Opinion ID: 866546
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Warden Chavez

Text: The complaint alleges Warden Chavez “established a policy or custom of holding citizens without pending criminal charges until the court filed orders of release sua sponte.” Allegedly, these policies or customs were “a significant moving force behind Plaintiff’s illegal detention.” The complaint further alleges Warden Chavez’s policy of holding citizens without court orders caused the violation of Wilson’s Fourth Amendment right to a prompt probable cause -18- determination. That is, because Warden Chavez failed to require the filing of written complaints, detainees, including Wilson, were held at the VCDC without receiving prompt probable cause determinations. The complaint also alleges Warden Chavez inappropriately trained his employees, which led to the violation of Wilson’s right to a prompt probable cause determination. Indeed, the complaint alleges there were numerous occasions where the VCDC and the VCSO held individuals for days and, on some occasions, weeks, without law enforcement taking those individuals before a magistrate judge. These allegations, taken as true, sufficiently establish Warden Chavez promulgated policies which caused the constitutional harm of which Wilson complains, i.e., his prolonged detention without a probable cause hearing. See Dodds, 614 F.3d at 1195-96 (stating a causal connection is alleged by claiming a supervisor defendant “set in motion a series of events that the defendant knew or reasonably should have known would cause others to deprive plaintiff of [his] constitutional rights” (quotations omitted)). That Wilson has not alleged he had any direct contact with Warden Chavez or that Warden Chavez actually knew of Wilson’s specific circumstances is of no consequence. See id. at 1195 (“Personal involvement does not require direct participation because § 1983 states any official who ‘causes’ a citizen to be deprived of her constitutional rights can also be held liable.” (quotations and alteration omitted)). -19- Finally, the complaint alleges sufficient facts to establish Warden Chavez acted with the requisite mental state. To establish a violation of § 1983 by a defendant-supervisor, the plaintiff must establish, at minimum, a deliberate and intentional act on the part of the supervisor to violate the plaintiff’s legal rights. Porro v. Barnes, 624 F.3d 1322, 1327-28 (10th Cir. 2010). The complaint alleges Warden Chavez acted with deliberate indifference to routine constitutional violations occurring at the VCDC. This allegation is supported by Wilson’s assertions that there were numerous prior occasions in which individuals at the VCDC and VCSO were subject to prolonged warrantless detention. See supra n.3. Appellants do not challenge the district court’s conclusion that deliberate indifference is a sufficiently culpable mental state to impose supervisory liability under § 1983. The complaint’s allegations against Warden Chavez therefore state a plausible claim for relief under Dodds, and the district court did not err in denying the motion to dismiss as to Warden Chavez.