Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-03377/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-03377-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Alarcon
Defendant
Robert W. Morris
Plaintiff
Sandy
Defendant
Scotland
Defendant

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROBERT W. MORRIS, 

Plaintiff,

 vs.

CORRECTIONAL OFFICER

ALARCON, SERGEANT SANDY, and

LIEUTENANT SCOTLAND, 

Defendants.

 

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No. C 07-3377 JSW (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

(Docket No. 2)

Plaintiff, a prisoner of the State of California, currently incarcerated at the

Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California, has filed a pro se civil rights

complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff has filed a motion to proceed in forma

pauperis, which is now GRANTED in a separate order filed simultaneously (docket

no. 2). The Court now reviews the complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a) and

DISMISSES the complaint for the reasons set forth below.

DISCUSSION

Plaintiff’s complaint alleges that he was falsely accused of participating in a riot

at the prison and that an inaccurate report resulted in his wrongful conviction in a

prison disciplinary proceeding. As a result of this disciplinary proceeding, Plaintiff

lost good time credit and was in administrative segregation for a lengthy period. He

seeks monetary damages, restoration of the lost credits and expungement of this

incident from his disciplinary record. 

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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. See 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. See id. at 1915A(b)(1),(2). Pro se

pleadings must be liberally construed. See 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 essential

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

United States was violated, and (2) that the alleged deprivation was committed by a

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

B. Plaintiff’s Complaint

In this case, Plaintiff has filed a § 1983 action when the disciplinary proceeding

and finding of guilt has not been reversed or otherwise invalidated. In order to recover

damages for allegedly unconstitutional conviction or imprisonment, or for other harm

caused by actions whose unlawfulness would render a conviction or sentence invalid, a

42 U.S.C. § 1983 plaintiff must prove that the conviction or sentence has been reversed

on direct appeal, expunged by executive order, declared invalid by a state tribunal

authorized to make such determination, or called into question by a federal court's

issuance of a writ of habeas corpus. Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477, 486-487 (1994). 

A claim for damages bearing that relationship to a conviction or sentence that has not

been so invalidated is not cognizable under § 1983. Id. at 487. 

When a prisoner seeks damages in a § 1983 suit, the district court must

therefore consider whether a judgment in favor of the plaintiff would necessarily imply

the invalidity of his conviction or sentence; if it would, the complaint must be

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dismissed unless the plaintiff can demonstrate that the conviction or sentence has

already been invalidated. Id. at 487. Where a claim would, if successful, “necessarily

accelerate” the prisoner’s release on parole, Heck applies. Ramirez v. Galaza, 334

F.3d 850, 858-59 (9th Cir. 2003) (interpreting Neal v. Shimoda, 131 F.3d 818 (9th Cir.

1997)). Heck also bars a claim for using the wrong Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539

(1974), procedures in a disciplinary hearing that resulted in the deprivation of time

credits if "the nature of the challenge to the procedures [is] such as necessarily to imply

the invalidity of the judgment." Edwards v. Balisok, 520 U.S. 641, 645 (1997). 

Where, as here, a successful claim would “necessarily accelerate” Plaintiff’s release

due to the restoration of good time credits, the action must be DISMISSED.

CONCLUSION

For the forgoing reasons, Plaintiff’s complaint is hereby DISMISSED for the

reasons set forth above. The Clerk shall close the file and enter judgment in this case. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: October 30, 2007 JEFFREY S. WHITE

 United States District Judge

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

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NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROBERT W. MORRIS,

Plaintiff,

 v.

ARLACON et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV07-03377 JSW 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. District

Court, Northern District of California.

That on October 30, 2007, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing

said copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by

depositing said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office

delivery receptacle located in the Clerk's office.

Robert W. Morris

K43112

P.O. Box 689

Soledad, CA 93960

Dated: October 30, 2007

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: Jennifer Ottolini, Deputy Clerk

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