FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT DEC 04, 2007 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 05- 16987 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C. Do c k e tNo . 0 5 - 2 2 5 9 7 - CV- J LK D A N I E L M A G L I O , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s H A R I D A S B H A D J A , D R ., D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lle e .

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( D e c e m b e r 4, 2007) B efo re C A RN E S , B A R K E T T an d K R A V IT C H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: A ppe l l a ntD a ni e l M a gl i o, as t a t e pr i s one rpr oc e e di ng pr o s e , appe a l s the2

d is tr ic t c o u rt’s o r d e r s d is m is s in g h is c iv il r ig h ts a c tio n p u r s u a n t to 2 8 U .S .C . § 1915( e ) ( 2) ( B ) ( i i ) a nd de ny i ng hi m l e a ve t o a m e nd hi s c om pl a i nt . W e a f f i rm the di s m i s s a l butf

i nd r e ve r s i bl e abus e of

di s c r e t i on i n the de ni a l of l e a ve t o a m e nd. M agl i o com pl ai ned t o h i s pri son’ s m edi ca l st af f of bac k and hi p p ai n, w hi ch he bel i eved w as caused by a pi nched n erve, and w hi ch he cont ends the m edi ca l s ta f f d id n o t p r o p e r lyd ia g n o s e o rtr e a t. A f te rf ilin g a d m in is tr a tiv e g r ie v a n c e s to n o av ai l , h e fi l ed th i s su i t . T h e co m p l ai n tal l eg ed , i n g en eral an d co n cl u so ry t erm s, th at D r. H ar id as B h ad

ja, th e m ed ical d irec to r a t M ag li o ’s p riso n , v io lated M ag li o ’s E ig h th A m e n d m e n t r ig h ts th r o u g h d e lib e r a te in d if f e r e n c e to h is b a c kp a in . M a g lio a l s o a s s e rt e d pe nde nts t a t e l a w c l a i m s f orbr e a c h of

c ontr a c ta nd ne gl i ge nc e a r i s i ng ou tof the al l egedl y def

i ci entm edi ca l care . T he di stri ctcourtre fe rr ed the com pl ai ntt o a m agi stra t e, w ho re com m ended di s m i s s a l pr i ort o s e rvi c e f orf a i l ur e t o s t a t e ac l a i m . T he R e porta nd R e c om m e nda t i on ( R & R ) f ound tha tthe a l l e ga t i ons di d notr i s e t o the l e ve l of d e lib e r a te in d if

f e r e n c e ; r a th e r , th e c o m p la in t a lle g e d , a t m o s t, th a t M a g lio s im p ly di s a gr e e d w i th the m e di c a l de c i s i ons of the de f e nda nt . B e c aus e M a gl i o di d not o b je c t to th e R & R , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt a d o p te d it a n d d is m is s e d th e c o m p la in t. M a gl i o c ont e nds he r e c e i ve d ac opyof the R & R out s i de the t e n da yobj e c t i on pe r i od, i nde e d, a f

t e rthe di s tr i c tj udge e nt e r e d the di s m i s s a l or de r , s o he c oul d not3

t i m el y obj ec t . A cc ordi ng l y, he fi l ed vari ou s m ot i on s f or po st -j ud gm entre l i ef

, as w e l l a s am ot i on f

ore xt e ns i on of

t i m e t o f i l e hi s obj e c t i ons t o the R & R , a nd a m o tio n f o rle a v e to f

ile a n a m e n d e d c o m p la in t. W h ile th e s e m o tio n s w e r e u n d e rc o n s id e r a tio n , M a g lio f ile d h is u n tim e ly obj ec t i on s t o the R & R and an am ended com pl ai nt , bo th o f w hi ch cont ai ned m ore f a c tua l de t a i l s abouthi s c l a i m s . T he di s tr i c tc ourtr e f e rr e d the obj e c t i ons a nd m ot i on f orl e a ve t o a m e nd t o am a gi s tr a t e a nd de ni e d the othe rpos t - j udgm e nt m ot i ons w i thoutpr e

j udi c e . T he m a gi s tr a t e i s s ue d as e c ond R & R r e c om m e ndi ng th a t M a g lio b e a llo w e d to f ile th e a m e n d e d c o m p la in t, a s it s ta te d ac la im f o rr e lie f . U ltim a te ly , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt c o n s tru e d th e m o tio n to e x te n d th e tim e to o b je c t to th e f i r s tR & R a s amo t i o n f o rr e c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f

th e o r d e ra d o p t i n g th e f i r s tR & R , g r a n te d th e m o tio n , b u t r e a f f irm e d its ru lin g d is m is s in g th e o r ig in a l c o m p la in t. T he di s tr i c tc ourtthe n de ni e d a l l othe rpe ndi ng m ot i ons a s m oot , i nc l udi ng the m o tio n to a m e n d th e c o m p la in t. F i r s t , w e c ons i de rde novo w he the rthe di s tr i c tc ourtpr ope r l ydi s m i s s e d the or i gi na l c om pl a i ntf

orf a i l ur e t o s t a t e ac l a i m . S e e , e . g. , H ughe s v. L ott , 350 F . 3d 1157, 1159- 60 ( 11th C i r . 2003) . P r o s e c om pl a i nt s m us tbe c ons true d l i be r a l l ya nd th e f a c tu a l a lle g a tio n s ( b u t n o t le g a l c o n c lu s io n s ) th e r e in m u s t b e a c c e p te d a s tru e . I d; s e e a l s o G r e e n L e a f

N ur s e ryv. E . I . D uP ontD e N e m our s a nd C o. , 341 F . 3d4

1292, 1304 n. 12 ( 11th C i r . 2003) ( c i t a t i on om i tt e d) . D e s pi t e thi s l e ni e nts t a nda r d, w e have no d i ff

i cul ty c on cl ud i ng thatdi sm i ss al of the ori gi nal com pl ai ntw as p r o p e r . T o p r e v a il o n h is d e lib e r a te in d if f e r e n c e c la im , M a g lio w o u ld h a v e to al l ege and prov e thathe had an o bj ec t i vel y s er i ou s m edi ca l need and thatD r. B ha dj aa c t e d w i th de l i be r a t e i ndi f f e r e nc e t o tha tne e d. B r ow n v. J ohns on, 387 F .3 d 1 3 4 4 , 1 3 5 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) ( c ita tio n s o m itte d ) . A s e r io u s m e d ic a l n e e d is on e that(i ) poses a “ subst ant i al ri sk of se ri ou s harm ” i f unatt ended, and (i i ) has be e n de t e rm i ne d byaphy s i c i a n t o r e qui r e tr e a tm e nt , ori s s o obvi ous al a ype r s on w o u ld r e c o g n iz e th e n e c e s s ityo f ad o c to r ’s c a r e . I d . D e lib e r a te in d if f e r e n c e is pr e s e ntw he n ade f

e nda ntha s s ubj e c t i ve know l e dge of ar i s k of s e r i ous ha rm t o the p la in tif f a n d d is r e g a r d s th a t r is kb yc o n d u c t th a t e x c e e d s m e r e n e g lig e n c e . I d . T h e a lle g a tio n s in M a g lio ’s f ir s t c o m p la in t d o n o t s ta te ac la im f o rd e lib e r a te in d if f e r e n c e . S tr ip p e d o f

its le g a l c o n c lu s io n s , th e f ir s t c o m p la in t e s s e n tia lly al l eges thatM agl i o suffe re d b ac k p ai n, soug httre atm entfr om the pri son m edi ca l st af f and re ce i ved som e tre atm ent , bu tw as i ncorrec t l y di agno se d and tre at ed. E ven d r a w in g r e a s o n ab le in f

e r e n c e s in M a g lio ’s f

a v o r , th e s e a lle g a tio n s c o n s titu te profes si on al negl i gence atm ost , no tdel i bera t e i nd i ff er ence . Indeed, on e m ayi nfer fr om the com pl ai ntthatM agl i o rec ei ved som e tre atm ent , w hi ch he vi ew ed as i na de qua t e , a nd M a gl i o c onf i rm e d i n l a t e rf

i l i ngs tha the r e c e i ve d tr e a tm e nt5

i nc l udi ng m us c l e r e l a xa nt s . T hus , e ve n gr a nt i ng the dubi ous a s s um pt i on tha tthe pr ot e s t a t i ons of

ba c k pa i n de s c r i be d i n the c om pl a i ntputthe m e di c a l s t a f f on n o tic e th a t M a g lio h a d a n o b je c tiv e lys e r io u s c o n d itio n , th e m e d ic a l s ta f f h a r d ly di s r e ga r de d the r i s k of

ha rm t o hi m . R a the r , the s t a f f pr ovi de d s om e tr e a tm e nt , but di a gnos e d a nd tr e a t e d M a gl i o i nc orr e c t l y . A nd w hi l e apr i s on doc t orm a ybe d e lib e r a te lyin d if

f e r e n t to a n in m a te ’s m e d ic a l n e e d s if h e is “g r o s s lyin c o m p e te n t” orc hoos e s a n e a s ybuti ne f f e c t i ve c our s e of

tr e a tm e ntove radi f

f i c ul tbute f

f e c t i ve on e, M cE l l i go ttv. F ol ey , 18 2 F . 3d 12 48 , 12 55 (11th C i r. 19 99 ) ( ci t at i on s om i tt ed), the c onc l us orya l l e ga t i ons i n the f i r s tc om pl a i ntw oul d nots upports uc h af i ndi ng. T hu s, even generousl y c on strued, the ori gi nal com pl ai ntes se nt i al l y a l l eges m edi ca l m a lp r a c tic e , w h ic h is n o t a c tio n ab le u n d e rth e E ig h th A m e n d m e n t a n d § 1 9 8 3 . S e e , e .g ., M a n d e l v . D o e , 8 8 8 F .2 d 7 8 3 , 7 8 7 - 8 8 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 8 9 ) ( c ita tio n o m itte d ) . D i sm i ss al of the del i bera t e i nd i ff er ence cl ai m w as prop er , and o nce thi s w as evi dent , there w as no abuse of di sc re t i on i n al so di sm i ss i ng the pend entst at e l aw cl ai m s. N otw i ths t a ndi ng the f

a i l ur e of the f i r s tc om pl a i nt , i tw a s a n abus e of di sc re t i on for the di stri ctcourtt o d eny M agl i o l ea ve t o am end. A pl ai nt i ff m ay am end h i s c om pl ai ntof ri gh tw hen, as here , a r es po nsi ve pl ea di ng has notye tbeen s e rve d. F e d. R . C i v. P . 15( a ) . T hi s i s e qua l l ytrue of c om pl a i nt s s ubj e c tt o § 1915,6

a s tha ts t a tut e “ doe s nota l l ow the di s tr i c tc ourtt o di s m i s s a n in fo rm a p a u p e r is com pl ai ntw i tho utal l ow i ng l ea ve t o am end w hen requi re d b y F ed. R . C i v. P . 15 . ” I d . a t 1 2 6 0 n .5 . M o r e o v e r , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt p e rs e ab u s e s its d is c r e tio n w h e n it de ni e s l e a ve t o a m e nd “ i n the abs e nc e of ade c l a r e d orappa r e ntr e a s on, ” ne i the rof w hi ch w e s ee here . T ho m as v. F arm vi l l e M fg. C o. Inc. , 70 5 F . 2d 13 07 (11th C i r. 1988) . W e not e i n pa rt i c ul a rtha tthe or i gi na l c om pl a i ntw a s uns e rve d, m e a ni ng a m e ndm e ntw oul d notpr e j udi c e the de f

e nda nt , a nd tha tthe m a gi s tr a t e j udge de t e rm i ne d the a m e nde d c om pl a i nts t a t e d ac l a i m f orr e l i e f . E ve n i f a m e ndm e ntof ri gh tw er e unavai l abl e, the equi t i es cl earl y f avor am endm enthere . F o rth e s e r e a s o n s , w e a f f irm th e d is m is s a l o f

th e o r ig in a l c o m p la in t, v a c a te the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s or de rde ny i ng l e a ve t o f i l e a n a m e nde d c om pl a i nt , a nd r e m a nd w ith in s tru c tio n s to p e rm it th e f ilin g o f th e a m e n d e d c o m p la in t. AF F I R ME D; VA C AT E D A ND R E MAND E D.