Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-00392/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-00392-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1

When Plaintiff filed the Complaint, he was confined in the Special Management Unit II

(SMU II) of ASPC-Eyman.

 TERMPSREF - 1 -

WO RP

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Benjamin A. Perez, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Gabriel Vasquez, et al., 

Defendants. 

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

No. CV-05-392-PHX-DGC (VAM)

ORDER

Benjamin A. Perez (Plaintiff), currently confined in the Special Management Unit I

(SMU I) of the Arizona State Prison Complex - Eyman in Florence, Arizona (ASPC-Ey man),

filed with the Clerk of the Court a pro se "Civil Rights Complaint By A Prisoner" (Document

#1) (Comp laint) pursuant to Title 42 U.S.C. § 1983.1 Plaintiff has not paid the one hundred

and fifty dollar ($150.00) filing fee, but has filed an uncertified "Application to Proceed In

Forma Pauperis By A Prisoner Civil (Non-Habeas)" (Application To Proceed) with the

Complaint, which includes a "Certified Statement Of Account" (Account Statement). 

Case 2:05-cv-00392-DGC-MHB Document 6 Filed 11/01/05 Page 1 of 8
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 TERMPSREF - 2 -

APPLICATION TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS AND FILING FEE

Although Plaintiff's Application To Proceed has not been certified by a correctional

official, his Account Statement has been certified as required. Accordingly, in the interest

of justice, the Court will overlook the lack of certification on the Application T o Proceed

and it will be granted.

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1), Plaintiff is required to pay the statutory filing fee.

Effective February 7, 2005, the filing fee for a civil right s action increased from one hundred

and fifty dollars ($150.00) to two hundred and fifty dollars ($250.00). See 28 U.S.C. § 1914,

amended by, Consolidated Ap propriations Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 108-447, 118 Stat. 2809,

Sec. 307 (December 8, 2004). Plaint iff’s Complaint, however, is not subject to the increased

fee because Plaintiff filed his Complaint prior t o February 7, 2005. Accordingly, Plaintiff is

obligated to pay only the one hundred and fifty dollar ($150.00) filing fee.

Based on the average monthly deposits in Plaintiff’s account for five (5) mont hs

preceding the filing of the Complaint, an initial partial filing fee of eight dollars and twenty

cents ($8.20) will be assessed by this Order. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1).

By separate order, the Court will direct the appropriate agency to collect the initial

partial filing fee from Plaint iff’s trust account and forward it to the Clerk of the Court.

Thereafter, Plaintiff will be obligated for monthly payments of twenty percent (20%) of the

preceding mont h’s income credited to Plaintiff’s trust account. These payments will be

forwarded by the appropriate agency to the Clerk of the Court each time the amount in

Plaintiff’s account exceeds ten dollars ($10.00), until the filing fee is paid in full. 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(b)(2).

Plaintiff should take notice that if he is released before the filing fee is paid in full,

he must pay the remaining unpaid amount of t he filing fee within one hundred and twenty

(120) days of the date of his release. If Plaintiff fails to pay the remainder of t he filing fee

wit hin one hundred and twenty (120) days of the date of his release, the action will be

dismissed, unless Plaintiff shows good cause, in writing, why he is unable to pay the

Case 2:05-cv-00392-DGC-MHB Document 6 Filed 11/01/05 Page 2 of 8
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 TERMPSREF - 3 -

remainder of the filing fee.

Plaintiff also should take notice that a p risoner may not bring a civil action without

complete prepayment of the appropriate filing fee if the p risoner has brought, on three (3)

or 

more occasions, an action or appeal in a federal court that was dismissed as frivolous, as

malicious, or for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, unless the

prisoner is in imminent danger of serious physical injury. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g).

STATUTORY SCREENING OF PRISONER COMPLAINTS

The Court is required to screen complaints or amended complaints brought by

prisoners seeking relief against a governmental entity or officer or employee of a

governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a comp laint or portion

thereof if the 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 monet ary relief from a

defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1),(2). T he Court also

must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if Plaintiff fails t o exhaust any administrative

remedy available to him. 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a).

 COMPLAINT

Plaintiff alleges one (1) count in his Complaint. (Complaint at 4).

Named as Defendants in the Complaint are: (1) Gabriel Vasquez, Glendale Police

Officer; and (2) City of Glendale Police Department. (Complaint at 1-2). 

Plaintiff seeks a jury trial, injunctive relief, and monetary damages. (Complaint at 7).

DISMISSAL OF DEFENDANT

City of Glendale Police Department

To impose liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 upon Defendant City of Glendale Police

Department, or the Cit y of Glendale, Plaintiff must demonstrate the existence of a particular

official city policy or established custom and that the policy or custom caused him t o be

subjected to a deprivation of a constitutional right. Oklahoma Cit y v. T ut t le, 471 U.S. 808,

Case 2:05-cv-00392-DGC-MHB Document 6 Filed 11/01/05 Page 3 of 8
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 TERMPSREF - 4 -

829-30 (1985) (Justice Brennan, concurring); See also, Monell v. New York City Department

of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658, 691, 694 (1978); Ybarra v. Reno Thunderbird Mobile Home

Village, 723 F.2d 675, 681 (9th Cir. 1984).

Plaintiff makes no allegations in the Complaint regarding a particular policy or

custom of the City of Glendale Police Department or the City of Glendale. Indeed, other

than naming the City of Glendale Police Department in the cap t ion of the Complaint,

Plaintiff makes no allegations at all against Defendant City of Glendale Police Department.

Accordingly, the City of Glendale Police Department is not a proper Defendant, and will be

dismissed without p rejudice from this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) and

1915A(b)(1) for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.

CLAIM TO WHICH AN ANSWER WILL BE REQUIRED

In Count I of the Complaint , Plaint iff claims that Defendant Gabriel Vasquez violated

his Eighth Amendment rights by using excessive force when he apprehended Plaintiff.

(Complaint at 4). Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Vasquez activated a Taser gun against

him four (4) times for no apparent reason. Id. Plaintiff furt her alleges that no threat was

made or attempted against Defendant Vasquez, and that no weapons were brandished. Id.

In reviewing Plaintiff's allegations in Count I, the Court notes that “all claims that

law enforcement officers have used excessive force - deadly or not - in the course of an

arrest, investigatory stop, or other ‘seizure’ of a free citiz en should be analyzed under the

Fourth Amendment and its ‘reasonableness’ standard.” Graham v. Conner, 490 U.S. 386,

395 (1989). Accordingly, Plaintiff’s excessive force claim will be construed as raising a

Fourth Amendment claim, rat her t han an Eighth Amendment claim. See Karim-Panahi v.

Los Angeles Police Dep’t, 839 F.2d 621, 623 (9th Cir. 1988) (“In civil rights cases where the

plaintiff appears pro se, the court must construe the pleadings liberally and must afford the

plaintiff the benefit of any doubt”). 

The Court also notes that the “Eight h Amendment’s prohibition of ‘cruel and

unusual punishments’ applies only ‘after conviction and sentence.’ Graham, 490 U.S. at

Case 2:05-cv-00392-DGC-MHB Document 6 Filed 11/01/05 Page 4 of 8
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 TERMPSREF - 5 -

393 & n. 6 (citing Ingraham v. Wright, 430 U.S. 651, 671 n. 40 (1977)).” Lee v. City of Los

Angeles, 250 F.3d 668, 686 (9th Cir. 2001). Because Plaintiff does not appear to have been

convicted of, or sentenced for, any crime at the time of the incident in question, he is

“accorded no rights under the Eighth Amendment” with regard to the incident. Id. (citation

omitted)

Liberally construed, Plaintiff’s Count I states an excessive force claim for relief under

t he Fourth Amendment against Defendant Vasquez. Accordingly, the Court will call for

an answer from Defendant Vasquez to the Complaint.

MOTIONS FOR STATUS

On September 28, 2005, Plaint iff filed a "Motion/Request For Status Of Case"

(Document #3). On October 13, 2005, Plaintiff filed another "Motion/Request For Status

Of Case" (Document #4). Both of Plaintiff's Motions will be granted to the extent t hat t his

Order informs Plaintiff of the status of this action. 

RULE 41(b) WARNING

Plaintiff should take notice that if he fails to timely comply with every provision of

this Order, or any order of the Court entered in this matter, the action and Complaint will

be dismissed pursuant to Rule 41(b) of t he Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. See Ferdik

v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258 (9th Cir.) (district court may dismiss action for failure to comply

with any order of the court), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 915 (1992).

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED:

(1) That Plaintiff’s "Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis By A Prisoner Civil

(Non-Habeas)" filed with the Complaint is GRANTED; 

(2) That Plaintiff is OBLIGATED to pay the statutory filing fee of one hundred and

fifty dollars ($150.00) for this action. Plaintiff is ASSESSED an init ial partial filing fee of

eight dollars and twenty cents ($8.20). All fees shall be collected and paid in accordance

wit h this Court’s Order to the Director of the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADOC)

filed concurrently herewith;

Case 2:05-cv-00392-DGC-MHB Document 6 Filed 11/01/05 Page 5 of 8
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 TERMPSREF - 6 -

(3) That Plaintiff's "Motion/Request For Status Of Case" (Document #3) and

"Motion/Request For Status Of Case" (Document #4) are bot h GRANTED to the extent

that this Order informs Plaintiff of the status of this action; 

(4) That Defendant City of Glendale Police Department is DISMISSED WITHOUT

PREJUDICE from this act ion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) and 1915A(b)(1) for

failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted;

(5) That Defendant Gabriel Vasquez is REQUIRED TO FILE an answer to Count I

of the Complaint; 

(6) That the Clerk of the Court is DIRECTED to send Plaintiff a service packet,

including a copy of this Order, a copy of the Complaint (Document #1), and both summons

and request for waiver forms for Defendant Vasquez;

(7) That Plaintiff SHALL COMPLETE AND RETURN the service packets to the

Clerk of the Court within twenty (20) days of the date of filing of this Order. The United

States Marshal will not provide service of process if Plaint iff fails to comply with this

Order;

(8) That if Plaintiff does NOT either obtain a waiver of service of summons or

complete service of the summons and Complaint on Defendant within one hundred and

twenty (120) days of the date t he Complaint was filed, or within sixty (60) days of the filing

of t his Order, whichever is later, the ACTION MAY BE DISMISSED as to Defendant

pursuant to Rule 4(m) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Rule 16.2(b)(2)(B)(i) of

the Local Rules of Civil Procedure (LRCiv); 

(9) T hat the United States Marshal SHALL RETAIN the summons, a copy of the

Complaint (Document #1), and a copy of this Order for future use;

(10) That the United States Marshal SHALL NOTIFY Defendant Vasquez of the

commencement of this action and REQUEST WAIVER OF SERVICE pursuant to Rule 4(d)

of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The notice to Defendant shall include a cop y of

this Order. The Marshal shall file waivers of service of the summons or requests for

Case 2:05-cv-00392-DGC-MHB Document 6 Filed 11/01/05 Page 6 of 8
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 TERMPSREF - 7 -

waivers that are ret urned as undeliverable as soon as they are received. If a waiver of

service of summons is not returned by Defendant t o the Marshall within thirty (30) days

from the date the request for waiver was sent by the Marshal, the Marshal shall:

(a) Personally serve copies of the summons, Complaint (Document #1), and

this Order upon the Defendant p ursuant to Rule 4(e)(2) of the Federal Rules

of Civil Procedure;

(b) Within ten (10) days after personal service is effect ed, file the return of

service for the Defendant, along wit h evidence of the attempt to secure a

waiver of service of the summons and of the costs subsequently incurred

in effecting service up on the Defendant. The costs of service shall be

enumerated on the return of service form (USM-285) and shall include the

costs incurred by the Marshal for photocopying additional copies of the

summons, Complaint , or this Order and for preparing new process receipt

and return forms (USM-285), if required. Costs of service will be taxed

against the personally served Defendant pursuant to Rule 4(d)(2) and (5)

of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, unless otherwise ordered by the

Court;

(11) That if Defendant agrees to waive service of the summons and Complaint, he

SHALL RETURN the signed waiver form to the United States Marshal, not to Plaintiff;

(12) That a clear, legible copy of every pleading or other document filed SHALL

ACCOMPANY each original pleading or other document filed with the Clerk for use by the

District Judge or Magistrate Judge to whom the case is assigned. See LRCiv 5.4. Failure

to submit a copy along with the original pleading or document will result in the pleading

or document being stricken without further notice to Plaintiff;

(13) That Plaintiff SHALL SERVE upon Defendant(s), or if appearance has been

entered by counsel, upon the attorney, a copy of every further pleading or ot her document

submitted for consideration by the Court. Plaintiff shall include with the original document

Case 2:05-cv-00392-DGC-MHB Document 6 Filed 11/01/05 Page 7 of 8
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 TERMPSREF - 8 -

and cop y , t o be filed with the Clerk of the Court, a certificate stating the date a true and

correct copy of the pleading or document was mailed to Defendant or the counsel. Any

paper received by a District Court Judge or Magistrate Judge which has not been filed with

the Clerk of the Court may be disregarded by the Court; 

(14) That at all times during the pendency of this action, Plaint iff SHALL

IMMEDIATELY ADVISE the Court and the United States Marshal of any change of

address and its effective date. Such notice shall be captioned “NOTICE OF CHANGE OF

ADDRESS.” The notice shall contain only information pertaining to the change of address

and its effective dat e, except that if Plaintiff has been released from custody, the notice

should so indicate. The not ice shall not include any motions for any other relief. Plaintiff

shall serve a copy of the notice on all opposing parties. Failure to file a NOTICE OF

CHANGE OF ADDRESS may result in t he dismissal of the action for failure to prosecute

pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b);

(15) That this matter is referred to Magistrate Judge Virginia A. Mathis p ursuant t o

LRCiv 72.1 and 72.2 for further proceedings;

(16) That the Clerk of the Court is DIRECTED to amend the docket in t his case to

reflect that Plaintiff's current address is:

Benjamin A. Perez #97253

Arizona State Prison Complex

Eyman-SMU I-4-A-39

P.O. Box 4000

Florence, AZ 85232-4000.

DATED this 31st day of October, 2005.

Case 2:05-cv-00392-DGC-MHB Document 6 Filed 11/01/05 Page 8 of 8