Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-03620/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-03620-0/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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 Many inmates apparently believe that they will receive an immediate payout from a fund

established in Hart v. Hill, No. CV 77-0479-PHX-EHC (MS) (D. Ariz.). No such fund exists. The

inmates in Hart asked for injunctive relief and not monetary damages. The Court at t his t ime

expresses no opinion on whether Plaintiff’s lawsuit may result in an award of damages. 

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BL

WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Raymundo Torres, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, et al., 

Defendants. 

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No. CV 05-3620-PHX-DGC (VAM)

ORDER

Plaintiff Raymundo Torres, currently confined in the Maricopa County Tents City

Jail in Phoenix, Arizona, has filed a pro se Complaint pursuant to § 1983.1

 This action is

one of more than one thousand lawsuits filed in this district since September 2004 alleging

that the overcrowded conditions in the Maricopa County jail system have resulted in a

variety of constitutional violations. T he Court will order that Defendant Arpaio be served

with the Complaint.

A. Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis & Filing Fee.

Plaintiff’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

$250.00 for this action. An init ial partial filing fee of $22.38 will be assessed by this Order.

28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). By separate order, the Court will direct the appropriate agency t o

collect the initial partial filing fee from Plaintiff’s trust account and forward it to the Clerk

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 Plaintiff lists Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in the caption, but not as a listed

Defendant. Out of an abundance of caution, it will be presumed that Plaintiff intended to name

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as a Defendant.

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of Court. Thereafter, Plaintiff will be obligated for monthly payments of 20 percent of the

preceding month’s income credited t o Plaint iff’s trust account. These payments will be

forwarded by the appropriate agency to the Clerk of Court each time the amount in

Plaintiff’s account exceeds $10.00, until the filing fee is p aid in full. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

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

he must pay the remaining unpaid amount of t he filing fee within 120 days of the date of

his release. If Plaintiff fails t o pay the remainder of the filing fee within 120 days of the date

of his release, the action will be dismissed, unless Plaintiff shows good cause, in writing,

why he is unable to pay the remainder of the filing fee.

B. Statutory Screening of Prisoner Complaints.

The Court is required to screen comp laints 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 Plaintiff 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). 

C. Complaint.

Plaintiff names as Defendants (1) Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office,2 and (2) Joseph

M . Arpaio, Sheriff of Maricopa County, alleging that he oversees the jails in an inhumane

manner. Plaintiff argues that his constitutional rights were violated by (1) retaliation

because after he complained about the jail conditions t o t he detention officers, he was

threatened with disciplinary actions, (2) unsanitary conditions because there is often hair,

blood, and contaminated razors t hroughout the pods, resulting in staph infections and

spider bit es, and he is exposed to asbestos, and (3) overcrowding resulting in insufficient

drinking water and insufficient access to facilities. Plaintiff seeks monetary and other relief.

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D. Failure to State a Claim.

1. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office

T he M aricopa County Sheriff’s Office is not a proper Defendant. In Arizona, t he

responsibility of operating jails and caring for prisoners is placed by law up on t he sheriff.

See A.R.S. § 11-441(A)(5); A.R.S. § 31-101. A sheriff’s office is simply an administrative

creation of the county sheriff to allow him t o carry out his statutory duties, and not a

“person” amenable to suit pursuant to § 1983. Accordingly, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s

Office will be dismissed from this action as an improper Defendant. 

2. Count I - Retaliation

To state a valid constitutional claim, a plaintiff must allege that he suffered specific

injury as a result of the specific conduct of a defendant, and show an affirmative link

between the injury and the conduct of the defendant. Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362, 371-72,

377 (1976). For a person to liable in his official capacity, Plaintiff must allege that he act ed

as a result of a policy, practice, or cust om. See Cortez v. County of Los Angeles, 294 F.3d

1186, 1188 (9th Cir. 2001). A supervisor, in his individual capacity, “is only liable for

const itutional violations of his subordinates if the supervisor participated in or directed

the violations, or knew of the violations and failed to act to prevent them.” Taylor v. List,

880 F.2d 1040, 1045 (9th Cir. 1989). “ A p laintiff must allege facts, not simply conclusions,

that show that an individual was personally involved in the dep rivation of his civil rights.”

Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194 (9th Cir. 1998). 

In Count I, Plaintiff alleges that when he complained to detention officers about the

jail conditions, he was threatened with discip line. However, Plaintiff fails to sufficiently

allege that the actions of the detention officers was the result of a policy, practice, or

custom enact ed or enforced by Defendant Arpaio. Further, he fails to allege that

Defendant Arpaio directly retaliated against him or was even aware of t he retaliation.

Accordingly, this Count will be dismissed without prejudice.

E. Claims For Which An Answer Will be Required.

At this early stage, Plaintiff sufficiently alleges t hat his constitutional rights were

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violated by (1) overcrowding and (2) unsanitary conditions. Defendant Arpaio will be

ordered to answer the Complaint.

F. Warning of Possible Dismissal Pursuant to Rule 41.

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. 1992) (district court may dismiss action for failure to comply with any order

of the Court).

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that: 

(1) Plaintiff’s Ap p lication to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. #1) is granted

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1).

(2) Plaintiff is obligat ed t o pay the statutory filing fee of $250.00 for this action.

Plaintiff is assessed an initial partial filing fee of $22.38. All fees shall be collected and paid

in accordance with t his Court=s Order to the appropriate government agency filed

concurrently herewith.

(3) Count I and Defendant Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office are dismissed without

prejudice.

(4) Defendant Arpaio will be required to answer Counts II and III.

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

(Doc. #1), this Order, and both summons and request for waiver forms for Defendant

Arpaio.

(6) Plaintiff shall complete and return the service packet to the Clerk of Court within

20 days of the date of filing of this Order. The United States Marshal will not provide

service of process if Plaintiff fails to comply with this Order.

(7) If Plaintiff does not either obtain a waiver of service of the summons or complete

service of t he Summons and Complaint on the Defendant within 120 days of the filing of

the complaint or within 60 days of the filing of t his Order, whichever is later, the action may

be dismissed as to each Defendant not served pursuant t o Rule 4(m) of the Federal Rules

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of Civil Procedure and Local Rule of Civil Procedure 16.2(b)(2)(B)(i).

(8) The United States Marshal shall retain the Summons, a copy of the Complaint,

and a copy of this Order for future use.

(9) The United States M arshal shall notify Defendant of the commencement of this

action and request waiver of service of the summons pursuant to Rule 4(d) of the Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure. The notice to Defendant shall include a copy of this Order. The

M arshal shall file waivers of service of the summons or requests for waivers t hat were

ret urned as undeliverable as soon as they are received. If a waiver of service of summons

is not returned by a Defendant within thirty 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 t his Order upon

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

(b) Within 10 days after personal service is effected, file the ret urn of service

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

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

the Defendant. T he costs of service shall be enumerated on the return of service

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

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

preparing new p rocess 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.

(10) A Defendant who agrees to waive service of the Summons and Complaint shall

return the signed waiver forms to the United States Marshal, not the Plaintiff.

(11) Defendant shall answer the Complaint or otherwise respond by appropriate

motion within the time provided by the applicable provisions of Rule 12(a) of t he Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure.

(12) Any answer or responsive pleading shall state the Defendant by name on

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whose behalf it is filed. The Court may strike any answer, responsive pleading, or other

motion or paper that does not ident ify t he Defendant by name on whose behalf it is filed.

(13) Plaintiff shall serve upon Defendant, or if appearance has been entered by

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

considerat ion by the Court. Plaintiff shall include with the original document and copy, to

be filed with the Clerk of t he 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

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

may be disregarded by the Court.

(14) At all times during the pendency of this action, Plaintiff shall immediat ely

advise the Court and the United States Marshal of any change of address and it s effective

date. Such notice shall be captioned “NOTICE OF CHANGE OF ADDRESS.” The notice

shall contain only informat ion p ert aining to the change of address and its 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 to 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 t he

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

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

accompany each original p leading or other document filed with the Clerk for use by the

District Judge or Magistrat e Judge t o whom the case is assigned. Failure to comply with

this requirement may result in the pleading or document being stricken without further

notice to Plaintiff. 

(16) This matter is referred to Magistrate Judge Virginia A. Mathis pursuant t o

Local Rules of Civil Procedure 72.1 and 72.2 for further proceedings.

DATED this 1st day of December, 2005.

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