Cabrera v. Rios et al
Filing
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ORDER to SHOW CAUSE Why This Action Should Not Be Dismissed for Failure to Exhaust Administrative Remedies, signed by Magistrate Judge Gerald B. Cohn on 9/6/2011. Show Cause Response 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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ROBERTO ESQUIVEL CABRERA,
1:11-cv-01382-GBC (PC)
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ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE REGARDING
EXHAUSTION
Plaintiff,
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v.
(Doc. 1)
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H. A. RIOS, JR., et al.,
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Defendants.
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I.
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Roberto Esquivel Cabrera (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma
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pauperis in this civil rights action filed pursuant to Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Federal
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Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971). On August 19, 2011, Plaintiff filed his original
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complaint. (Doc. 1). On page two of the form complaint, Plaintiff states that he has exhausted
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administrative remedies and directs the court to see attachments. (Doc. 1 at 2). However, Plaintiff’s
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attachments contradict his assertion that his administrative remedies have been exhausted. (Doc. 1
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at 11, 16).
Factual and Procedural Background
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II.
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Pursuant to the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995, "[n]o action shall be brought with
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respect to prison conditions under [42 U.S.C. § 1983], or any other Federal law, by a prisoner
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confined in any jail, prison, or other correctional facility until such administrative remedies as are
Exhaustion Requirement
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available are exhausted." 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). Prisoners are required to exhaust the available
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administrative remedies prior to filing suit. Jones v. Bock, 127 S.Ct. 910, 918-19 (2007); McKinney
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v. Carey, 311 F.3d 1198, 1199-1201 (9th Cir. 2002). The Court must dismiss a case without
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prejudice even when there is exhaustion while the suit is pending. Lira v. Herrera, 427 F.3d 1164,
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1170 (9th Cir. 2005).
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Exhaustion is required regardless of the relief sought by the prisoner. Booth v. Churner, 532
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U.S. 731, 741, 121 S.Ct. 1819 (2001). A prisoner must “must use all steps the prison holds out,
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enabling the prison to reach the merits of the issue.” Griffin v. Arpaio, 557 F.3d 1117, 1119 (9th Cir.
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2009); see also Brown v. Valoff, 422 F.3d 926, 935 (9th Cir. 2005). A prisoner's concession to
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non-exhaustion is valid grounds for dismissal so long as no exception to exhaustion applies. 42
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U.S.C. § 1997e(a); Wyatt v. Terhune, 315 F.3d 1108, 1120 (9th Cir. 2003).
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The federal Bureau of Prisons has an administrative grievance system for prisoner
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complaints. 28 C.F.R. §§ 542.13-542.15; see also Nunez v. Duncan, 591 F.3d 1217, 1219-20 (9th
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Cir. 2010). The Ninth Circuit describes:
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As a first step in this process, an inmate normally must present his complaint
informally to prison staff using a BP-8 form. If the informal complaint does not
resolve the dispute, the inmate may make an "Administrative Remedy Request"
concerning the dispute to the prison Warden using a BP-9 form.1 The BP-8 and BP-9
are linked. Both forms involve a complaint arising out of the same incident, and both
forms must be submitted within 20 calendar days of the date of that incident. 28
C.F.R. § 542.14(a). An extension of time is available upon a showing of valid reason
for delay. Section 542.14(b) provides a non-exhaustive list of reasons that justify an
extension of time. Valid reasons "include . . . an extended period in-transit during
which the inmate was separated from documents needed to prepare the Request or
Appeal." Id.
If the Warden renders an adverse decision on the BP-9, the inmate may appeal
to the Regional Director using a BP-10 form. 28 C.F.R. § 542.15(a). The BP-10 must
be submitted to the Regional Director within 20 calendar days of the date of the
Warden's decision. Id. As with the time period for filing a BP-9, an extension of time
is available upon a showing of a valid reason. Id. Section 542.15(a) provides that
"[v]alid reasons for delay include those situations described in § 542.14(b)." Id.
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The inmate may appeal an adverse decision by the Regional Director to the
Central Office (also called the General Counsel) of the BOP using a BP-11 form. Id.
The BP-11 must be submitted to the Central Office within 30 calendar days from the
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If a complaint is "sensitive," such that "the inmate's safety or well-being would be placed in danger if the
Request became known at the institution," the inmate may bypass the W arden and file a BP-9 directly with the BOP
Regional Director. 28 C.F.R. § 542.14(d).
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date of the Regional Director's decision. Id. As with the time period for filing a BP-9
and a BP-10, an extension is available upon the showing of a valid reason as
described in § 542.14(b). Id.
Nunez v. Duncan, 591 F.3d 1217, 1219 (9th Cir. 2010).
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In order to satisfy section 1997e(a), prisoners are required to use the available process to
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exhaust their claims prior to filing suit. Woodford v. Ngo, 548 U.S. 81, 126 S.Ct. 2378, 2383 (2006);
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McKinney, 311 F.3d at 1199-1201. “[E]xhaustion is mandatory under the PLRA and . . .
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unexhausted claims cannot be brought in court.” Jones, 127 S.Ct. at 918-19 (citing Porter, 435 U.S.
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at 524). “All ‘available’ remedies must now be exhausted; those remedies need not meet federal
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standards, nor must they be ‘plain, speedy, and effective.’” Porter, 534 U.S. at 524 (quoting Booth,
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532 U.S. at 739 n.5).
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The Court may review exhibits attached to the complaint that may contradict Plaintiff’s
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assertions in the complaint. Tyler v. Cuomo, 236 F.3d 1124, 1131 (9th Cir. 2000); Durning v. First
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Boston Corp., 815 F.2d 1265, 1267 (9th Cir. 1987). Attached to Plaintiff’s complaint, is a letter
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dated August 2, 2011, from the Administrative Remedy Coordinator at Atwater Prison which states
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that the appeal was being rejected because Plaintiff failed to submit the grievance at the preliminary
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level through his counselor and he failed to comply with the page requirements. (Doc. 1 at 16). The
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Supreme Court has held that the exhaustion requirement demands “proper” exhaustion. Woodford
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v. Ngo, 548 U.S. 81, 84, 90-91 (2006). “To ‘proper[ly]’ exhaust, a prisoner must comply ‘with an
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agency's deadlines and other critical procedural rules because no adjudicative system can function
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effectively without imposing some orderly structure on the course of its proceedings.’” Sapp v.
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Kimbrell, 623 F.3d 813, 821 (9th Cir. 2010) (quoting Woodford v. Ngo, 548 U.S. 81, 90-91 ).
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In this instance, Plaintiff was informed of the shortcomings of his appeal and was given an
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explanation of the correct process to pursue an administrative grievance. (Doc. 1 at 16). Plaintiff
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does not attach any documentation that would demonstrate that he attempted to address the
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shortcomings highlighted in the administrative screening notice. Since it appears that Plaintiff has
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failed to comply with the agency’s procedural requirements, Plaintiff has not properly exhausted his
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administrative remedies. See Woodford v. Ngo, 548 U.S. 81, 84, 90-91.
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III.
Because it appears that Plaintiff has not completed the grievance process, the Court
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Conclusion and Order
HEREBY ORDERS:
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Within thirty (30) days of the date of service of this order, Plaintiff SHALL SHOW
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CAUSE why the action should not be dismissed for failure to exhaust administrative
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remedies.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated:
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September 6, 2011
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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