as the complaint addressed by the court in the prior screening orders. (Doc. Nos. 12 and 

15.) On the other hand, the court must proceed with caution in denying pro se litigants leave to 

amend where it is possible that the deficiencies of the complaint can be cured by amendment. See 

Flowers v. First Hawaiian Bank, 295 F.3d 966, 976 (9th Cir. 2002).

5

Accordingly, and out of an abundance of caution, the court will grant plaintiff one final 

opportunity to amend his complaint only with respect to his claims brought under 42 U.S.C. § 

19836and in keeping with the direction provided by this order. 

Plaintiff is informed that the court cannot refer to a prior pleading in order to make 

plaintiff’s amended complaint complete. Local Rule 220 requires that an amended complaint be 

complete in itself without reference to any prior pleading. This is because, as a general rule, an 

amended complaint supersedes the original complaint. See Loux v. Rhay, 375 F.2d 55, 57 (9th 

Cir. 1967). Once plaintiff files an amended complaint, the original pleading no longer serves any 

function in the case. Therefore, in any amended complaint plaintiff elects to file, as in an original 

complaint, each claim and the involvement of each defendant must be sufficiently alleged.

/////

/////

 

5

 It appears at least conceivable that plaintiff may be capable of alleging § 1983 claims based 

upon overbroad execution of a warrant, denial of due process and perhaps other cognizable 

claims.

6

 The court has determined that plaintiff’s claims against U.S. Magistrate Judge Erica Grosjean 

and Tulare County Superior Court Judge Walter Gorelick as well as his claims brought pursuant 

to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1985 and 1986 are fatally deficient and the granting of leave to amend with 

respect to those claims would be futile. Accordingly, if he elects to pursue this matter by filing a 

Third Amended Complaint, plaintiff is specifically directed not include those claims and 

defendants in that complaint. 

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V. Plaintiff’s Conduct In Connection With This Action

As a pro se litigant, plaintiff is nonetheless required to comply with the Federal Rules of 

Civil Procedure and the Local Rules of this court.7 Plaintiff has filed voluminous and repetitive 

documents with this court which are not proper pleadings. (Doc. Nos. 19-23.) Any unauthorized 

filings submitted in the future by plaintiff will be disregarded. In addition, the court advises 

plaintiff that statements made in his pleadings, such as those suggesting citizen’s arrests in 

connection with his allegations, may be perceived as threatening and will not be condoned by the 

court. Plaintiff is directed to cease making such statements in his filings and to comply with the 

orders of this court. Any failure to do so may result in the imposition of sanctions, including the 

dismissal of this action.

VI. Conclusion

For all of the reasons set forth above:

1. Plaintiff’s claims against defendant Magistrate Judge Erica Grosjean are dismissed 

with prejudice and without leave to amend;

2. Plaintiff’s claims against named defendant Tulare County Superior Court Judge 

Walter Gorelick are dismissed with prejudice and without leave to amend; 

3. Plaintiff’s claims brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1985 are dismissed with prejudice

and without leave to amend;

4. Plaintiff’s claims brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1986 are dismissed with prejudice and 

without leave to amend;

5. Plaintiff’s remaining claims brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 are dismissed with leave 

to amend; 

6. If plaintiff wishes to continue to pursue this action, he must file a Third Amended 

Complaint within 21 days of the date of this order; 

 

7

 The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are available online at www.uscourts.gov/rulespolicies/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure. Forms are also available 

to help pro se plaintiffs organize their complaint in the proper way. They are available at the 

Clerk’s Office, 501 I Street, 4th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814, or online at 

www.uscourts.gov/forms/pro-se-forms.

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7. Plaintiff’s motion to amend the complaint (Doc. No. 14) is denied as moot; and

8. Plaintiff shall not file any additional unauthorized pleadings in this action.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 29, 2016 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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