Order Form (01/2005)

United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Name of Assigned Judge

or Magistrate Judge

AMY J. ST. EVE Sitting Judge if Other

than Assigned Judge

CASE NUMBER 12 C 5000 DATE 6/27/2012

CASE

TITLE

Armando Diaz (#2011-0608088) vs. Thomas Dart, et al.

DOCKET ENTRY TEXT:

Plaintiff’s motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis [#3] is granted. The Court authorizes and orders Cook

County Jail officials to deduct $12.00 from Plaintiff’s account, and to continue making monthly deductions in

accordance with this order. The Clerk shall send a copy of this order to the Supervisor of Inmate Trust Fund

Accounts, Cook County Dept. of Corrections Administrative Office, Division V, 2700 S. California, Chicago,

Illinois 60608. On the Court’s own motion, Thomas Dart is dismissed as a Defendant on initial review pursuant

to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A. The Clerk is directed to issue summons for service on Defendant Elwood only. The Clerk

is also directed to send Plaintiff a magistrate judge consent form and filing instructions along with a copy of this

order. 

O [For further details see text below.] Docketing to mail notices.

STATEMENT

Plaintiff, an inmate in the custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections, has brought this pro

se civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff claims that a sergeant at the jail violated Plaintiff’s

constitutional rights by acting with deliberate indifference to his medical needs. More specifically, Plaintiff

alleges that the officer wrongfully confiscated special shoes Plaintiff needed on account of his diabetic condition

and for which he had a doctor’s prescription. 

Plaintiff’s motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis is granted. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1),

Plaintiff is assessed an initial partial filing fee of $12.00. The supervisor of inmate trust accounts at the Cook

County Jail is authorized and ordered to collect, when funds exist, the partial filing fee from Plaintiff’s trust fund

account and pay it directly to the Clerk of Court. After payment of the initial partial filing fee, the trust fund

officer at Plaintiff’s place of confinement is directed to collect monthly payments from Plaintiff’s trust fund

account in an amount equal to 20% of the preceding month’s income credited to the account. Monthly payments

collected from Plaintiff’s trust fund account shall be forwarded to the Clerk of Court each time the amount in the

account exceeds $10 until the full $350 filing fee is paid. All payments shall be sent to the Clerk, United States

District Court, 219 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, Illinois 60604, attn: Cashier’s Desk, 20th Floor, and shall clearly 

(CONTINUED)

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STATEMENT (continued)

identify Plaintiff’s name and the case number assigned to this action. The Cook County inmate trust account office

shall notify transferee authorities of any outstanding balance in the event Plaintiff is transferred from the jail to

another correctional facility. 

Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, the Court is required to conduct a prompt initial review of prisoner complaints

against governmental entities or employees. Here, accepting Plaintiff’s factual allegations as true, the Court finds

that the complaint states a colorable cause of action under the Civil Rights Act. The Due Process Clause prohibits

deliberate indifference to the serious medical needs of a pretrial detainee. Grieveson v. Anderson, 538 F.3d 763,

779 (7th Cir. 2008); Chapman v. Keltner, 241 F. 3d 842, 845 (7th Cir. 2001); but see Johnson v. Doughty, 433 F.3d

1001, 1017 (7th Cir. 2006) (inattention only to serious injury or signs of serious injury amounts to a constitutional

violation). Plaintiff may also have a potential cause of action under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C.

§ 12101, et seq. While a more fully developed record may belie Plaintiff’s claims, Defendant Elwood must respond

to the allegations in the complaint. 

However, on the Court’s own motion, the complaint is dismissed on initial review as to Defendant Dart. 

Plaintiff has alleged no facts suggesting Sheriff Dart’s direct, personal involvement, as required by J.H. ex rel.

Higgin v. Johnson, 346 F.3d 788, 793 (7th Cir. 2003), inter alia. Nor has the plaintiff indicated that the alleged

violation of his constitutional rights occurred at Dart’s direction or with his knowledge and consent. Id. Section

1983 creates a cause of action based on personal liability and predicated upon fault; thus, “to be liable under §

1983, an individual defendant must have caused or participated in a constitutional deprivation.” Pepper v. Village

of Oak Park, 430 F.3d 809, 810 (7th Cir. 2005) (citations omitted). The doctrine of respondeat superior (blanket

supervisory liability) does not apply to actions filed under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. See, e.g., Kinslow v. Pullara, 538

F.3d 687, 692 (7th Cir. 2008). Plaintiff may proceed only against the officer who confiscated the shoes.

The Clerk shall issue summons for service of the complaint on Defendant Elwood. The United States

Marshals Service is appointed to serve Defendant Elwood. Any service forms necessary for Plaintiff to complete

will be sent by the Marshal as appropriate to serve Defendant with process. The U.S. Marshal is directed to make

all reasonable efforts to serve Defendant. If Sergeant Elwood can no longer be found at the work address provided

by Plaintiff, the Cook County Department of Corrections shall furnish the Marshal with Defendant’s last-known

address. The information shall be used only for purposes of effectuating service [or for proof of service, should

a dispute arise] and any documentation of the address shall be retained only by the Marshal. Address information

shall not be maintained in the Court file, nor disclosed by the Marshal. The Marshal is authorized to mail a request

for waiver of service to Defendant in the manner prescribed by Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(d)(2) before attempting personal

service. 

Plaintiff is instructed to file all future papers concerning this action with the Clerk of Court in care of the

Prisoner Correspondent. On this single occasion, the Court has made judge’s and service copies for Plaintiff. 

However, Plaintiff is advised that he must provide the Court with the original plus a complete judge’s copy,

(CONTINUED)

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STATEMENT (continued)

including any exhibits, of every document filed. In addition, Plaintiff must send an exact copy of any court filing

to Defendant [or to defense counsel, once an attorney has entered an appearance on Defendant’s behalf]. Every

document filed with the Court must include a certificate of service stating to whom exact copies were mailed and

the date of mailing. Any paper that is sent directly to the judge or that otherwise fails to comply with these

instructions may be disregarded by the Court or returned to Plaintiff.

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