Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_12-cv-01158/USCOURTS-azd-2_12-cv-01158-5/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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 As the Court previously informed Plaintiff, the production of documents or other

discovery is premature prior to the filing of a complaint that states a claim and service and

appearance by any defendant

WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Brent Daniel Van DeCasteele, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Maricopa County, et al., 

Defendants.

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No. CV 12-1158-PHX-RCB (BSB)

O R D E R

Plaintiff Brent Daniel Van DeCasteele, who is confined in the Arizona State Prison

Complex-Eyman, Cook Unit, in Florence, Arizona, filed a pro se civil rights Complaint

pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, which the Court dismissed for failure to state a claim with

leave to amend. (Doc. 1, 11.) Plaintiff filed a First Amended Complaint and a motion for

order for production of medical records. (Doc. 15, 16.) The Court denied the motion as

premature and dismissed the First Amended Complaint for failure to state a claim with leave

to amend. (Doc. 17.) Plaintiff has filed a Second Amended Complaint and a motion for

extension of time to file medical files. (Doc. 18, 19.) The motion will be denied1

 and the

Second Amended Complaint and this action will be dismissed for failure to state a claim. 

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I. Statutory Screening of Prisoner Complaints

The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against

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

§ 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if a plaintiff has raised

claims that are legally frivolous or malicious, that fail to state a claim upon 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). 

A pleading must contain a “short and plain statement of the claim showing that the

pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2) (emphasis added). While Rule 8 does not

demand detailed factual allegations, “it demands more than an unadorned, the-defendantunlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937, 1949 (2009).

“Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory

statements, do not suffice.” Id.

“[A] complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a

claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Id. (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly,

550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). A claim is plausible “when the plaintiff pleads factual content

that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the

misconduct alleged.” Id. “Determining whether a complaint states a plausible claim for

relief [is] . . . a context-specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial

experience and common sense.” Id. at 1950. Thus, although a plaintiff’s specific factual

allegations may be consistent with a constitutional claim, a court must assess whether there

are other “more likely explanations” for a defendant’s conduct. Id. at 1951.

But as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has instructed, courts

must “continue to construe pro se filings liberally.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 (9th

Cir. 2010). A “complaint [filed by a pro se prisoner] ‘must be held to less stringent standards

than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.’” Id. (quoting Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89,

94 (2007) (per curiam)).

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II. Second Amended Complaint

Plaintiff alleges three counts for threat to safety and denial of constitutionally

adequate medical care. Plaintiff sues Maricopa County, Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph M.

Arpaio, Nurse RN#218, Nurse RN# 984, Nurse RN #195, unknown x-ray technician or

doctor, and unknown Health Care Provider (HCP). Plaintiff seeks injunctive and

compensatory relief.

Plaintiff alleges the following facts in his Second Amended Complaint: while held in

Maricopa County’s Lower Buckeye Jail, Plaintiff was assigned to an upper bunk without a

ladder or guardrail to prevent falling from the bunk. Plaintiff fell as he was climbing down

from the upper bunk and landed on a steel table bolted to the wall. Plaintiff suffered internal

bleeding, a severe fracture to the T-10 and T-11 vertebra, and nerve damage. 

Plaintiff was examined by several nurses, and x-rays were taken at some point, which

showed the fractures. Four days after the fall, Plaintiff was admitted to the Maricopa County

Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit for several days. Plaintiff had not been provided medical

treatment prior to his hospital admission, although he had submitted several Health Needs

Requests (HNRs) and a grievance. Plaintiff suffered severe pain and nerve damage. 

III. Failure to State a Claim

A plaintiff may seek relief for violations of his federal constitutional or statutory rights

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

supporting that (1) the conduct about which he complains was committed by a person acting

under the color of state law and (2) the conduct deprived him of a federal constitutional or

statutory right. Wood v. Ostrander, 879 F.2d 583, 587 (9th Cir. 1989). In addition, a

plaintiff must allege that he suffered a specific injury as a result of the conduct of a particular

defendant and he must allege an affirmative link between the injury and the conduct of that

defendant. Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362, 371-72, 377 (1976).

A. Sheriff Arpaio

Plaintiff again sues Sheriff Arpaio. Although Arpaio may properly be sued for

constitutional violations, Plaintiff fails to state a claim against him. “A plaintiff must allege

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facts, not simply conclusions, that show that an individual was personally involved in the

deprivation of his civil rights.” Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194 (9th Cir. 1998).

For an individual to be liable in his official capacity, a plaintiff must allege that the official

acted as a result of a policy, practice, or custom. See Cortez, 294 F.3d at 1188. Further,

there is no respondeat superior liability under § 1983, so a defendant’s position as the

supervisor of a someone who allegedly violated a plaintiff’s constitutional rights does not 

make him liable. Monell, 436 U.S. at 691; Taylor v. List, 880 F.2d 1040, 1045 (9th Cir.

1989). A supervisor in his individual capacity, “is only liable for constitutional violations

of his subordinates if the supervisor participated in or directed the violations, or knew of the

violations and failed to act to prevent them.” Taylor, 880 F.2d at 1045. 

Plaintiff fails to allege any facts against Arpaio. Plaintiff does not allege that Arpaio

directly violated his constitutional rights. He also fails to allege facts to support that

Plaintiff’s constitutional rights were violated as a result of a policy or custom promulgated

or endorsed by Arpaio. Accordingly, Plaintiff fails to state a claim against Arpaio and he

will be dismissed. 

B. Unknown Health Care Provider

Plaintiff sues an unknown Health Care Provider. Rule 10(a) of the Federal Rules of

Civil Procedure requires the plaintiff to include the names of the parties in the action. As a

practical matter, it is impossible in most instances for the United States Marshal or his

designee to serve a summons and complaint or amended complaint upon an anonymous

defendant.

The Ninth Circuit has held that where identity is unknown prior to the filing of a

complaint, the plaintiff should be given an opportunity through discovery to identify the

unknown defendants, unless it is clear that discovery would not uncover the identities, or that

the complaint would be dismissed on other grounds. Wakefield v. Thompson, 177 F.3d

1160, 1163 (9th Cir. 1999) (citing Gillespie v. Civiletti, 629 F.2d 637, 642 (9th Cir. 1980)).

In this case, Plaintiff fails to allege facts to support that the HCP violated his

constitutional rights. Plaintiff has not alleged facts to support that the unknown HCP knew

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2

 The presence of a ladder does not eliminate the possibility of a fall. 

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of Plaintiff’s injuries, including when and how, and facts to support that despite such

knowledge, the HCP failed to provide or obtain medical treatment for Plaintiff. Accordingly,

Plaintiff fails to state a claim against the HCP and the HCP will be dismissed.

C. Threat to Safety

Plaintiff designates Count I as a claim for threat to safety or conditions of

confinement, apparently referring to the absence of guardrails or a ladder to descend from

upper bunks. To state a claim under § 1983 for failure to protect or threats to safety, an

inmate must allege facts to support that he was incarcerated under conditions posing a

substantial risk of harm and that prison officials were “deliberately indifferent” to those risks.

Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 832-33 (1994). To adequately allege deliberate

indifference, a plaintiff must allege facts to support that a defendant knew of, but

disregarded, an excessive risk to inmate safety. Id. at 837. That is, “the official must both

[have been] aware of facts from which the inference could be drawn that a substantial risk

of serious harm exist[ed], and he must also [have] draw[n] the inference.” Id.

Plaintiff appears to contend that the absence of a ladder posed a threat to his safety

and that he fell and injured himself because of the absence of a ladder.2

 Plaintiff fails to

allege facts to support that the absence of a ladder posed a substantial threat to his safety.

Moreover, Plaintiff fails to allege facts to support that anyone knew that the failure to provide

ladders posed a substantial threat to his safety but failed to act to alleviate that threat.

Further, Plaintiff fails to allege facts to connect any Defendant, or anyone else, to the asserted

threat to his safety. For all of these reasons, Plaintiff fails to state a claim for threat to safety

and Count I will be dismissed. 

D. Medical Care

Plaintiff designates Counts II and III as claims for constitutionally inadequate medical

care. Not every claim by a prisoner relating to inadequate medical treatment states a

violation of the Eighth or Fourteenth Amendment. To state a § 1983 medical claim, a

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plaintiff must show that the defendants acted with “deliberate indifference to serious medical

needs.” Jett v. Penner, 439 F.3d 1091, 1096 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Estelle v. Gamble, 429

U.S. 97, 104 (1976)). A plaintiff must show (1) a “serious medical need” by demonstrating

that failure to treat the condition could result in further significant injury or the unnecessary

and wanton infliction of pain and (2) the defendant’s response was deliberately indifferent.

Jett, 439 F.3d at 1096 (quotations omitted).

“Deliberate indifference is a high legal standard.” Toguchi v. Chung, 391 F.3d 1051,

1060 (9th Cir. 2004). To act with deliberate indifference, a prison official must both know

of and disregard an excessive risk to inmate health; “the official must both be aware of facts

from which the inference could be drawn that a substantial risk of serious harm exists, and

he must also draw the inference.” Farmer, 511 U.S. at 837. Deliberate indifference in the

medical context may be shown by a purposeful act or failure to respond to a prisoner’s pain

or possible medical need and harm caused by the indifference. Jett, 439 F.3d at 1096.

Deliberate indifference may also be shown when a prison official intentionally denies,

delays, or interferes with medical treatment or by the way prison doctors respond to the

prisoner’s medical needs. Estelle, 429 U.S. at 104-05; Jett, 439 F.3d at 1096. 

Deliberate indifference is a higher standard than negligence or lack of ordinary due

care for the prisoner’s safety. Farmer, 511 U.S. at 835. “Neither negligence nor gross

negligence will constitute deliberate indifference.” Clement v. California Dep’t of Corr., 220

F. Supp. 2d 1098, 1105 (N.D. Cal. 2002); see also Broughton v. Cutter Labs., 622 F.2d 458,

460 (9th Cir. 1980) (mere claims of “indifference,” “negligence,” or “medical malpractice”

do not support a claim under § 1983). “A difference of opinion does not amount to deliberate

indifference to [a plaintiff’s] serious medical needs.” Sanchez v. Vild, 891 F.2d 240, 242

(9th Cir. 1989). A mere delay in medical care, without more, is insufficient to state a claim

against prison officials for deliberate indifference. See Shapley v. Nevada Bd. of State

Prison Comm’rs, 766 F.2d 404, 407 (9th Cir. 1985). The indifference must be substantial.

The action must rise to a level of “unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain.” Estelle, 429

U.S. at 105.

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Plaintiff sufficiently alleges that his injuries rose to the level of a serious medical

need. However, Plaintiff again fails to allege facts to support that any particular Defendant

knew or should have known of his serious medical needs, including when and how, but

nevertheless failed to provide or obtain medical care or treatment. As in his First Amended

Complaint, Plaintiff fails to allege facts to support that any Defendant, despite knowledge

of Plaintiff’s injuries, acted with deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs. For

that reason, Plaintiff again fails to state a claim for deliberate indifference to his serious

medical needs. 

IV. Dismissal without Leave to Amend

Because Plaintiff has failed to state a claim in his Second Amended Complaint, the

Court will dismiss his Second Amended Complaint. “Leave to amend need not be given if

a complaint, as amended, is subject to dismissal.” Moore v. Kayport Package Express, Inc.,

885 F.2d 531, 538 (9th Cir. 1989). The Court’s discretion to deny leave to amend is

particularly broad where Plaintiff has previously been permitted to amend his complaint.

Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe v. United States, 90 F.3d 351, 355 (9th Cir. 1996). Repeated

failure to cure deficiencies is one of the factors to be considered in deciding whether justice

requires granting leave to amend. Moore, 885 F.2d at 538. 

Plaintiff has made three efforts at crafting a viable complaint and appears unable to

do so despite specific instructions from the Court. The Court finds that further opportunities

to amend would be futile. Therefore, the Court, in its discretion, will dismiss Plaintiff’s

Second Amended Complaint without leave to amend.

IT IS ORDERED: 

(1) Plaintiff’s Second Amended Complaint (Doc. 18) and this action are dismissed

for failure to state a claim, and the Clerk of Court must enter judgment accordingly.

(2) Plaintiff’s motion for extension of time to file medical files is denied as moot.

(Doc. 19.)

(3) The Clerk of Court must make an entry on the docket stating that the dismissal

for failure to state a claim may count as a “strike” under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g).

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(4) The docket shall reflect that the Court certifies, pursuant to 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(a)(3) and Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure 24(a)(3)(A), that any appeal of this

decision would not be taken in good faith.

DATED this 8th day of February, 2013.

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