Blair v. CDCR et al
Filing
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FINDINGS and RECOMMENDATIONS Recommending that Plaintiff's 57 58 Motions for Injunctive Relief be Denied signed by Chief Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill on 14cv1156. Referred to Judge O'Neill; Objections to F&R due by 1/12/2017.(Flores, E)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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PERRY C. BLAIR,
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Plaintiff,
v.
CDCR, et al.,
Defendants.
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Case No.: 1:14-cv-01156-LJO-SAB (PC)
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDING PLAINTIFF’S MOTIONS FOR
INJUNCTIVE RELIEF BE DENIED
[ECF Nos. 57, 58]
Plaintiff Perry C. Blair is appearing pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
Currently before the Court are Plaintiff’s motions a temporary restraining order and
preliminary injunction, filed October 3, 2016, and October 17, 2016.
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I.
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DISCUSSION
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In his motions, Plaintiff seeks an order preventing his transfer back to Substance Abuse
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Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran (“SATF”), where the alleged events at issue in this
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action took place. Plaintiff indicates that on September 23, 2016, he was endorsed to be housed and
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transferred back to SATF, and such transfer will place Plaintiff’s life in jeopardy. Plaintiff contends
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that correctional staff at SATF have been deliberately indifferent to his personal safety by distributing
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falsified documents to prisoner’s labeling Plaintiff a “snitch” with instructions to attack him. (ECF
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No. 57, Mot. at 1-2.) Plaintiff further contends that if he is transferred back to SATF, prison officials
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will resort back to denying him access to the court by disposing of his legal material and legal mail.
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(ECF No. 58, Mot. at 1.) Plaintiff therefore seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary
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injunction preventing his transfer back to SATF.
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The analysis for a temporary restraining order is substantially identical to that for a preliminary
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injunction. Stuhlbarg Intern. Sales Co., Inc. v. John D. Brush and Co., Inc., 240 F.3d 832, 839 n.7 (9th
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Cir. 2001). A preliminary injunction should not issue unless necessary to prevent threatened injury
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that would impair the court’s ability to grant effective relief in a pending action. “A preliminary
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injunction … is not a preliminary adjudication on the merits but rather a device for preserving the
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status quo and preventing the irreparable loss of right before judgment.” Sierra On-Line, Inc. v.
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Phoenix Software, Inc., 739 F.2d 1415, 1422 (9th Cir. 1984). A preliminary injunction represents the
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exercise of a far reaching power not to be indulged except in a case clearly warranting it. Dymo
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Indus. V. Tapeprinter, Inc., 326 F.2d 141, 143 (9th Cir. 1964). “The proper legal standard for
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preliminary injunctive relief requires a party to demonstrate ‘that he is likely to succeed on the merits,
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that he is likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief, that the balance of
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equities tips in his favor, and that an injunction is in the public interest.’” Stormans, Inc., v. Selecky,
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586 F.3d 1109, 1127 (9th Cir. 2009), quoting Winter v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 555 U.S. 7
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(2008). In cases brought by prisoners involving conditions of confinement, any preliminary injunction
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“must be narrowly drawn, extend no further than necessary to correct the harm the court finds requires
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preliminary relief, and be the least intrusive means necessary to correct the harm.” 18 U.S.C. §
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3626(a)(2). If the Court does not have an actual case or controversy before it, it has no power to hear
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the matter in question. Valley Force Christian Coll. V. Ams. United for Separation of Church and
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State, Inc., 454 U.S. 464, 471 (1982). Here, Plaintiff is proceeding on claims in this action which
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amount an actual case or controversy.
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However, the pendency of this action does not give the Court jurisdiction over prison officials
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in general or over the conditions or location of Plaintiff’s confinement. Summers v. Earth Island
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Institute, 555 U.S. 488, 492-493 (2009); Mayfield v. United States, 599 F.3d 964, 969 (9th Cir. 2010).
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The Court’s jurisdiction is limited to the parties in this action and to the cognizable legal claims on
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which this action is proceeding. Summers, 555 U.S. at 492-493; Mayfield, 599 F.3d at 969.
Plaintiff’s motions must be denied for lack of jurisdiction over the prison officials with the
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authority to effectuate such a transfer. “An inmate seeking an injunction on the ground that there is a
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contemporary violation of a nature likely to continue, must adequately plead such a violation; …”
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Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 844-846 (1994) (citations and quotations omitted). Plaintiff “must
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[also] come forward with evidence from which it can be inferred that the defendant-officials were at
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the time suit was filed, and are at the time [in question], knowingly and unreasonably disregarding an
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objectively intolerable risk of harm, and that they will continue to do so; and finally to establish
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eligibility for an injunction, the inmate must demonstrate the continuance of that disregard during the
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remainder of the litigation and into the future.” Id. at 845-846. At this stage of the proceedings, the
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Court cannot determine the merits of such claim as it requires submission of evidence, versus only a
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determination as to whether a claim has been plausibly stated. Plaintiff’s speculative and conclusory
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allegations, relating to past incidents, are insufficient to warrant injunctive relief in this action and do
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not constitute irreparable injury. See Carribean Marine Servs. Co. v. Baldrige, 844 F.2d 668, 674 (9th
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Cir. 1988). That said, Plaintiff is not precluded from attempting to raise claims in a new action if he
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believes his civil rights are being violated beyond his pleadings in this action. The Court
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acknowledges the serious nature of Plaintiff’s allegations; however, the seriousness of Plaintiff’s
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accusations concerning his physical safety in this circumstance cannot and does not overcome the
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jurisdictional bar. Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Environment, 523 U.S. 83, 103-104 (1998)
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(“[The] triad of injury in fact, causation, and redressability constitutes the core of Article III’s case-or-
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controversy requirement, and the party invoking federal jurisdiction bears the burden of establishing
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its existence.”) Accordingly, Plaintiff’s motions for a temporary restraining order and preliminary
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injunction preventing his transfer to SATF must be denied.
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II.
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RECOMMENDATION
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Based on the foregoing, it is HEREBY RECOMMENDED that Plaintiff’s motions for a
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temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, filed October 3, 2016, and October 17, 2016,
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be DENIED.
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This Findings and Recommendation will be submitted to the United States District Judge
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assigned to the case, pursuant to the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(l). Within thirty (30) days after
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being served with this Findings and Recommendation, the parties may file written objections with the
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Court. The document should be captioned “Objections to Magistrate Judge’s Findings and
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Recommendation.” The parties are advised that failure to file objections within the specified time may
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result in the waiver of rights on appeal. Wilkerson v. Wheeler, 772 F.3d 834, 838-39 (9th Cir. 2014)
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(citing Baxter v. Sullivan, 923 F.2d 1391, 1394 (9th Cir. 1991)).
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated:
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December 9, 2016
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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