Weston et al v. Cruz et al

Filing 9

ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney on 4/8/15 ORDERING that Plaintiffs request for leave to proceed in forma pauperis (ECF No. 8 ) is granted. Plaintiff is obligated to pay the statutory filing fee of $350.00 for this action. Plaintiff's complaint is DISMISSED with 30 days to file an amended complaint.(Dillon, M)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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ROCHELLE WESTON,

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Plaintiffs,

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No. 2:15-cv-0239 CKD P

v.

ORDER

KRISTIN CRUZ, et al.,

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Defendants.

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Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding pro se.1 Plaintiff seeks relief pursuant to 42 U.S.C.

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§ 1983 and has requested leave to proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915. This

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proceeding was referred to this court by Local Rule 302 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1).

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Plaintiff has consented to have all matters in this action before a United State Magistrate Judge.

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See 28 U.S.C. § 636(c).
Plaintiff has submitted a declaration that makes the showing required by 28 U.S.C. §

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1915(a). Accordingly, the request to proceed in forma pauperis will be granted.

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Plaintiff is required to pay the statutory filing fee of $350.00 for this action. 28 U.S.C. §§

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1914(a), 1915(b)(1). By separate order, the court will direct the appropriate agency to collect the

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initial partial filing fee from plaintiff’s trust account and forward it to the Clerk of the Court.

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Two plaintiffs are identified in the complaint. Plaintiff Howze was dismissed on March 17,
2015.
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Thereafter, plaintiff will be obligated for monthly payments of twenty percent of the preceding

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month’s income credited to plaintiff’s prison trust account. These payments will be forwarded by

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the appropriate agency to the Clerk of the Court each time the amount in plaintiff’s account

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exceeds $10.00, until the filing fee is paid in full. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

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The court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a

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governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The

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court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if the prisoner has raised claims that are legally

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“frivolous or malicious,” that fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or that seek

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monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1),(2).

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A claim is legally frivolous when it lacks an arguable basis either in law or in fact.

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Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 325 (1989); Franklin v. Murphy, 745 F.2d 1221, 1227-28 (9th

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Cir. 1984). The court may, therefore, dismiss a claim as frivolous where it is based on an

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indisputably meritless legal theory or where the factual contentions are clearly baseless. Neitzke,

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490 U.S. at 327. The critical inquiry is whether a constitutional claim, however inartfully

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pleaded, has an arguable legal and factual basis. See Jackson v. Arizona, 885 F.2d 639, 640 (9th

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Cir. 1989); Franklin, 745 F.2d at 1227.

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In order to avoid dismissal for failure to state a claim a complaint must contain more than

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“naked assertions,” “labels and conclusions” or “a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause

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of action.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555-557 (2007). In other words,

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“[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory

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statements do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (2009). Furthermore, a claim upon

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which the court can grant relief has facial plausibility. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570. “A claim has

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facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the

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reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at

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678. When considering whether a complaint states a claim upon which relief can be granted, the

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court must accept the allegations as true, Erickson v. Pardus, 127 S. Ct. 2197, 2200 (2007), and

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construe the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, see Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416

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U.S. 232, 236 (1974).
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The court finds the allegations in plaintiff’s complaint so vague and conclusory that it fails

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to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Although the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

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adopt a flexible pleading policy, a complaint must give fair notice and state the elements of the

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claim plainly and succinctly. Jones v. Community Redev. Agency, 733 F.2d 646, 649 (9th Cir.

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1984). Plaintiff must allege with at least some degree of particularity overt acts which defendants

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engaged in that support plaintiff’s claim. Id. Plaintiff’s complaint must be dismissed. The court

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will, however, grant leave to file an amended complaint.

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If plaintiff chooses to amend the complaint, plaintiff must demonstrate how the conditions
complained of have resulted in a deprivation of plaintiff’s constitutional rights. See Ellis v.

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Cassidy, 625 F.2d 227 (9th Cir. 1980). Also, the complaint must allege in specific terms how

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each named defendant is involved. There can be no liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 unless there

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is some affirmative link or connection between a defendant’s actions and the claimed deprivation.

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Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362 (1976); May v. Enomoto, 633 F.2d 164, 167 (9th Cir. 1980);

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Johnson v. Duffy, 588 F.2d 740, 743 (9th Cir. 1978). Furthermore, vague and conclusory

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allegations of official participation in civil rights violations are not sufficient. Ivey v. Board of

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Regents, 673 F.2d 266, 268 (9th Cir. 1982).

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It appears some of the issues raised in plaintiff’s complaint concern reasons why she is

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incarcerated. Plaintiff is informed that when a prisoner challenges the legality of custody and the

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relief sought is earlier or immediate release, the sole federal remedy is a writ of habeas corpus.

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Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475, 500 (1973). Further, the court cannot grant federal habeas

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relief until state court remedies have been exhausted with respect to the claim provided a basis for

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relief. See Picard v. Connor, 404 U.S. 270, 276 (1971); Middleton v. Cupp, 768 F.2d 1083, 1086

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(9th Cir. 1986). To the extent the claims raised in plaintiff’s complaint imply the invalidity of her

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incarceration, the claims are barred by Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477, 487 (1994).

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Finally, plaintiff is informed that the court cannot refer to a prior pleading in order to

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make plaintiff’s amended complaint complete. Local Rule 220 requires that an amended

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complaint be complete in itself without reference to any prior pleading. This is because, as a

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general rule, an amended complaint supersedes the original complaint. See Loux v. Rhay, 375
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F.2d 55, 57 (9th Cir. 1967). Once plaintiff files an amended complaint, the original pleading no

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longer serves any function in the case. Therefore, in an amended complaint, as in an original

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complaint, each claim and the involvement of each defendant must be sufficiently alleged.

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In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

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1. Plaintiff’s request for leave to proceed in forma pauperis (ECF No. 8) is granted.

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2. Plaintiff is obligated to pay the statutory filing fee of $350.00 for this action. All fees

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shall be collected and paid in accordance with this court’s order to the Sacramento County Sheriff

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filed concurrently herewith.

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3. Plaintiff’s complaint is dismissed.

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4. Plaintiff is granted thirty days from the date of service of this order to file an amended

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complaint that complies with the requirements of the Civil Rights Act, the Federal Rules of Civil

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Procedure, and the Local Rules of Practice; the amended complaint must bear the docket number

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assigned this case and must be labeled “Amended Complaint”; failure to file an amended

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complaint in accordance with this order will result in a recommendation that this action be

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dismissed.

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Dated: April 8, 2015

_____________________________________
CAROLYN K. DELANEY
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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