Williams v. The State of California et al
Filing
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FINDINGS and RECOMMENDATIONS recommending the Dismissal of Certain Claims and Defendants re 15 First Amended Prisoner Civil Rights Complaint, signed by Magistrate Judge Michael J. Seng on 8/26/2011. Referred to Judge Wanger. Objections to F&R due within thirty (30) days. (Jessen, A)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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DONALD B. WILLIAMS,
Plaintiff,
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CASE NO. 1:11-cv-0182-OWW-MJS (PC)
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION FOR
DISMISSAL OF CERTAIN OF PLAINTIFF’S
CLAIMS
v.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA, et al.
(ECF Nos. 18 and 19)
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Defendants.
THIRTY DAY DEADLINE
/
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Plaintiff Donald B. Williams (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in
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forma pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
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Plaintiff initiated this action on February 2, 2011. (ECF No. 1.) The Court screened
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Plaintiff’s Complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, dismissed it for failure to state a claim,
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and gave Plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint.
Plaintiff filed an Amended
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Complaint on April 20, 2011. (ECF No. 15.) The Court found that Plaintiff stated a medical
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care claim against Defendants Enenmoh, Oneyeje, LeMay, Byers, and Faria, but failed to
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state any other claim upon which relief could be granted. (ECF No. 18.) The Court
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ordered Plaintiff to either file a second amended complaint, or notify the Court of his
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willingness to proceed on his cognizable claim. (Id.) Plaintiff notified the Court that he was
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willing to proceed on his only cognizable claim against Defendants Enenmoh, Oneyeje,
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LeMay, Byers, and Faria. (ECF No. 19.) Plaintiff’s other claims and certain Defendants
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should now be dismissed.
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I.
ANALYSIS
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The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief
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against a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C.
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§ 1915(A)(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereon if the prisoner has
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raised claims that are legally “frivolous or malicious,” that fail to state a claim upon which
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relief may be granted, or that seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from
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such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(A)(b)(1),(2).
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The Court reviewed Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint pursuant to this statue, and
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issued a Screening Order on July 21, 2011. (ECF No. 18.) The Court found as follows:
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A.
Claims Against the Department of Corrections
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The Eleventh Amendment prohibits suits against state agencies. (ECF No. 9); See
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Natural Res. Def. Council v. California Dep’t of Transp., 96 F.3d 420, 421 (9th Cir. 1996);
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Brooks v. Sulphur Springs Valley Elec. Co-op., 951 F.2d 1050, 1053 (9th 1991); Taylor v.
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List, 880 F.2d 1040, 1045 (9th Cir. 1989) (concluding that Nevada Department of Prisons
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was a state agency entitled to Eleventh Amendment immunity); Mitchell v. Los Angeles
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Community College Dist., 861 F.2d 198, 201 (9th Cir. 1989). Because Defendant the
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California Department of Corrections is a state agency, it is entitled to Eleventh
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Amendment immunity from suit. Because this Defendant was immune from suit, Plaintiff
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could not recover from it.
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B.
Claims Against Defendant Allison
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To state a claim for a constitutional violation under Section 1983, Plaintiff needed
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to demonstrate that each Defendant personally participated in the deprivation of his rights.
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Jones v. Williams, 297 F.3d 930, 934 (9th Cir. 2002). The Supreme Court recently
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emphasized that the term “supervisory liability,” loosely and commonly used by both courts
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and litigants alike, is a misnomer. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, ___ U.S. ___, ___, 129 S.Ct. 1937,
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1949 (2009). “Government officials may not be held liable for the unconstitutional conduct
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of their subordinates under a theory of respondeat superior.” Id. at 1948. Rather, each
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government official, regardless of his or her title, is only liable for his or her own
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misconduct. Therefore, Plaintiff needed to demonstrate that each Defendant, through his
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or her own individual actions, violated Plaintiff’s constitutional rights. Id. at 1948-49.
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Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint attributed no wrong to Defendant Allison beyond
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attributing deliberate indifference to the risks posed by Plaintiff’s lack of medical treatment
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and by approving the prison’s policy on access to medical care. Defendant Allison could
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not be held liable based solely on her position as warden of the California State Prison at
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Corcoran.
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C.
Claims Against Defendants Rodriguez, Beltran, Stohl, and Childress
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Plaintiff alleged that non-medical personnel Defendants Rodriguez, Beltran, Stohl,
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Childress, and Lofkin (collectively, “Prison Personnel Defendants”) violated Plaintiff’s
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Eighth Amendment rights by helping medical personnel deprive Plaintiff of access to his
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diabetic medicines and snacks and thereby denied him access to proper medical care.
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“[T]o maintain an Eighth Amendment claim based on prison medical treatment, an
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inmate must show ‘deliberate indifference to serious medical needs.’” Jett v. Penner, 439
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F.3d 1091, 1096 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 106, 97 S.Ct. 285
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(1976)). The two part test for deliberate indifference required Plaintiff to show (1) “‘a
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serious medical need’ by demonstrating that ‘failure to treat a prisoner’s condition could
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result in further significant injury or the unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain,’” and (2)
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“the defendant’s response to the need was deliberately indifferent.” Jett, 439 F.3d at 1096
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(quoting McGuckin v. Smith, 974 F.2d 1050, 1059 (9th Cir. 1992), overruled on other
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grounds, WMX Techs., Inc. v. Miller, 104 F.3d 1133, 1136 (9th Cir. 1997) (en banc)
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(internal quotations omitted)).
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To show deliberate indifference, Plaintiff needed to show “a purposeful act or failure
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to respond to a prisoner’s pain or possible medical need, and harm caused by the
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indifference.” Id. (citing McGuckin, 974 F.2d at 1060). “Deliberate indifference is a high
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legal standard.” Toguchi v. Chung, 391 F.3d 1051, 1060 (9th Cir. 2004). “Under this
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standard, the prison official must not only ‘be aware of the facts from which the inference
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could be drawn that a substantial risk of serious harm exists,’ but that person ‘must also
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draw the inference.’” Id. at 1057 (quoting Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 837, 114 S.Ct.
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1970 (1994)). “‘If a prison official should have been aware of the risk, but was not, then
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the official has not violated the Eighth Amendment, no matter how severe the risk.’” Id.
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(quoting Gibson v. Cnty. of Washoe, Nevada, 290 F.3d 1175, 1188 (9th Cir. 2002)).
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Plaintiff sufficiently pled a serious medical condition by alleging that failure to
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treat his diabetes could potentially result in a significant injury. However, Plaintiff did not
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show that the Prison Personnel Defendants were deliberately indifferent to Plaintiff’s
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medical needs, and therefore could not maintain his claims against them.
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D.
Claims Against Correction Management Corp. Inc.
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Plaintiff alleged claims against Defendant Construction Management Corp. Inc.
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(“CMC”), apparently alleged to be the management company for the California State Prison
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at Corcoran. Other circuits have held that state prisoners can bring Section 1983 claims
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against private operators of prisons and correctional officers employed by the operator.
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See Rosborough v. Mgmt. & Training Corp., 350 F.3d 459, 461 (5th Cir. 2003); Skelton v.
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Pri-Cor, Inc., 963 F.2d 100, 102 (6th Cir. 1991) (relying on Supreme Court precedents,
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courts found that a private company administering a state corrections facility could be sued
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under 42 U.S.C. § 1983). However, a private corporation can only be held vicariously liable
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under Section 1983 for its employees’ deprivations of others’ civil rights if there is a
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showing that there was an official policy or custom that caused the constitutional violation.
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See e.g., George v. Sonoma Cnty. Sheriff’s Dept., 732 F. Supp.2d 922 (N.D. Cal. 2010)
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(inmate’s estate and survivors filed a Section 1983 action for inadequate medical care, and
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court found that a private corporation could not be held liable for plaintiffs’ injuries because
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they could not show that the violations occurred as a result of a policy, decision, or custom
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promulgated or endorsed by the private entity). Plaintiff made no showing that his injuries
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resulted from a policy, decision or custom promulgated by Defendant CMC, and therefore
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could not maintain his claims against Defendant CMC.
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E.
Claims Against the Defendants Enenmoh, Oneyeje, LeMay, Byers, and
Faria
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Plaintiff claimed that Defendant Enenmoh, the Chief Medical Officer, instructed the
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medical staff not to treat Plaintiff’s diabetes. He claimed Defendant Oneyeje was his
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physician of record and knew Plaintiff was a diabetic but refused to intervene and order
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additional testing after Defendant Enenmoh instructed the staff not to treat Plaintiff’s
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diabetes. Plaintiff claimed that Defendant LeMay was a licensed vocational nurse, that
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he/she ordered Plaintiff’s medicines to be removed and that he/she personally confiscated
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Plaintiff’s medicines. Defendant Byers is a physician’s assistant who allegedly examined
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Plaintiff on his arrival at California State Prison at Corcoran and confirmed he was a
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diabetic. Defendant Byers terminated Plaintiff’s diabetic testing and declared Plaintiff to
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be diabetes free. Defendant Faria was the head nurse at California State Prison at
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Corcoran who ordered that Plaintiff was not to receive any additional diabetic testing and
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refused to allow Plaintiff to see an endocrinologist for his diabetes.
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As stated above, “to maintain an Eighth Amendment claim based on prison medical
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treatment, an inmate must show ‘deliberate indifference to serious medical needs.’” Jett,
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439 F.3d at 1096 (quoting Estelle, 429 U.S. at 106). The two part test for deliberate
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indifference required Plaintiff to show (1) “‘a serious medical need’ by demonstrating that
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‘failure to treat a prisoner’s condition could result in further significant injury or the
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unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain,’” and (2) “the defendant’s response to the need
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was deliberately indifferent.” Jett, 439 F.3d at 1096 (quoting McGuckin, 974 F.2d at 1059,
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overruled on other grounds, WMX Techs., Inc., 104 F.3d at 1136 (en banc) (internal
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quotations omitted)).
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The Court found that Plaintiff’s factual allegations, which were to be taken as true
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at that stage of the proceeding, satisfied the deliberate indifference standard by alleging
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that medical personnel Defendants Enenmoh, Oneyeje, LeMay, Byers, and Faria
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(collectively, “Medical Personnel Defendants”), knew that Plaintiff could be injured without
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medical treatment and, according to Plaintiff, affirmatively and personally undertook to
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deny Plaintiff necessary treatment for his serious medical condition. Plaintiff stated an
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Eighth Amendment claim for inadequate medical care against the Medical Personnel
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Defendants.
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F.
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Plaintiff also alleged that Defendants Enenmoh and Oneyeje deliberately denied him
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treatment for Plaintiff’s ruptured discs in his back after a fall in the shower. Plaintiff
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specifically alleged that the October 12, 2010 MRI showed these ruptures, and that these
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Defendants concealed the MRI results and left Plaintiff in pain until another doctor noticed
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the results and treated Plaintiff for the pain. This was a totally new claim not asserted in
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or related in any way to any claim in the original Complaint.
Plaintiff could not bring such a new claim in this action. George v. Smith, 507 F.3d
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Claims Involving the October 12, 2010 Incident
605, 607 (7th Cir. 2007) (no “buckshot” complaints).
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F.
Claims Against Defendant Betancourt
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Plaintiff named a “Defendant Betancourt” in his First Amended Complaint, but
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included no allegations or claims relating to Defendant Betancourt.
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II.
CONCLUSION
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Plaintiff stated a cognizable claim against Defendants Enenmoh, Oneyeje, LeMay,
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Byers, and Faria for inadequate medical care as a result of their alleged failure to provide
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treatment for Plaintiff’s diabetes, but failed to state any other cognizable claim. The Court
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gave him the option of either filing another amended complaint, or notifying the Court of
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his willingness to proceed on his cognizable claim. On August 18, 2011, Plaintiff notified
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the Court that he was willing to proceed only on his medical care claim against Defendants
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Enenmoh, Oneyeje, LeMay, Byers, and Faria. (ECF No. 19.)
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Based on the foregoing, it is HEREBY RECOMMENDED that:
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1.
Plaintiff’s claims against the California Department of Corrections be
dismissed without prejudice;
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2.
Plaintiff’s claims against Defendant Allison be dismissed without prejudice;
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3.
Plaintiff’s claims against Defendants Rodriguez, Beltran, Stohl, Lofkin, and
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Childress be dismissed without prejudice;
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4.
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Plaintiff’s claims against Correction Management Corp. Inc. be dismissed
without prejudice;
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5.
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Plaintiff’s medical care claim against Defendants Enenmoh and Oneyeje
related to the October 12, 2010 incident be dismissed without prejudice;
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6.
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Plaintiff’s claims against Defendant Betancourt be dismissed without
prejudice; and
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7.
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Defendants Department of Corrections, Allison, Rodriguez, Beltran, Stohl,
Lofkin, Childress, Correction Management Corp. Inc., and Betancourt be
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dismissed without prejudice.
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These Findings and Recommendations are submitted to the United States District
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Judge assigned to the case, pursuant to the provisions of Title 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1).
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Within thirty days after being served with these findings and recommendations, any party
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may file written objections with the Court and serve a copy on all parties. Such a document
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should be captioned “Objections to Magistrate Judge’s Findings and Recommendations.”
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Any reply to the objections shall be served and filed within ten days after service of the
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objections. The parties are advised that failure to file objections within the specified time
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may waive the right to appeal the District Court’s order. Martinez v. Ylst, 951 F.2d 1153
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(9th Cir. 1991).
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated:
ci4d6
August 26, 2011
Michael J. Seng
/s/
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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