Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-00677/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-00677-0/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

For the Northern District of California

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOHN JOSEPH CATANZERITE,

Plaintiff, 

 v.

R. HOREL, Acting Warden; D.

SMITH, Captain; R. LINFORD,

Counselor; L. POLK, CDW; P.

SOMERA, Counselor; and R.

KIRKLAND, Warden, all at Pelican

Bay State Prison; and M.

CARRASCO, Captain; K. E. TODD,

CDW; D. COWEE, Counselor; J.

COWEN, Counselor; T. MEADORS,

Acting Warden; M. BRYANT,

Captain; M. NIPPER, Counselor; E.

DEVLIN, Counselor; M. D.

STAINER, Acting Warden; O. PENA,

CDW; and J. GENTRY, Lieutenant,

all at the California Correctional

Institution,

Defendants. /

No. C 07-0677 WHA (PR) 

ORDER OF SERVICE

Plaintiff, an inmate at the California Correctional Institution at Tehachapi, has filed a

pro se civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. He has been granted leave to proceed in

forma pauperis.

///

///

Case 3:07-cv-00677-WHA Document 6 Filed 10/10/07 Page 1 of 7
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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1 Bell Atlantic Corp. disapproved the "no set of facts" language in Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41 (1957). Conley had stated "the accepted rule that a complaint should not be

dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can

prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief." Id. at 45-46. 

Bell Atlantic Corp. decided that "this famous observation has earned its retirement. The

phrase is best forgotten as an incomplete, negative gloss on an accepted pleading standard." 

Bell Atlantic Corp, 127 S. Ct. at 1969. 

2

DISCUSSION

A. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Federal courts must engage in a preliminary screening of cases in which prisoners seek

redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915A(a). In its review the court must identify any cognizable claims, and dismiss any claims

which are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or seek

monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. Id. at 1915A(b)(1),(2). Pro

se pleadings must be liberally construed. Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep't, 901 F.2d 696, 699

(9th Cir. 1990).

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) requires only "a short and plain statement of the

claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." "Specific facts are not necessary; the

statement need only '"give the defendant fair notice of what the . . . . claim is and the grounds

upon which it rests."'" Erickson v. Pardus, 127 S. Ct. 2197, 2200 (2007) (citations omitted). 

Although in order to state a claim a complaint “does not need detailed factual allegations, . . . a

plaintiff's obligation to provide the 'grounds of his 'entitle[ment] to relief' requires more than

labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not

do. . . . Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative

level." Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 127 S. Ct. 1955, 1964-65 (2007) (citations omitted). A

complaint must proffer "enough facts to state a claim for relief that is plausible on its face." Id.

at 1986-87.1

 

To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two essential elements: 

(1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States was violated, and (2)

Case 3:07-cv-00677-WHA Document 6 Filed 10/10/07 Page 2 of 7
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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that the alleged deprivation was committed by a person acting under the color of state law. 

West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). 

B. LEGAL CLAIMS 

Plaintiff contends that he was placed in the Security Housing Unit (“SHU”) at Pelican

Bay State Prison, and that he was retained in the SHU for an indeterminate term at Pelican Bay,

and again at Tehachapi after his transfer there, as a result of falsified and insufficient evidence. 

He asserts that this violated his due process rights and that each of the named defendants was

aware of the false evidence and did nothing about it. 

In Wilkinson v. Austin, 545 U.S. 209, 223-25 (2005), the Supreme Court held that

indefinite placement in Ohio’s “supermax” facility, where inmates are not eligible for parole

consideration, imposes an “atypical and significant hardship within the correctional context.” 

Because indefinite placement in California’s secure housing units (“SHU”) generally renders

inmates ineligible for parole consideration, it appears that California prisoners also have a

liberty interest in not being placed indefinitely in the SHU. Accord id. at 224-25 (necessity of

harsh conditions in light of danger that high-risk inmates pose to prison officials and other

inmates does not diminish conclusion that conditions rise to a liberty interest in their

avoidance). Plaintiff thus has sufficiently alleged the existence of a due process right and the

possible violation of it. The complaint will be served.

CONCLUSION

1. The clerk shall issue summons and the United States Marshal shall serve, without

prepayment of fees, copies of the complaint in this matter and copies of this order upon

defendants R. Horel, Acting Warden; D. Smith, Captain; R. Linford, Counselor; L. Polk, CDW;

P. Somera, Counselor; and R. Kirkland, Warden. Plaintiff states that they can be found at

Pelican Bay State Prison.

The clerk shall also serve defendants M. Carrasco, Captain; K. E. Todd, CDW; D.

Cowee, Counselor; J. Cowen, Counselor; T. Meadors, Acting Warden; M. Bryant, Captain; M.

Case 3:07-cv-00677-WHA Document 6 Filed 10/10/07 Page 3 of 7
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Nipper, Counselor; E. Devlin, Counselor; M. D. Stainer, Acting Warden; O. Pena, CDW; and J.

Gentry, Lieutenant. Plaintiff asserts that they can be found at the California Correctional

Institution, Tehachapi.

2. In order to expedite the resolution of this case, the court orders as follows:

a. No later than sixty days from the date of service, defendants shall file a

motion for summary judgment or other dispositive motion. The motion shall be supported by

adequate factual documentation and shall conform in all respects to Federal Rule of Civil

Procedure 56, and shall include as exhibits all records and incident reports stemming from the

events at issue. If defendants are of the opinion that this case cannot be resolved by summary

judgment, they shall so inform the court prior to the date their summary judgment motion is

due. All papers filed with the court shall be promptly served on the plaintiff.

b. Plaintiff's opposition to the dispositive motion, if any, shall be filed with the

court and served upon defendants no later than thirty days from the date of service of the

motion. Plaintiff must read the attached page headed “NOTICE -- WARNING,” which is

provided to him pursuant to Rand v. Rowland, 154 F.3d 952, 953-954 (9th Cir. 1998) (en banc),

and Klingele v. Eikenberry, 849 F.2d 409, 411-12 (9th Cir. 1988).

If defendants file an unenumerated motion to dismiss claiming that plaintiff failed to

exhaust his available administrative remedies as required by 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a), plaintiff

should take note of the attached page headed “NOTICE -- WARNING (EXHAUSTION),”

which is provided to him as required by Wyatt v. Terhune, 315 F.3d 1108, 1120 n. 4 (9th Cir.),

cert. denied, Alameida v. Wyatt, 124 S.Ct 50 (2003).

c. If defendants wish to file a reply brief, they shall do so no later than fifteen

days after the date of service of the opposition. 

d. The motion shall be deemed submitted as of the date the reply brief is due. 

No hearing will be held on the motion unless the court so orders at a later date. 

3. All communications by the plaintiff with the court must be served on defendants, or

defendants' counsel once counsel has been designated, by mailing a true copy of the document

to defendants or defendants' counsel.

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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4. Discovery may be taken in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

No further court order under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(a)(2) is required before the

parties may conduct discovery.

5. It is the plaintiff's responsibility to prosecute this case. Plaintiff must keep the court

informed of any change of address and must comply with the court's orders in a timely fashion. 

Failure to do so may result in the dismissal of this action for failure to prosecute pursuant to

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 10 , 2007. 

WILLIAM ALSUP

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

G:\PRO-SE\WHA\CR.07\CATANZERITE677.OSC.wpd

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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6

NOTICE -- WARNING

(SUMMARY JUDGMENT)

If defendants move for summary judgment, they are seeking to have your case

dismissed. A motion for summary judgment under Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure will, if granted, end your case.

Rule 56 tells you what you must do in order to oppose a motion for summary judgment.

Generally, summary judgment must be granted when there is no genuine issue of material

fact--that is, if there is no real dispute about any fact that would affect the result of your case,

the party who asked for summary judgment is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, which

will end your case. When a party you are suing makes a motion for summary judgment that is

properly supported by declarations (or other sworn testimony), you cannot simply rely on what

your complaint says. Instead, you must set out specific facts in declarations, depositions,

answers to interrogatories, or authenticated documents, as provided in Rule 56(e), that

contradict the facts shown in the defendant's declarations and documents and show that there is

a genuine issue of material fact for trial. If you do not submit your own evidence in opposition,

summary judgment, if appropriate, may be entered against you. If summary judgment is

granted, your case will be dismissed and there will be no trial.

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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NOTICE -- WARNING 

(EXHAUSTION)

If defendants file an unenumerated motion to dismiss for failure to exhaust, they are

seeking to have your case dismissed. If the motion is granted it will end your case.

You have the right to present any evidence you may have which tends to show that you

did exhaust your administrative remedies. Such evidence may be in the form of declarations

(statements signed under penalty of perjury) or authenticated documents, that is, documents

accompanied by a declaration showing where they came from and why they are authentic, or

other sworn papers, such as answers to interrogatories or depositions. 

If defendants file a motion to dismiss and it is granted, your case will be dismissed and

there will be no trial.

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