Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_01-cv-20957/USCOURTS-cand-5_01-cv-20957-0/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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NOT FOR CITATION

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MICHAEL IZELL BROWN, aka

MICHAEL IZELL SEALS,

Plaintiff,

 vs.

K. PORTER, Et. Al.,

Defendants.

 

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No. C 01-20957 JF (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL 

WITH PREJUDICE AND

TERMINATING PENDING

MOTIONS

(Docket no. 19)

Plaintiff Michael Izell Brown filed this pro se action alleging the violation of his

civil rights when he was incarcerated at the Humboldt County Jail in 2001. 

Specifically, he alleged that when he requested the use of an electric razor to shave, jail

employees gave him a razor that belonged to an inmate who had tested positive for the

HIV virus, and then did not provide plaintiff with immediate medical attention at his

request. Plaintiff alleged that he suffered psychological distress and "potential"

physical damages because of this event. Upon initial review of the complaint, the

Court concluded that plaintiff's allegations stated a claim for no more than negligence,

which is not cognizable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Court granted plaintiff leave to

amend to allege facts which would cure the pleading deficiency and state a claim for

relief based on deliberate indifference to his health or safety. (Docket no. 6.) 

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Order of Dismissal with Prejudice

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Plaintiff has filed an amended complaint which references the allegations of the

original complaint and also expands upon his claims of psychological and physical

injury. In support of his claims of injury plaintiff has attached copies of mental health

assessment reports from several prisons at which plaintiff has been housed subsequent

to his time at the Humboldt County Jail.

The appropriate standard for evaluating constitutional claims brought by pretrial

detainees and convicted prisoners alike is that of "deliberate indifference" to an

inmate's needs. See Redman v. County of San Diego, 942 F.2d 1435, 1443 (9th Cir.

1991) (en banc), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 1074 (1992). In order to establish deliberate

indifference, the deprivation alleged must be, objectively, sufficiently serious, and the

prison official must possess a sufficiently culpable state of mind. See Farmer v.

Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 834 (1994). In other words, a prison official acts with

deliberate indifference only if he knows that a prisoner faces a substantial risk of

serious harm and disregards that risk by failing to take reasonable steps to abate it. Id.

at 837. 

Plaintiff's allegations do not state a claim for deliberate indifference to his

health or safety. As a threshold matter, the allegations which led the Court to conclude

that no more than a claim for negligence was stated have remained unchanged. 

Plaintiff requested an electric razor because he suffers from a skin sensitivity. K.

Porter, a "trainee" and "new on the job," gave him an electric razor to use. After using

the razor, plaintiff saw that it had the name of another inmate written on it and the

letters "HIV" carved on the top. Plaintiff told K. Porter to get her supervisor, Corporal

D. Kim, from whom he requested immediate medical attention, which was denied. 

Nothing plaintiff has said can lead to an inference that either K. Porter or D.

Kim knew that plaintiff faced a substantial risk of serious harm and disregarded that

risk. According to the allegations, K. Porter negligently gave plaintiff a razor that

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Order of Dismissal with Prejudice

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belonged to an HIV-positive inmate. When plaintiff complained, K. Porter summoned

his supervisor at plaintiff's request. Plaintiff's request for immediate medical attention

was denied, but there is no allegation that he had cut or otherwise injured himself while

using the razor or that D. Kim was aware of any such injury. Plaintiff's allegations do

not and cannot meet the subjective requirement for deliberate indifference. 

Plaintiff's allegations also do not meet the requirement of a deprivation which is,

objectively, sufficiently serious. First, as already noted, there is no allegation of any

physical injury at the time the event occurred. And although plaintiff alleges that he

suffered emotional distress upon discovering to whom the razor belonged, he cannot

seek recovery for such injury in federal court. See 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(e) ("No Federal

civil action may be brought by a prisoner confined in a jail, prison or other correctional

facility for mental or emotional injury suffered while in custody without a prior

showing of physical injury.") Plaintiff's allegations of subsequent mental health

problems also do not surmount this hurdle, even if accompanied by the migraines, dry

mouth, and loss of appetite of which he complains. Physical symptoms that are not

sufficiently distinct from a plaintiff's allegations of emotional distress do not qualify as

"a prior showing of physical injury." See Davis v. District of Columbia, 158 F.3d

1342, 1349 (D.C. Cir. 1998) (holding that "somatic manifestations of emotional

distress" such as weight loss, appetite loss and insomnia, cannot establish physical

injury under § 1997e(e)). Finally, the documentation which plaintiff provides simply

does not support the proposition that the razor incident is the source of plaintiff's longterm and serious mental health problems. 

The Court finds that Plaintiff has failed to state a claim upon which relief may

be granted for deliberate indifference to his health or safety needs and that further

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In his "Motion for Cause of Action" filed on November 21, 2005, plaintiff states that he 

wishes to add additional Humboldt County Jail defendants to his action based on new

allegations that they failed to treat him for his mental health problems during his trial because

of negative newspaper publicity about the crimes for which he was charged. Plaintiff's

allegations do not pertain to the razor incident, they are conclusory, and he has not alleged that

he exhausted his administrative remedies with respect to such allegations, as required by 42

U.S.C. § 1997e. Accordingly, plaintiff is DENIED leave to add a new cause of action to his

amended complaint based on these allegations. (Docket no. 19.) If he is so inclined he may

attempt to pursue these allegations in a new civil rights action. 

Order of Dismissal with Prejudice

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amendment would be futile.1 Accordingly, plaintiff's claims are dismissed with

prejudice. 

For the foregoing reasons, this action is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE for

failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. The Clerk of the Court shall

enter judgment and close the file.

This order terminates docket number 19.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: 

JEREMY FOGEL

United States District Judge

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Order of Dismissal with Prejudice

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This is to certify that on a copy of this order was mailed to the

following:

Michael Izell Brown, aka 

Michael Izell Seals

V-77488 

San Quentin State Prison 

San Quentin, CA 94974 

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