Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01300/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01300-1/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

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CECIL JAMES MESSER,

 Plaintiff,

 vs.

UNITED STATES PENITENTIARYATWATER FOOD SERVICE 

DEPARTMENT, et al.,

 Defendants.

1:13-cv-01300-GSA-PC

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S

MOTION FOR LEAVE TO AMEND

(Doc. 13.)

THIRTY DAY DEADLINE TO FILE 

SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT AS 

INSTRUCTED BY THIS ORDER

ORDER FOR CLERK TO SEND 

PLAINTIFF A BIVENS COMPLAINT 

FORM

I. BACKGROUND

Cecil James Messer (“Plaintiff”) is a federal prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma 

pauperis with this civil rights action pursuant to Bivens vs. Six Unknown Agents, 403 U.S. 388

(1971). Plaintiff filed the Complaint commencing this action on August 16, 2013. (Doc. 1.) 

On January 15, 2014, this case was consolidated in one action with Plaintiff’s case 1:13-

cv-01866-BAM-PC, and Plaintiff was directed to file an amended complaint combining the 

allegations made in both cases. (Doc. 9.) On February 18, 2014, Plaintiff filed the First 

Amended Complaint. (Doc. 12.)

On March 13, 2014, Plaintiff filed a motion for leave to amend the complaint. (Doc. 

13.)

Case 1:13-cv-01300-GSA Document 14 Filed 03/18/14 Page 1 of 4
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II. RULE 15(a) - LEAVE TO AMEND

Under Rule 15(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a party may amend the 

party=s pleading once as a matter of course at any time before a responsive pleading is served. 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a). Otherwise, a party may amend only by leave of the court or by written 

consent of the adverse party, and leave shall be freely given when justice so requires. Id. 

ARule 15(a) is very liberal and leave to amend >shall be freely given when justice so 

requires.=@ AmerisourceBergen Corp. v. Dialysis West, Inc., 445 F.3d 1132, 1136 (9th Cir. 

2006) (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)). However, courts Aneed not grant leave to amend where 

the amendment: (1) prejudices the opposing party; (2) is sought in bad faith; (3) produces an 

undue delay in the litigation; or (4) is futile.@ Id. The factor of A>[u]ndue delay by itself . . . is 

insufficient to justify denying a motion to amend.=@ Owens v. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, 

Inc., 244 F.3d 708, 712,13 (9th Cir. 2001) (quoting Bowles v. Reade, 198 F.3d 752, 757-58 

(9th Cir. 1999)). 

A. Plaintiff’s Motion

Plaintiff seeks to amend the complaint to correct the spelling and add the first names of 

defendants Food Service Administrator and Assistant Food Service Administrator at USPAtwater. Plaintiff asserts that since the filing of the First Amended Complaint, he has 

determined that the name of the Food Service Administrator is Randy Madan, Jr., and the name 

of the Assistant Food Service Administrator is Lewis Guillermo. 

B. Discussion

Plaintiff has previously amended the complaint and therefore requires leave of court to 

file a Second Amended Complaint. The court finds no evidence of prejudice, bad faith, undue 

delay in the litigation, or futility in allowing Plaintiff to amend the complaint for the purpose of 

identifying two of the defendants. Therefore, Plaintiff’s motion to amend shall be granted.

III. CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Plaintiff shall be granted leave to file a Second Amended Complaint within thirty days, 

to correct the spelling and add the first names of defendants Food Service Administrator and 

Assistant Food Service Administrator at USP-Atwater. 

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The amended complaint should be brief, but must state what each named defendant did 

that led to the deprivation of Plaintiff=s constitutional or other federal rights. Fed. R. Civ. P. 

8(a); Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 676; Jones v. Williams, 297 F.3d 930, 934 (9th Cir. 2002). There is no 

respondeat superior liability, and each defendant is only liable for his or her own misconduct. 

Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 676-77. Plaintiff must set forth Asufficient factual matter ... to >state a claim 

that is plausible on its face.=@ Id. at 1949 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). Plaintiff must 

also demonstrate that each defendant personally participated in the deprivation of her rights. 

Jones, 297 F.3d at 934 (emphasis added). Although accepted as true, the “[f]actual allegations 

must be [sufficient] to raise a right to relief above the speculative level ....” Twombly, 550 U.S. 

at 554 (citations omitted).

Plaintiff should note that although he has been given the opportunity to amend, it is not 

for the purpose of adding new allegations or claims. Plaintiff is granted leave to amend the 

complaint for the sole purpose of identifying defendants Food Service Administrator and 

Assistant Food Service Administrator.

Plaintiff is reminded that an amended complaint supercedes the [prior] complaint, 

Lacey v. Maricopa County, 693 F 3d. 896, 907 n.1 (9th Cir. 2012) (en banc), and it must be 

complete in itself without reference to the prior or superceded pleading, Local Rule 220. 

Therefore, in an amended complaint, as in an original complaint, each claim and the 

involvement of each defendant must be sufficiently alleged. The amended complaint should be 

clearly and boldly titled ASecond Amended Complaint,@ refer to the appropriate case number, 

and be an original signed under penalty of perjury. 

Based on the foregoing, it is HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff=s motion to amend, filed on March 13, 2014, is GRANTED;

2. The Clerk=s Office shall send Plaintiff a Bivens complaint form;

3. Within thirty (30) days from the date of service of this order, Plaintiff shall file 

a Second Amended Complaint, as instructed by this order;

4. Plaintiff shall caption the amended complaint ASecond Amended Complaint@

and refer to the case number 1:13-cv-01300-GSA-PC; 

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5. Plaintiff may not add any new allegations or claims to this action via his

amended complaint and any attempt to do so will result in an order striking the 

amended complaint; and

6. Plaintiff’s failure to comply with this order shall result in a recommendation that 

this action be dismissed.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 18, 2014 /s/ Gary S. Austin 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:13-cv-01300-GSA Document 14 Filed 03/18/14 Page 4 of 4