Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-02250/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-02250-0/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 this time

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

TERMPSREF

WO BL

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Merlin Ayala, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Joseph M. Arpaio,

Defendant. 

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No. CV 05-2250-PHX-DGC (MEA)

ORDER

Plaintiff Merlin Ayala, currently confined in the Maricopa County Durango Jail in

Phoenix, Arizona, filed a pro se Complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.1

 This action is one

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

the overcrowded conditions in the Maricopa Count y jail system have resulted in a variety

of constitutional violations. The Court will order Defendant Arpaio to answer the

Complaint.

A. Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis & Filing Fee

Plaintiff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis will be grant ed. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a).

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1), Plaintiff is required t o pay the statutory filing fee of

$250.00 for this action. An initial partial filing fee of $6.62 will be assessed by this Order.

Case 2:05-cv-02250-DGC Document 3 Filed 11/01/05 Page 1 of 6
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28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). By separate order, the Court will direct the appropriate agency to

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

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

p receding month’s income credited to Plaintiff’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 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 120 days of the date of

his release. If Plaintiff fails to pay the remainder of the filing fee within 120 day s 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 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 port ion thereof if the Plaintiff has raised

claims that are legally “frivolous or malicious,” that fail to state a claim up on 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). 

C. Complaint

Plaintiff names as a Defendant Josep h Arp aio, Sheriff of Maricopa County, alleging

that he was responsible for all civil rights procedures in Maricopa County. Plaintiff alleges

that his constitutional rights were violated by (1) overcrowding in the intake area and he

had to sleep on the floor, resulting in neck and back pain and a staph infection, (2) limited

day room access, causing the inmates to eat on the bunks resulting in unsanitary

conditions, weight loss and rashes, (3) denial of outdoor recreational activities, (4)

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overcrowding, resulting in infections and a threat to safety, and (5) unsanitary conditions

in the food service area as a result of unt rained workers, and improper food storage.

Plaintiff seeks monetary and other relief.

Throughout his Complaint, Plaintiff refers to Hart v. Hill, No. CIV 77-0479-PHX-EHC

(D. Ariz.), claiming that the conditions of his confinement violated an Amended Judgment

in that action. Jurisdiction to enforce t he judgment is retained by the court which entered

it. Jeff D. v. Kempthorne, 365 F.3d 844, 853 (9th Cir. 2004). A civil rights action is not the

p rop er means by which to enforce the decree. Cagle v. Sutherland, 334 F.3d 980, 986 (11t h

Cir. 2003); Klein v. Zavaras, 80 F.3d 432, 435 (10th Cir. 1996); DeGidio v. Pung, 920 F.2d 525,

534 (8th Cir.1990); Green v. McKaskle, 788 F.2d 1116, 1122-23 (5th Cir. 1986). Standing

alone, remedial orders cannot serve as a substantive basis for a § 1983 claim for damages

because such orders do not create “rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the

Constitution and laws.” Green, 788 F.3d at 1123-24. Remedial decrees are the means by

which unconstit ut ional conditions are corrected but they do not create or enlarge

constitutional rights. Id. at 1123. To the extent Plaintiff seeks to enforce Hart v. Hill, his

claim is not properly brought in this action. 

D. Claims to be Served

At t his early stage, Plaintiff sufficient alleged that his constitutional rights were

violated by (1) overcrowding in the (a) intake area and (b) jail area, (2) unsanitary

conditions in the (a) cell area as a result of limited day room access and (b) food service

area, and (3) denial of outdoor recreational activities. Defendant Arpaio will be ordered to

answer the Complaint.

E. 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 mat t er, 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,

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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 Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. # 1) is granted

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1).

(2) Plaintiff is obligated to pay the statutory filing fee of $250.00 for t his act ion.

Plaintiff is assessed an initial partial filing fee of $6.62. All fees shall be collected and paid

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

concurrently herewith.

(3) T he Clerk of Court shall send Plaintiff a service packet including the Complaint,

this Order, and both summons and request for waiver forms for Defendant Arpaio.

(4) Plaintiff shall complete and ret urn t he 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.

(5) If Plaintiff does not eit her obtain a waiver of service of the summons or complete

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

the complaint or within 60 day s of the filing of this Order, whichever is later, the action may

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

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

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

and a copy of this Order for future use.

(7) The United States Marshal shall notify Defendant of the commencement of this

action and request waiver of service of t he 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

Marshal shall file waivers of service of the summons or requests for waivers that were

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

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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 this 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 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 effect ing service 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.

(8) 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.

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

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

Rules of Civil Procedure.

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

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

motion or paper that does not identify the Defendant by name on whose behalf it is filed.

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

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

consideration 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

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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 immediat ely

advise the Court and the United States Marshal of any change of address and its effect ive

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

shall contain only information pertaining t o t he change of address and its effective date.

Plaintiff shall serve a copy of the notice on all opposing parties. T he 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 the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

(13) 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 Magistrate Judge t o whom t he case is assigned. Failure to comply with

this requirement may result in the pleading or document being stricken wit hout further

notice to Plaintiff.

(14) This matter is referred to Magistrate Judge Mark E. Aspey p ursuant to Local

Rules of Civil Procedure 72.1 and 72.2 for further proceedings.

DATED this 31st day of October, 2005.

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