Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-05134/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-05134-0/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ARTURO ACEVES JIMENEZ, 

Plaintiff(s),

 v.

RISENHOOVER, et al.,

Defendant(s). 

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No. C 05-5134 TEH (PR)

ORDER OF SERVICE

AND REFERRAL TO

PRO SE PRISONER

MEDIATION PROGRAM

Plaintiff, a prisoner at Pelican Bay State Prison (“PBSP”), has filed a pro

se civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging deliberate indifference

to his serious medical needs. Plaintiff specifically alleges that he has been denied

medical treatment for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV”) since he arrived at PBSP in

December 2003. Plaintiff has complained to defedants and sought medical

treatment, citing severe HCV symptoms such as fatigue, joint aches and nausea,

but to no avail. On December 3, 2004, he requested treatment via an inmate

appeal, but defendants “refused to provide [him] with adequate and proper

medical treatment.” Plaintiff seeks injunctive and monetary relief. 

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). The court must identify cognizable

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 1Plaintiff also names several Doe defendants he claims he cannot yet

identify. Plaintiff should attempt to ascertain the identity of the Doe defendants

through discovery and move to amend to add them as named defendants once

identified. See Wakefield v. Thompson, 177 F.3d 1160, 1163 (9th Cir. 1999).

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claims or dismiss the complaint, or any portion of the complaint, if the complaint

"is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be

granted," or "seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such

relief." Id. § 1915A(b). Pro se pleadings must be liberally construed, however. 

Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep't, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1990).

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

elements: (1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States

was violated, and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a person acting

under the color of state law. West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988).

B. Legal Claims

Deliberate indifference to serious medical needs violates the Eighth

Amendment's proscription against cruel and unusual punishment. See Estelle v.

Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 104 (1976). Liberally construed, plaintiff’s allegations that

defendants have denied him medical treatment for symptomatic HCV since he

arrived at PBSP in December 2003 state a cognizable § 1983 claim for deliberate

indifference to serious medical needs against the named defendants and will be

served. See, e.g., Hoptowit v. Ray, 682 F.2d 1237, 1253 (9th Cir. 1982) (failure

to provide system of access to adequate medical care, failure to provide medical

staff competent to examine and diagnose inmates' problems and failure to treat 

problems or refer inmates to others who could, violated 8th Amendment).1

C. Pro Se Prisoner Mediation Program

The court has established a Pro Se Prisoner Mediation Program at PBSP. 

Certain prisoner civil rights cases may be referred to a neutral magistrate judge

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for prisoner mediation proceedings. The proceedings will consist of one or more

conferences as determined by the mediator. The conferences shall be conducted

at PBSP with the defendants and/or their representatives attending by

videoconferencing if they so choose.

Good cause appearing, the instant case will be referred to Magistrate

Judge Vadas for mediation proceedings pursuant to the Pro Se Prisoner

Mediation Program. The proceedings shall take place within 45 days after the

defendants are served. Magistrate Judge Vadas shall coordinate a time and date

for a mediation proceeding with all interested parties and/or their representatives

and, within 5 days after the conclusion of the mediation proceedings, file with the

court a report for the prisoner mediation proceedings.

CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons and for good cause shown,

1. The clerk shall issue summons and the United States Marshal shall

serve, without prepayment of fees, copies of the complaint in this matter, all

attachments thereto, and copies of this order on the named defendants at PBSP. 

The clerk also shall serve a copy of this order on plaintiff.

2. The clerk shall serve a copy of the court file, including a copy of

this order, on Magistrate Judge Vadas in Eureka, California.

3. All communications by 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.

4. It is plaintiff's responsibility to prosecute this case. Plaintiff must

keep the court and all parties 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

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dismissal of this action under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b).

SO ORDERED. 

DATED: 02/02/06 

THELTON E. HENDERSON

United States District Judge

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