Court Opinion

ID: 9555052
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-10 17:00:58.800719+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:41:02.925126
License: Public Domain

NOT FOR PUBLICATION                           FILED
                    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                       AUG 10 2023
                                                                      MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
                                                                       U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
                           FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

SHAWN CHARLES GOFF,                             No.    22-16176

                Plaintiff-Appellant,            D.C. No. 2:20-cv-01557-DLR

 v.
                                                MEMORANDUM*
ANTHONY COLEMAN, Deputy Warden;
THOMPSON, Unknown: replaced with
Gerald Thompson as listed in the first
amended complaint (doc. 11); KIMBLE,
Unknown : current Warden; RYAN
THORNELL, Director; MORRIS, Unknown;
CO IV, Grievance Coordinator; GERALD
THOMPSON, former Warden; CHARLES
RYAN,

                Defendants-Appellees.

                   Appeal from the United States District Court
                            for the District of Arizona
                   Douglas L. Rayes, District Judge, Presiding

                             Submitted July 18, 2023**

Before:      SCHROEDER, RAWLINSON, and BADE, Circuit Judges.

      *
             This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
      **
             The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
      Arizona state prisoner Shawn Charles Goff appeals pro se from the district

court’s summary judgment in his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleging constitutional

claims. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We review de novo. Jones

v. Slade, 23 F.4th 1124, 1133 (9th Cir. 2022). We affirm.

      The district court properly granted summary judgment on Goff’s First

Amendment free exercise claim because Goff failed to raise a genuine dispute of

material fact as to whether the exclusion of his sexually and/or violently explicit

Wiccan religious items was reasonably related to a legitimate penological interest.

See Turner v. Safley, 482 U.S. 78, 89 (1987) (“[W]hen a prison regulation

impinges on inmates’ constitutional rights, the regulation is valid if it is reasonably

related to legitimate penological interests.”).

      The district court properly granted summary judgment on Goff’s Fourteenth

Amendment equal protection claim because Goff failed to raise a genuine dispute

of material fact as to whether he was discriminated against on the basis of his

religion. See Hartmann v. Cal. Dep’t of Corrs. & Rehab., 707 F.3d 1114, 1123

(9th Cir. 2013) (requirements for an equal protection claim).

      The district court did not abuse its discretion by denying Goff’s request for

entry of default because defendant did not fail to plead or otherwise defend. See

Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(a) (providing for entry of default when a defendant “has failed

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to plead or otherwise defend”); Speiser, Krause & Madole P.C. v. Ortiz, 271 F.3d

884, 886 (9th Cir. 2001) (setting forth standard of review).

      The district court did not abuse its discretion by denying Goff’s motions for

discovery sanctions. See Ingenco Holdings, LLC v. Ace Am. Ins. Co., 921 F.3d

803, 808, 821 (9th Cir. 2019) (setting forth standard of review and explaining that

a district court has wide latitude regarding discovery sanctions).

      Contrary to Goff’s contention, the district court did not fail to consider

Goff’s claim under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act

because no such claim was clearly alleged in the operative complaint.

      The unopposed motion to substitute party (Docket Entry No. 26) is granted.

      AFFIRMED.

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