Source: http://ca.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20130603_0001309.NCA.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2017-02-26 17:19:32
Document Index: 416422216

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1983', '§1985', '§ 1983', '§ 1985', '§ 1985', '§ 1983', '§ 1997', '§ 1915']

| Richardson v. Reyes
Richardson v. Reyes
FORREST M. RICHARDSON, Plaintiff,v.DENISE REYES, et al., Defendants.
ORDER SCREENING COMPLAINT AND SETTING DEADLINE FOR DEFENDANTS TO FILE A RESPONSIVE PLEADING Re: ECF No. 17
Plaintiff, a represented California prisoner, has filed an amended complaint against Defendants California Correctional Officer C. Morales, Correctional Officer T. Moreno, Correctional Officer D. Ogle, Correctional Lieutenant Young, Correctional Lieutenant Graham, Correctional Officers John Does 1 through 20, and Dr. Denise Reyes. ECF No. 16. Defendants have requested that the Court screen the complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A. ECF No. 17.
"[I]n a civil action in which a prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity, " a federal court shall conduct a preliminary screening to identify any cognizable claims and dismiss the complaint or any portion of portion of the complaint if the complaint is "frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, " or if it "seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief." 28 U.S.C. § 1915A.
"Failure to state a claim under § 1915A incorporates the familiar standard applied in the context of failure to state a claim under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)." Wilhelm v. Rotman , 680 F.3d 1113, 1121 (9th Cir. 2012). A "complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'" Ashcroft v. Iqbal , 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly , 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). "A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged." Id . (quoting Twombly , 550 U.S. at 556).
"To state a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff must allege the violation of a right secured by the Constitution and laws of the United States, and must show that the alleged deprivation was committed by a person acting under color of state law." West v. Atkins , 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. §1985(2), a plaintiff must show either that (1) two or more people conspired to obstruct justice in the federal courts or that (2) that two or more people conspire to obstruct justice in the state courts, motivated by an intent to deprive their victims of the equal protection of the laws. See Kush v. Rutledge , 460 U.S. 719, 724-25 (1983).
In Counts One and Two of his initial complaint, Plaintiff brought causes of action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging Defendants had violated his civil rights by depriving him of medical care and retaliating against him for filing another lawsuit. ECF No. 1. In Count Three, he alleged that defendants conspired to obstruct justice in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1985(2), and in Count Four, he alleged that defendants conspired to deprive him of his rights and privileges in violation of 28 U.S.C. § 1985(3). Id . In response to Defendants' request to screen, the Court previously found that Plaintiff had alleged sufficient facts to support Counts One and Two. ECF No. 15. However, the Court dismissed Counts Three and Four without prejudice. Id . The Court found that Plaintiff had asserted insufficient facts to support his Section 1985(2) claim, and that since he did not allege that he was discriminated against on the basis of his race, he could not bring a claim for a violation of Section 1985(3). Id. Plaintiff has now filed an amended complaint which re-asserts Counts One, Two and Three from his original complaint, but which does not attempt to reassert Plaintiff's § 1983(3) claim. ECF Nos. 16. Defendants have again asked that the Court screen the Complaint pursuant to Section 1915A, and have also notified the Court that they have waived their right of reply pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1997e(g). ECF No. 17.
The Court sees no grounds to conclude that the amended complaint is "frivolous" or "malicious, " or that it "seek[s] monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief." 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(2). Defendant's motion does not suggest that such grounds may exist.
Defendants do suggest that the amended complaint, or at least Count Three, may "fail to state a claim, " since the complaint does not allege sufficient facts to infer that the defendants conspired together. On the basis of the currently submitted materials, the Court does not find that the alleged facts are insufficient to raise a plausible inference that defendants conspired to deprive Plaintiff of medical care. The Court notes, however, that defendants are entitled to make a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim even after the Court finds that the complaint should not dismissed at the screening stage. See Kunamneni v. Gutierrez, 2009 WL 909831, at *2 (N.D. Cal. Apr. 2, 2009) ("the sua sponte screening and dismissal procedure is ...