Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-00290/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-00290-3/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

Francisco Herra Lopez,

Plaintiff, No. Civ. S 05-0290 MCE PAN P

vs. Findings and Recommendations

R. Franco, et al.,

Defendants.

-oOoJuly 13, 2005, the court dismissed plaintiff’s complaint for

failure to state a claim and explained to plaintiff the

requirements of an amended complaint. Plaintiff has filed an

amended complaint.

I have reviewed plaintiff’s amended complaint pursuant to 28

U.S.C. § 1915A and find it fails to state a claim for relief.

To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, plaintiff must

allege an identified defendant deprived plaintiff of a right 

secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States 

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while acting under color of state law. West v. Atkins, 487 U.S.

42, 48-49 (1988). To state a claim for discrimination in

violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth

Amendment, a plaintiff must allege identified defendants have

discriminated against him based upon his membership in a

protected class. Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194

(1998).

Plaintiff challenges the decision to place him on lockdown

solely because of his race following gang-related violence. 

Plaintiff’s allegation defendants should have classified him as

“other” instead of “Hispanic” so plaintiff would not have been

placed on lockdown misses the mark. The Equal Protection Clause

is a command that government treat all similarly situated people

the same. City of Cleburne, Tex. v . Cleburne Living Center, 473

U.S. 432 (1985). It is not a command that government accurately

classify individuals to justify disparate treatment.

I find plaintiff fails to state a claim.

For these reasons, I hereby recommend this action be

dismissed for plaintiff’s failure to state a claim. See Lopez v.

Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1128 (9th Cir. 2000) (indigent prisoner

proceeding without counsel must be given leave to file amended

complaint unless the court can rule out any possibility that the

plaintiff could state a claim).

Pursuant to the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(l), these 

findings and recommendations are submitted to the United States

District Judge assigned to this case. Within 20 days after being

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served with these findings and recommendations, plaintiff may

file written objections. The document should be captioned

“Objections to Magistrate Judge’s Findings and Recommendations.” 

The district judge may accept, reject, or modify these findings

and recommendations in whole or in part.

Dated: November 29, 2005. 

 /s/ Peter A. Nowinski 

 PETER A. NOWINSKI

 Magistrate Judge

Case 2:05-cv-00290-MCE -PAN Document 18 Filed 11/30/05 Page 3 of 3