Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-02487/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-02487-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Astrid Asche
Plaintiff
Unknown Party
Defendant

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Astrid Asche, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Military Site and Site Base, 

Defendant. 

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No. CV-11-2487-PHX-GMS

ORDER

Pending before the Court is Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed in District Court

Without Prepaying Fees or Costs (Doc. 3), which will be granted. The Court will screen

Plaintiff’s Complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) before it is allowed to be served.

Pursuant to that screening Plaintiff’s Complaint is dismissed. 

I. Screening Complaint Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)

A. Legal Standards

1. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)

Congress provided with respect to in forma pauperis cases that a district court “shall

dismiss the case at any time if the court determines” that the “allegation of poverty is untrue”

or that the “action or appeal” is “frivolous or malicious,” “fails to state a claim on which

relief may be granted,” or “seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from

such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). While much of § 1915 outlines how prisoners can file

proceedings in forma pauperis, section 1915(e) applies to all in forma pauperis proceedings

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not just those filed by prisoners. Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1127 (9th Cir. 2000). “It

is also clear that section 1915(e) not only permits but requires a district court to dismiss an

in forma pauperis complaint if it fails to state a claim or if it is frivolous or malicious. If the

Court determines that a pleading could be cured by the allegation of other facts, a pro se

litigant is entitled to an opportunity to amend a complaint before the dismissal of the action.

See Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1127-1129 (9th Cir. 2000) (en banc). 

The Court should not, however, advise the litigant how to cure the defects. This type

of advice “would undermine district judges’ role as impartial decisionmakers.” Pliler v.

Ford, 542 U.S. 225, 231 (2004); see also Lopez, 203 F.3d at 1131 n. 13 (declining to decide

whether the court was required to inform a litigant of deficiencies). Plaintiff’s Complaint

will be dismissed for failure to state a claim, with leave to amend because, although it

appears unlikely, it may be possible for Plaintiff to assert claims that are appropriately

brought in federal court. 

2. Rule 8, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

A claim must be stated clearly enough to enable each defendant to frame a responsive

pleading. A complaint must contain “a short and plan statement of the claim showing that

the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). “Each allegation must be simple,

concise, and direct.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(d)(1). In addition, the complaint must include “a

demand for the relief sought. . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(3). Finally, it must also have “a

short and plain statement of the grounds for the court’s jurisdiction. Fed. R. Civ. P.

8(a)(1).

In order to assist litigants to understand the Rule 8(d) requirements that averments “be

simple, concise and direct, Rule 84 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides samples

in an Appendix of Forms, which are “intended to indicate the simplicity and brevity of

statement which the rules contemplate.” McHenry v. Renne, 84 F.3d 1172, 1177 (9th Cir.

1996). Examples of types of complaints for different types of claims are contained in forms

10 through form 21. In addition to setting forth why the federal court has jurisdiction over

Plaintiff’s claims a complaint should fully set forth “who is being sued, for what relief, and

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on what theory, with enough detail to guide discovery.” McHenry, 84 F.3d at 1177. In

addition, to satisfy Rule 8, each claim must be stated in a separate count. Bautista v. Los

Angeles, 216 F.3d 837, 840-41 (9th Cir. 2000).

II. The Complaint

Plaintiff’s Complaint falls short of satisfying the requirements of Rule 8. It does not

allege a legal basis for this Court to exercise jurisdiction over this lawsuit. He has not

established, therefore, that this Court has jurisdiction over his claim.

A. Failure to State A Claim

The Complaint names an unknown party as Military Site and Site Base. “A plaintiff

must allege 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). There is no respondeat superior liability under § 1983. Monell v. Dep’t of

Soc., Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 691 (1978); 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 prevent them.” Taylor, 880 F.2d at 1045. 

In addition to failing to identify any cognizable Defendant, the Complaint contains

no allegation that Defendant participated in, directed, or knew of alleged violations of

Plaintiff’s civil rights. Plaintiff will be given 30 days to amend his Complaint. Should he

fail to file an amended complaint within 30 days of this Order. The first amended complaint

must be retyped or rewritten in its entirety and may not incorporate any part of the original

Complaint by reference. Plaintiff may include only one claim per count. Should Plaintiff

fail to file a first amended complaint within 30 days, the Clerk may dismiss this action

without prejudice and without further notice from the Court.

B. Leave to Amend

Plaintiff will be given an opportunity, if he so chooses, to amend his Complaint. In

the amended complaint, Plaintiff must state what rights he believes were violated. See Rizzo

v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362, 371-72, 377 (1976). Each claim of an alleged violation must be set

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forth in a separate count. The amended complaint must also state why the federal court has

jurisdiction over Plaintiff’s claims. Any amended complaint filed by Plaintiff must conform

to the requirements of Rule 8(a)( and (d)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Plaintiff is advised that if he elects to file an amended complaint and if he fails to

comply with the Court’s instructions explained in this Order, the action will be dismissed

pursuant to section 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e) and/or Rule 41(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure. See McHenry, 84 F.3d at 1177 (affirming dismissal with prejudice of amended

complaint that did not comply with Rule 8(a); Nevijel v. North Coast Life Ins. Co., 651 F.2d

671, 673-74 (9th Cir. 1965) (affirming dismissal without leave to amend second complaint

that was “so verbose, confused and redundant that its true substance, if any [was] well

disguised”).

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed in District

Court Without Prepaying Fees or Costs (Doc. 3) is granted. Plaintiff shall be responsible for

service by waiver or of the Summons and Complaint.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) Plaintiff’s

Complaint is dismissed for failure to comply with Rule 8, with leave to file an amended

complaint by January 18, 2012.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if Plaintiff elects not to file an amended complaint

by January 18, 2012, the Clerk of Court shall dismiss this action without further Order of

the Court.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if Plaintiff elects to file an amended complaint,

the complaint may not be served until and unless the Court screens the amended complaint

pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2).

DATED this 19th day of December, 2011.

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