Source: https://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/arizona/azdce/2:2013cv01713/801064/10
Timestamp: 2017-10-22 01:00:55
Document Index: 716296139

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1915', '§ 1983', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 15', '§ 12', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 2254', '§ 2255', '§ 1915', '§ 1983', '§ 1997', '§ 1343', '§ 1983', '§ 1331']

ORDER that Plaintiff's 8 APPLICATION to Proceed In Forma Pauperis is granted for Jaramillo v. Glendale, County of et al :: Justia Dockets & Filings
Justia Dockets & Filings Ninth Circuit Arizona Arizona District Court Jaramillo v. Glendale, County of et al Filing 10
Jaramillo v. Glendale, County of et al
ORDER that Plaintiff's 8 APPLICATION to Proceed In Forma Pauperis is granted. Plaintiff must pay the $350.00 filing fee. The 1 Complaint is dismissed for failure to state a claim. Plaintiff has 30 days from the date this Order is filed to file a first amended complaint in compliance with this Order. If Plaintiff fails to comply, the Clerk of Court must, without further notice, enter a judgment of dismissal of this action with prejudice that states that the dismissal may count as a "strike" under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). The Clerk must mail Plaintiff a court-approved form for filing a civil rights complaint by a prisoner. Signed by Judge David G Campbell on 3/18/2014. (LFIG)
1 2 MD WO 3 4 5 6 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 7 FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA 8 9 Edwin M. Jaramillo, 10 11 12 No. CV 13-1713-PHX-DGC (JFM) Plaintiff, vs. ORDER Glendale County, et al., 13 Defendants. 14 15 On August 19, 2013, Plaintiff Edwin M. Jaramillo, who is confined in the Yavapai 16 County Detention Center in Camp Verde, Arizona, filed a pro se civil rights Complaint 17 pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Doc. 1) and an Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis. 18 In an Order dated October 16, 2013, the Court denied the deficient Application to 19 Proceed and gave Plaintiff 30 days to pay the filing and administrative fees or file a 20 complete Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis. On October 28, 2013, Plaintiff 21 submitted a new Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis, which was also deficient. In 22 an Order dated December 30, 2013, the Court denied the Application to Proceed and gave 23 Plaintiff an additional 30 days to pay the filing and administrative fees or file a complete 24 Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis. 25 26 Pauperis (Doc. 8). The Court will grant the Application to Proceed and will dismiss the 27 Complaint with leave to amend. 28 JDDL-K On January 14, 2013, Plaintiff filed a new Application to Proceed In Forma .... 1 I. Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and Filing Fee 2 Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis will be granted. 28 U.S.C. 3 § 1915(a). Plaintiff must pay the statutory filing fee of $350.00. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). 4 The Court will not assess an initial partial filing fee. Id. The statutory filing fee will be 5 collected monthly in payments of 20% of the previous month’s income credited to 6 Plaintiff’s trust account each time the amount in the account exceeds $10.00. 28 U.S.C. 7 § 1915(b)(2). The Court will enter a separate Order requiring the appropriate government 8 agency to collect and forward the fees according to the statutory formula. 9 II. Statutory Screening of Prisoner Complaints 10 The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief 11 against a governmental entity or an officer or an employee of a governmental entity. 28 12 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if a plaintiff 13 has raised claims that are legally frivolous or malicious, that fail to state a claim upon 14 which relief may be granted, or that seek monetary relief from a defendant who is 15 immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1), (2). 16 A pleading must contain a “short and plain statement of the claim showing that the 17 pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2) (emphasis added). While Rule 8 18 does not demand detailed factual allegations, “it demands more than an unadorned, the- 19 defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” 20 (2009). “Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 21 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Id. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 22 23 claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Id. (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 24 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). A claim is plausible “when the plaintiff pleads factual 25 content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable 26 for the misconduct alleged.” Id. “Determining whether a complaint states a plausible 27 claim for relief [is] . . . a context-specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw 28 JDDL-K “[A] complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a on its judicial experience and common sense.” Id. at 679. Thus, although a plaintiff’s -2- 1 specific factual allegations may be consistent with a constitutional claim, a court must 2 assess whether there are other “more likely explanations” for a defendant’s conduct. Id. 3 at 681. 4 But as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has instructed, 5 courts must “continue to construe pro se filings liberally.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 6 342 (9th Cir. 2010). A “complaint [filed by a pro se prisoner] ‘must be held to less 7 stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.’” Id. (quoting Erickson v. 8 Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007) (per curiam)). 9 If the Court determines that a pleading could be cured by the allegation of other 10 facts, a pro se litigant is entitled to an opportunity to amend a complaint before dismissal 11 of the action. See Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1127-29 (9th Cir. 2000) (en banc). The 12 Court should not, however, advise the litigant how to cure the defects. This type of 13 advice “would undermine district judges’ role as impartial decisionmakers.” Pliler v. 14 Ford, 542 U.S. 225, 231 (2004); see also Lopez, 203 F.3d at 1131 n.13 (declining to 15 decide whether the court was required to inform a litigant of deficiencies). Plaintiff’s 16 Complaint will be dismissed for failure to state a claim, but because it may possibly be 17 amended to state a claim, the Court will dismiss it with leave to amend. 18 III. Complaint 19 Plaintiff alleges three counts, all Eighth Amendment violations, surrounding the 20 death of his son, Gabriel C. Jaramillo. Plaintiff sues “Glendale County, AZ,” the City of 21 Glendale, the State of Arizona and “Phoenix, AZ, A.D.P.S., Etc.” 22 declaratory relief as well as monetary damages. Plaintiff seeks 23 Plaintiff designates Count I as an Eighth Amendment claim of excessive force by 24 an officer. He alleges that “officers acted out of malice and their actions were not 25 reasonable. Therefor[e], they took my son’s life when my son was at a halt. They shot 26 him[,] but did not have any reason to because he was not armed at all.” 27 28 JDDL-K Plaintiff designates Count II as an Eighth Amendment claim of cruel and unusual punishment and excessive force by an officer. Plaintiff alleges: “The state of mind of the -3- 1 officials were not competent because the seriousness of the challenged condition. I 2 believe that their actions were harsh and uncalled for, which was unnecessary to inflict 3 pain.” 4 Plaintiff designates Count III as an Eighth Amendment claim of “deliberate 5 indifference” and excessive force by an officer. Plaintiff alleges: “I tru[]ly feel that the 6 officers acted very [u]nprofession[al]ly and careless and caused harm to my son and it 7 was very reckless and showed bad motive and attitude.” 8 In an attachment to his Complaint, Plaintiff asserts that he believes his son’s rights 9 were violated “by excessive punishment, excessive force, police brutality, mental anguish 10 and negligence, malice, c[r]uel and unusual punishment, [and] deliberate indifference.” 11 12 Plaintiff asserts that he has been injured by the loss of his son. IV. Failure to State a Claim 13 To state a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff must allege facts supporting that (1) the 14 conduct about which he complains was committed by a person acting under the color of 15 state law and (2) the conduct deprived him of a federal constitutional or statutory right. 16 Wood v. Outlander, 879 F.2d 583, 587 (9th Cir. 1989). Further, a “‘plaintiff generally 17 must assert his own legal rights and interests, and cannot assert the legal rights or 18 interests of third parties.’” Mothershed v. Justices of the Supreme Court, 410 F.3d 602, 19 610 (9th Cir. 2005) (quoting Warth v. Seldin, 422 U.S. 490, 499 (1975)). Negligence is 20 not sufficient to state a claim under § 1983. Daniels v. Williams, 474 U.S. 327, 330-31 21 (1986). In addition, a plaintiff must allege that he suffered a specific injury as a result of 22 the conduct of a particular defendant and he must allege an affirmative link between the 23 injury and the conduct of that defendant. Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362, 371-72, 377 24 (1976). 25 Finally, although pro se pleadings are liberally construed, Haines v. Kerner, 404 26 U.S. 519, 520-21 (1972), conclusory and vague allegations will not support a cause of 27 action. Ivey v. Bd. of Regents of the Univ. of Alaska, 673 F.2d 266, 268 (9th Cir. 1982). 28 JDDL-K -4- 1 Further, a liberal interpretation of a civil rights complaint may not supply essential 2 elements of the claim that were not initially pled. Id. 3 A. 4 Plaintiff names the State of Arizona and the A.D.P.S. (presumably referring to the 5 Arizona Department of Public Safety) as Defendants. Ordinarily, under the Eleventh 6 Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, neither a state nor a state agency 7 may be sued in federal court without its consent. Pennhurst Sate Sch. & Hosp., 465 U.S. 8 89, 100 (1984); Taylor v. List, 880 F.2d 1040, 1045 (9th Cir. 1989). Further, neither the 9 State of Arizona nor any State agency is a “person” within the meaning of § 1983. Will v. 10 Michigan Dep’t of State Police, 491 U.S. 58, 64 (1989) (holding that the term “person” as 11 used in § 1983 did not include a State or State agency). For both reasons, the State of 12 Arizona will be dismissed. 13 Department of Public Safety, it is also dismissed as a Defendant in this case. State of Arizona and A.D.P.S To the extent Plaintiff is intending to sue the Arizona 14 15 Plaintiff sues the cities of Glendale and Phoenix. A municipality is a “person” for 16 purposes of § 1983, i.e., a municipality such as a city or county, may be sued. See 17 Leatherman v. Tarrant County Narcotics Intelligence and Coordination Unit, 507 U.S. 18 163, 166 (1993); Monell v. Dep’t of Soc. Servs. of the City of New York, 436 U.S. 658, 19 694 (1978). To state a claim against a municipality under § 1983, a plaintiff must allege 20 facts to support that his constitutional rights were violated pursuant to a policy or custom 21 of the municipality. Cortez v. County of Los Angeles, 294 F.3d 1186, 1188 (9th Cir. 22 2001) (citing Monell, 436 U.S. at 690-91); Thompson v. City of Los Angeles, 885 F.2d 23 1439, 1443 (9th Cir. 1989)). Thus, a municipality may not be sued solely because an 24 injury was inflicted by one of its employees or agents. Long v. County of Los Angeles, 25 442 F.3d 1178, 1185 (9th Cir. 2006). Therefore, a § 1983 claim against a municipal 26 defendant “cannot succeed as a matter of law” unless a plaintiff: (1) contends that the 27 municipal defendant maintains a policy or custom pertinent to the plaintiff’s alleged 28 JDDL-K B. injury; and (2) explains how such policy or custom caused the plaintiff’s injury. Sadoski Cities of Glendale and Phoenix -5- 1 v. Mosley, 435 F.3d 1076, 1080 (9th Cir. 2006) (affirming dismissal of a municipal 2 defendant pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6)). 3 Plaintiff fails to allege facts to support that the cities of Glendale and Phoenix 4 maintained policies or customs that resulted in the violation of Plaintiff’s federal 5 constitutional rights or to explain how his injuries were caused by any municipal policy 6 or custom. Accordingly, Plaintiff fails to state a claim against the cities of Glendale and 7 Phoenix and they will be dismissed as Defendants. 8 C. 9 Plaintiff sues “Glendale County, AZ,” however, there is no Glendale County in 10 Arizona. Accordingly, “Glendale County, AZ” is dismissed as a Defendant. To the 11 extent Plaintiff intended to sue Maricopa County, where the City of Glendale is located, 12 such a claim would fail because Plaintiff has not alleged that Maricopa County 13 maintained a policy or custom that resulted in the violation of Plaintiff’s federal 14 constitutional rights or to explain how his injuries were caused by any municipal policy 15 or custom. Glendale County 16 D. 17 In addition to failing to name a proper Defendant, Plaintiff has failed to state an Eighth Amendment Claims 18 Eighth Amendment claim. 19 punishment of crimes that is cruel and unusual. See Fontana v. Haskin, 262 F.3d 871, 20 (9th Cir. 2001) (“The ‘Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable seizures of 21 the person, or the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishments . . . are the 22 primary sources of constitutional protection against physically abusive governmental 23 conduct.’” (quoting Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 394 (1989)); Snipes v. DeTella, 95 24 F.3d 586, 590 (7th Cir. 1996) (the Eighth Amendment limits the type of punishment that 25 can be imposed by government). The Eighth Amendment bars government-imposed 26 27 by his son’s death or if he is asserting claims on behalf of his son or his son’s estate. It 28 JDDL-K In this case, it is not clear if Plaintiff is asserting that his own rights were violated does not appear that Plaintiff is asserting that the allegedly wrongful death of his son was -6- 1 the result of any government-imposed punishment on Plaintiff. If Plaintiff is asserting a 2 claim on behalf of his son or his son’s estate, Plaintiff fails to provide basic facts about 3 his son’s death such as when he died, how, or who was allegedly responsible for his son’s 4 death.1 Accordingly, Plaintiff fails to state a claim in Counts I, II or III and they will be 5 dismissed. 6 V. Leave to Amend 7 For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiff’s Complaint will be dismissed for failure to 8 state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Within 30 days, Plaintiff may submit a 9 first amended complaint to cure the deficiencies outlined above. The Clerk of Court will 10 mail Plaintiff a court-approved form to use for filing a first amended complaint. If 11 Plaintiff fails to use the court-approved form, the Court may strike the amended 12 complaint and dismiss this action without further notice to Plaintiff. 13 Plaintiff must clearly designate on the face of the document that it is the “First 14 Amended Complaint.” The first amended complaint must be retyped or rewritten in its 15 entirety on the court-approved form and may not incorporate any part of the original 16 Complaint by reference. Plaintiff may include only one claim per count. 17 1 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 JDDL-K “‘In § 1983 actions, . . . the survivors of an individual killed as a result of an officer’s excessive use of force may assert a Fourth Amendment claim on that individual’s behalf if the relevant state’s law authorizes a survival action.’” Hayes v. County of San Diego, 736 F.3d 1223, 1228 (quoting Moreland v. Las Vegas Metro. Police Dept., 159 F.3d 365, 369 (9th Cir. 1998)) (deletions in the original). The plaintiff bringing a survival action “bears the burden of demonstrating that a particular state’s law authorizes a survival action and that the plaintiff meets that state’s requirements for bringing a survival action.” Id. Arizona’s survival statute provides: Every cause of action, except a cause of action for damages for breach of promise to marry, seduction, libel, slander, separate maintenance, alimony, loss of consortium or invasion of the right of privacy, shall survive the death of the person entitled thereto or liable therefor, and may be asserted by or against the personal representative of such person, provided that upon the death of the person injured, damages for pain and suffering of such injured person shall not be allowed. A.R.S. § 15-3110. Under Arizona’s survival statute, “[t]he claim passes from the decedent to the personal representatives, and becomes an asset of the estate.” Gandy v. United States, 437 F.Supp.2d 1083, 1087 (D. Ariz. 2006) (citing Barragan v. Superior Court of Pima County, 470 P.2d 722, 724 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1970)) (distinguishing between a survival claim and a wrongful death claim pursuant to A.R.S. § 12-611, which compensates statutory beneficiaries for their injuries.). -7- 1 A first amended complaint supersedes the original complaint. Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 2 963 F.2d 1258, 1262 (9th Cir. 1992); Hal Roach Studios v. Richard Feiner & Co., 896 3 F.2d 1542, 1546 (9th Cir. 1990). After amendment, the Court will treat an original 4 complaint as nonexistent. Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1262. Any cause of action that was raised 5 in the original complaint and that was voluntarily dismissed or was dismissed without 6 prejudice is waived if it is not alleged in a first amended complaint. Lacey v. Maricopa 7 County, 693 F.3d 896, 928 (9th Cir. 2012) (en banc). 8 VI. 9 Warnings A. Release 10 Plaintiff must pay the unpaid balance of the filing fee within 120 days of his 11 release. Also, within 30 days of his release, he must either (1) notify the Court that he 12 intends to pay the balance or (2) show good cause, in writing, why he cannot. Failure to 13 comply may result in dismissal of this action. 14 B. 15 Plaintiff must file and serve a notice of a change of address in accordance with 16 Rule 83.3(d) of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure. Plaintiff must not include a motion 17 for other relief with a notice of change of address. Failure to comply may result in 18 dismissal of this action. Address Changes 19 C. 20 Plaintiff must submit an additional copy of every filing for use by the Court. See 21 LRCiv 5.4. Failure to comply may result in the filing being stricken without further 22 notice to Plaintiff. Copies 23 24 Because the Complaint has been dismissed for failure to state a claim, if Plaintiff 25 fails to file an amended complaint correcting the deficiencies identified in this Order, the 26 dismissal may count as a “strike” under the “3-strikes” provision of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). 27 Under the 3-strikes provision, a prisoner may not bring a civil action or appeal a civil 28 JDDL-K D. judgment in forma pauperis under 28 U.S.C. § 1915 “if the prisoner has, on 3 or more Possible “Strike” -8- 1 prior occasions, while incarcerated or detained in any facility, brought an action or appeal 2 in a court of the United States that was dismissed on the grounds that it is frivolous, 3 malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, unless the prisoner 4 is under imminent danger of serious physical injury.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). 5 E. 6 If Plaintiff fails to timely comply with every provision of this Order, including 7 these warnings, the Court may dismiss this action without further notice. See Ferdik, 963 8 F.2d at 1260-61 (a district court may dismiss an action for failure to comply with any 9 order of the Court). 10 IT IS ORDERED: Possible Dismissal 11 (1) Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. 8) is granted. 12 (2) As required by the accompanying Order to the appropriate government 13 agency, Plaintiff must pay the $350.00 filing fee and is not assessed an initial partial 14 filing fee. 15 (3) The Complaint (Doc. 1) is dismissed for failure to state a claim. Plaintiff 16 has 30 days from the date this Order is filed to file a first amended complaint in 17 compliance with this Order. 18 (4) If Plaintiff fails to file an amended complaint within 30 days, the Clerk of 19 Court must, without further notice, enter a judgment of dismissal of this action with 20 prejudice that states that the dismissal may count as a “strike” under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). 21 (5) 22 rights complaint by a prisoner. 23 The Clerk of Court must mail Plaintiff a court-approved form for filing a civil Dated this 18th day of March, 2014. 24 25 26 27 28 JDDL-K -9- Instructions for a Prisoner Filing a Civil Rights Complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona 1. Who May Use This Form. The civil rights complaint form is designed to help incarcerated persons prepare a complaint seeking relief for a violation of their federal civil rights. These complaints typically concern, but are not limited to, conditions of confinement. This form should not be used to challenge your conviction or sentence. If you want to challenge a state conviction or sentence, you should file a petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 for a writ of habeas corpus by a person in state custody. If you want to challenge a federal conviction or sentence, you should file a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to vacate sentence in the federal court that entered the judgment. 2. The Form. Local Rule of Civil Procedure (LRCiv) 3.4(a) provides that complaints by incarcerated persons must be filed on the court-approved form. The form must be typed or neatly handwritten. The form must be completely filled in to the extent applicable. All questions must be answered clearly and concisely in the appropriate space on the form. If needed, you may attach additional pages, but no more than fifteen additional pages, of standard letter-sized paper. You must identify which part of the complaint is being continued and number all pages. If you do not fill out the form properly, you will be asked to submit additional or corrected information, which may delay the processing of your action. You do not need to cite law. 3. Your Signature. You must tell the truth and sign the form. If you make a false statement of a material fact, you may be prosecuted for perjury. 4. The Filing and Administrative Fees. The total fees for this action are $400.00 ($350.00 filing fee plus $50.00 administrative fee). If you are unable to immediately pay the fees, you may request leave to proceed in forma pauperis. Please review the “Information for Prisoners Seeking Leave to Proceed with a (Non-Habeas) Civil Action in Federal Court In Forma Pauperis Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915” for additional instructions. 5. Original and Judge’s Copy. You must send an original plus one copy of your complaint and of any other documents submitted to the Court. You must send one additional copy to the Court if you wish to have a file-stamped copy of the document returned to you. All copies must be identical to the original. Copies may be legibly handwritten. 6. Where to File. You should file your complaint in the division where you were confined when your rights were allegedly violated. See LRCiv 5.1(a) and 77.1(a). If you were confined in Maricopa, Pinal, Yuma, La Paz, or Gila County, file in the Phoenix Division. If you were confined in Apache, Navajo, Coconino, Mohave, or Yavapai County, file in the Prescott Division. If you were confined in Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham, or Greenlee County, file in the Tucson Division. Mail the original and one copy of the complaint with the $400 filing and administrative fees or the application to proceed in forma pauperis to: Revised 5/1/2013 1 Phoenix & Prescott Divisions: OR U.S. District Court Clerk U.S. Courthouse, Suite 130 401 West Washington Street, SPC 10 Phoenix, Arizona 85003-2119 Tucson Division: U.S. District Court Clerk U.S. Courthouse, Suite 1500 405 West Congress Street Tucson, Arizona 85701-5010 7. Change of Address. You must immediately notify the Court and the defendants in writing of any change in your mailing address. Failure to notify the Court of any change in your mailing address may result in the dismissal of your case. 8. Certificate of Service. You must furnish the defendants with a copy of any document you submit to the Court (except the initial complaint and application to proceed in forma pauperis). Each original document (except the initial complaint and application to proceed in forma pauperis) must include a certificate of service on the last page of the document stating the date a copy of the document was mailed to the defendants and the address to which it was mailed. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(a), (d). Any document received by the Court that does not include a certificate of service may be stricken. A certificate of service should be in the following form: I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing document was mailed this (month, day, year) to: Name: Address: Attorney for Defendant(s) (Signature) 9. Amended Complaint. If you need to change any of the information in the initial complaint, you must file an amended complaint. The amended complaint must be written on the court-approved civil rights complaint form. You may file one amended complaint without leave (permission) of Court before any defendant has answered your original complaint. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a). After any defendant has filed an answer, you must file a motion for leave to amend and lodge (submit) a proposed amended complaint. LRCiv 15.1. In addition, an amended complaint may not incorporate by reference any part of your prior complaint. LRCiv 15.1(a)(2). Any allegations or defendants not included in the amended complaint are considered dismissed. All amended complaints are subject to screening under the Prison Litigation Reform Act; screening your amendment will take additional processing time. 10. Exhibits. You should not submit exhibits with the complaint or amended complaint. Instead, the relevant information should be paraphrased. You should keep the exhibits to use to support or oppose a motion to dismiss, a motion for summary judgment, or at trial. 11. Letters and Motions. It is generally inappropriate to write a letter to any judge or the staff of any judge. The only appropriate way to communicate with the Court is by filing a written pleading or motion. 2 12. Completing the Civil Rights Complaint Form. HEADING: 1. Your Name. Print your name, prison or inmate number, and institutional mailing address on the lines provided. 2. Defendants. If there are four or fewer defendants, print the name of each. If you name more than four defendants, print the name of the first defendant on the first line, write the words “and others” on the second line, and attach an additional page listing the names of all of the defendants. Insert the additional page after page 1 and number it “1-A” at the bottom. 3. Jury Demand. If you want a jury trial, you must write “JURY TRIAL DEMANDED” in the space below “CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT BY A PRISONER.” Failure to do so may result in the loss of the right to a jury trial. A jury trial is not available if you are seeking only injunctive relief. Part A. JURISDICTION: 1. Nature of Suit. Mark whether you are filing the complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for state, county, or city defendants; “Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents” for federal defendants; or “other.” If you mark “other,” identify the source of that authority. 2. Location. Identify the institution and city where the alleged violation of your rights occurred. 3. Defendants. Print all of the requested information about each of the defendants in the spaces provided. If you are naming more than four defendants, you must provide the necessary information about each additional defendant on separate pages labeled “2-A,” “2B,” etc., at the bottom. Insert the additional page(s) immediately behind page 2. Part B. PREVIOUS LAWSUITS: You must identify any other lawsuit you have filed in either state or federal court while you were a prisoner. Print all of the requested information about each lawsuit in the spaces provided. If you have filed more than three lawsuits, you must provide the necessary information about each additional lawsuit on a separate page. Label the page(s) as “2-A,” “2-B,” etc., at the bottom of the page and insert the additional page(s) immediately behind page 2. Part C. CAUSE OF ACTION: You must identify what rights each defendant violated. The form provides space to allege three separate counts (one violation per count). If you are alleging more than three counts, you must provide the necessary information about each additional count on a separate page. Number the additional pages “5-A,” “5-B,” etc., and insert them immediately behind page 5. Remember that you are limited to a total of fifteen additional pages. 3 1. Counts. You must identify which civil right was violated. You may allege the violation of only one civil right per count. 2. Issue Involved. Check the box that most closely identifies the issue involved in your claim. You may check only one box per count. If you check the box marked “Other,” you must identify the specific issue involved. 3. Supporting Facts. After you have identified which civil right was violated, you must state the supporting facts. Be as specific as possible. You must state what each individual defendant did to violate your rights. If there is more than one defendant, you must identify which defendant did what act. You also should state the date(s) on which the act(s) occurred, if possible. 4. Injury. State precisely how you were injured by the alleged violation of your rights. 5. Administrative Remedies. You must exhaust any available administrative remedies before you file a civil rights complaint. See 42 U.S.C. § 1997e. Consequently, you should disclose whether you have exhausted the inmate grievance procedures or administrative appeals for each count in your complaint. If the grievance procedures were not available for any of your counts, fully explain why on the lines provided. Part D. REQUEST FOR RELIEF: Print the relief you are seeking in the space provided. SIGNATURE: You must sign your name and print the date you signed the complaint. Failure to sign the complaint will delay the processing of your action. Unless you are an attorney, you may not bring an action on behalf of anyone but yourself. FINAL NOTE You should follow these instructions carefully. Failure to do so may result in your complaint being stricken or dismissed. All questions must be answered concisely in the proper space on the form. If you need more space, you may attach no more than fifteen additional pages. But the form must be completely filled in to the extent applicable. If you attach additional pages, be sure to identify which section of the complaint is being continued and number the pages. 4 Name and Prisoner/Booking Number Place of Confinement Mailing Address City, State, Zip Code (Failure to notify the Court of your change of address may result in dismissal of this action.) IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA (Full Name of Plaintiff) Plaintiff, vs. (1) (Full Name of Defendant) (2) (3) (4) Defendant(s). G Check if there are additional Defendants and attach page 1-A listing them. ) , ) ) ) ) CASE NO. ) (To be supplied by the Clerk) , ) ) , ) ) CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT , ) BY A PRISONER ) , ) G Original Complaint G First Amended Complaint ) ) G Second Amended Complaint A. JURISDICTION 1. 2. This Court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to: G 28 U.S.C. § 1343(a); 42 U.S.C. § 1983 G 28 U.S.C. § 1331; Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents, 403 U.S. 388 (1971). G Other: . Institution/city where violation occurred: . Revised 5/1/2013 1 550/555 B. DEFENDANTS 1. Name of first Defendant: . The first Defendant is employed as: at . (Position and Title) 2. (Institution) . The second Defendant is employed as: Name of second Defendant: at . (Position and Title) 3. (Institution) Name of third Defendant: . The third Defendant is employed as: at . (Position and Title) 4. (Institution) Name of fourth Defendant: at (Position and Title) . The fourth Defendant is employed as: . (Institution) If you name more than four Defendants, answer the questions listed above for each additional Defendant on a separate page. C. PREVIOUS LAWSUITS 1. Have you filed any other lawsuits while you were a prisoner? 2. If yes, how many lawsuits have you filed? G Yes G No . Describe the previous lawsuits: a. First prior lawsuit: 1. Parties: v. 2. Court and case number: 3. Result: (Was the case dismissed? Was it appealed? Is it still pending?) . . b. Second prior lawsuit: v. 1. Parties: 2. Court and case number: 3. Result: (Was the case dismissed? Was it appealed? Is it still pending?) . . c. Third prior lawsuit: 1. Parties: v. 2. Court and case number: 3. Result: (Was the case dismissed? Was it appealed? Is it still pending?) . . If you filed more than three lawsuits, answer the questions listed above for each additional lawsuit on a separate page. 2 D. CAUSE OF ACTION 1. COUNT I State the constitutional or other federal civil right that was violated: . 2. Count I. Identify the issue involved. Check only one. State additional issues in separate counts. G Basic necessities G Mail G Access to the court G Medical care G Disciplinary proceedings G Property G Exercise of religion G Retaliation G Excessive force by an officer G Threat to safety G Other: . 3. Supporting Facts. State as briefly as possible the FACTS supporting Count I. Describe exactly what each Defendant did or did not do that violated your rights. State the facts clearly in your own words without citing legal authority or arguments. . 4. Injury. State how you were injured by the actions or inactions of the Defendant(s). . 5. Administrative Remedies: a. Are there any administrative remedies (grievance procedures or administrative appeals) available at your G Yes G No institution? b. Did you submit a request for administrative relief on Count I? G Yes G No c. Did you appeal your request for relief on Count I to the highest level? G Yes G No d. If you did not submit or appeal a request for administrative relief at any level, briefly explain why you did not. . 3 1. COUNT II State the constitutional or other federal civil right that was violated: . 2. Count II. Identify the issue involved. Check only one. State additional issues in separate counts. G Basic necessities G Mail G Access to the court G Medical care G Disciplinary proceedings G Property G Exercise of religion G Retaliation G Excessive force by an officer G Threat to safety G Other: . 3. Supporting Facts. State as briefly as possible the FACTS supporting Count II. Describe exactly what each Defendant did or did not do that violated your rights. State the facts clearly in your own words without citing legal authority or arguments. . 4. Injury. State how you were injured by the actions or inactions of the Defendant(s). . 5. Administrative Remedies. a. Are there any administrative remedies (grievance procedures or administrative appeals) available at your institution? G Yes G No b. Did you submit a request for administrative relief on Count II? G Yes G No c. Did you appeal your request for relief on Count II to the highest level? G Yes G No d. If you did not submit or appeal a request for administrative relief at any level, briefly explain why you did not. . 4 1. COUNT III State the constitutional or other federal civil right that was violated: . 2. Count III. Identify the issue involved. Check only one. State additional issues in separate counts. G Basic necessities G Mail G Access to the court G Medical care G Disciplinary proceedings G Property G Exercise of religion G Retaliation G Excessive force by an officer G Threat to safety G Other: . 3. Supporting Facts. State as briefly as possible the FACTS supporting Count III. Describe exactly what each Defendant did or did not do that violated your rights. State the facts clearly in your own words without citing legal authority or arguments. . 4. Injury. State how you were injured by the actions or inactions of the Defendant(s). . 5. Administrative Remedies. a. Are there any administrative remedies (grievance procedures or administrative appeals) available at your G Yes G No institution? b. Did you submit a request for administrative relief on Count III? G Yes G No c. Did you appeal your request for relief on Count III to the highest level? G Yes G No d. If you did not submit or appeal a request for administrative relief at any level, briefly explain why you did not. . If you assert more than three Counts, answer the questions listed above for each additional Count on a separate page. 5 E. REQUEST FOR RELIEF State the relief you are seeking: . I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on DATE SIGNATURE OF PLAINTIFF (Name and title of paralegal, legal assistant, or other person who helped prepare this complaint) (Signature of attorney, if any) (Attorney’s address & telephone number) ADDITIONAL PAGES All questions must be answered concisely in the proper space on the form. If you need more space, you may attach no more than fifteen additional pages. But the form must be completely filled in to the extent applicable. If you attach additional pages, be sure to identify which section of the complaint is being continued and number all pages. 6