Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-00190/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-00190-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Eric Jason Fuller
Plaintiff
Gibbs
Defendant

Document Text:

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

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ERIC JASON FULLER, 

Plaintiff(s),

 v.

GIBBS, Correctional Officer,

Defendant(s). 

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

No. C 06-0190 CRB (PR)

ORDER OF SERVICE

Plaintiff, a prisoner at Mule Creek State Prison, has filed a pro se civil

rights complaint for damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging deliberate

indifference to his safety needs while he was incarcerated at Salinas Valley State

Prison ("SVSP"). Plaintiff specifically alleges that SVSP Investigative Service

Unit Correctional Officer Gibbs was deliberately indifferent to his safety needs

when, on February 13, 2005, Gibbs failed to prevent an inmate attack on plaintiff

that Gibbs knew about two days earlier. 

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

Case 3:06-cv-00190-CRB Document 4 Filed 05/25/06 Page 1 of 5
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 2

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

The Eighth Amendment requires that prison officials take reasonable

measures to guarantee the safety of prisoners. Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825,

832 (1994). In particular, prison officials have a duty to protect prisoners from

violence at the hands of other prisoners. Id. at 833; Hearns v. Terhune, 413 F.3d

1036, 1040 (9th Cir. 2005); Hoptowit v. Ray, 682 F.2d 1237, 1250 (9th Cir.

1982); Gillespie v. Civiletti, 629 F.2d 637, 642 & n.3 (9th Cir. 1980). Liberally

construed, plaintiff's allegations that Gibbs failed to prevent an inmate attack on

plaintiff that Gibbs knew about two days earlier states a cognizable § 1983 claim

for deliberate indifference to safety against Gibbs. See Berg v. Kincheloe, 794

F.2d 457, 459 (9th Cir. 1986) (prisoner may state § 1983 claim under 8th 

Amendment against prison officials where officials acted with deliberate

indifference to threat of serious harm or injury to inmate by another prisoner).

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

Case 3:06-cv-00190-CRB Document 4 Filed 05/25/06 Page 2 of 5
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 3

attachments thereto, and copies of this order on SVSP Investigative Service Unit

Correctional Officer Gibbs. The clerk also shall serve a copy of this order on

plaintiff. 

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

follows:

a. No later than 90 days from the date of this order, defendant

shall file a motion for summary judgment or other dispositive motion. A motion

for summary judgment 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 defendant is of the opinion that this case cannot be resolved by summary

judgment or other dispositive motion, he shall so inform the court prior to the

date his motion is due. All papers filed with the court shall be served promptly

on plaintiff.

b. Plaintiff's opposition to the dispositive motion shall be filed

with the court and served upon defendant no later than 30 days after defendant

serves plaintiff with the motion. 

c. Plaintiff is advised that 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

Case 3:06-cv-00190-CRB Document 4 Filed 05/25/06 Page 3 of 5
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 4

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 contradicts 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. Rand v. Rowland,

154 F.3d 952, 962-63 (9th Cir. 1998) (en banc) (App. A).

Plaintiff is also advised that a motion to dismiss for failure to exhaust

administrative remedies under 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) will, if granted, end your

case, albeit without prejudice. You must “develop a record” and present it in

your opposition in order to dispute any “factual record” presented by the

defendants in their motion to dismiss. Wyatt v. Terhune, 315 F.3d 1108, 1120

n.14 (9th Cir. 2003).

d. Defendant shall file a reply brief within 15 days of the date

on which plaintiff serves him with the opposition. 

e. 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. Discovery may be taken in accordance with the Federal Rules of

Civil Procedure. No further court order is required before the parties may

conduct discovery.

4. All communications by plaintiff with the court must be served on

defendant, or defendant's counsel once counsel has been designated, by mailing a

true copy of the document to defendant or defendant's counsel.

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

Case 3:06-cv-00190-CRB Document 4 Filed 05/25/06 Page 4 of 5
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 5

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

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

SO ORDERED.

DATED: May 25, 2006 CHARLES R. BREYER

United States District Judge

Case 3:06-cv-00190-CRB Document 4 Filed 05/25/06 Page 5 of 5