Sampson v. Lauretta et al
Filing
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ORDER by Judge Kandis A. Westmore granting 12 Motion to Dismiss with leave to amend. First amended complaint due December 4, 2012. (kawlc2, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 11/13/2012)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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KRISTA SAMPSON,
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Plaintiff,
Case No.: 4:12-cv-3400 KAW
ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS'
MOTION TO DISMISS
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vs.
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Northern District of California
United States District Court
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LISA LAURETTA, et al.,
Defendants.
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Plaintiff Krista Sampson ("Plaintiff") filed this civil rights lawsuit pro se against Defendants
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Alameda County Social Services Agency, Lisa Lauretta, and Katherine Moore ("Defendants") on
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June 29, 2012. The parties have consented to proceed before a United States Magistrate Judge. See
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28 U.S.C. § 636(c).
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On September 9, 2012, Defendants filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of
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Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). The Court held a hearing on the motion on November 1, 2012. Plaintiff
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did not appear at the hearing. For the following reasons, Defendants' motion to dismiss is granted,
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and Plaintiff is given leave to file a first amended complaint within three weeks of the date of this
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order. If Plaintiff fails to timely file a first amended complaint, the Court may dismiss her case for
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failure to prosecute.
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I.
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Factual Background
Plaintiff claims that this court has jurisdiction over the case "because it arises under the laws
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of the United States." It appears that Plaintiff wishes to proceed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. As
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such, the Court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331.
Defendants Lisa Lauretta and Katherine Moore are child welfare workers.1 (Compl. at 2.)
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Defendants unlawfully removed Plaintiff's children from her home. Id. They filed false allegations
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of medical neglect and failure to complete a court-ordered case plan against Plaintiff. Id.
Defendants violated Plaintiff's rights by taking away her telephone, and taking away her
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visitation rights because she believes in God. Id. Defendants told Plaintiff that if she "spoke about
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god [she] would never see [her] kids again." Id. at 2-3.
Plaintiff's privacy rights were violated when Defendants had her home, car and person
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searched without cause. Id. at 3. Plaintiff almost lost her home and car "due to this event." Id.
Defendant Moore harassed Plaintiff by phone and in person, and purposely overscheduled
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Plaintiff's due process rights by making court dates without her knowledge, so that she would not get
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Northern District of California
Plaintiff with case plan services so that she would not get her children back. Id. Defendants violated
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United States District Court
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her children back. Id.
Plaintiff writes that "[a]s a result of the defendant's actions against me my left foot has severe
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edema and pain when I walk or sit too long." Id. Plaintiff seeks monetary damages from "both of
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the defendants." Id. She seeks no other relief.
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II.
Legal Standard
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Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) provides that dismissal should be granted where the
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pleadings fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Rule 8(a)(2) requires that a pleading
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stating a claim for relief contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is
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entitled to relief.”
In considering a 12(b)(6) motion, “[a]ll allegations of material fact are taken as true and
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construed in the light most favorable to plaintiff. But "[t]o survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint
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must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to “state a claim to relief that is plausible on
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its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007). "Threadbare recitals of the
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elements of a cause of action" and "conclusory statements" are not adequate. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556
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U.S. 662, 678 (2009). "The plausibility standard is not akin to a probability requirement, but it asks
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Presumably, these Defendants were employed by Alameda County Social Services Agency, and
were acting in the course and scope of their employment.
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for more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully . . . . When a complaint pleads
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facts that are merely consistent with a defendant's liability, it stops short of the line between
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possibility and plausibility of entitlement to relief." Id. (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557) (internal
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citations omitted).
Generally, if the court dismisses the complaint, it should grant leave to amend even if no
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request to amend is made “unless it determines that the pleading could not possibly be cured by the
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allegation of other facts.” Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1127 (9th Cir. 2000).
Pro se pleadings are to be liberally construed. Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007),
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citing Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 106 (1976). "A pro se complaint, however inartfully pleaded,
dismissed for failure to state a claim if it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of
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Northern District of California
must be held to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers and can only be
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facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief." Estelle, 429 U.S. at 106 (internal
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citations omitted).
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III.
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Analysis
As set forth below, Defendants' motion to dismiss must be granted. As a preliminary matter,
both parties have filed requests for judicial notice with their pleadings on the motion to dismiss.
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A fact may be judicially noticed if it is either “generally known within the territorial
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jurisdiction of the trial court” or “capable of accurate and ready determination by resort to sources
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whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned.” Fed. R. Evid. 201(b).
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Defendants request that the Court take judicial notice of a number of documents that their
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attorney attests are true and correct copies of Alameda County Superior Court documents. (Request
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for Judicial Notice Supporting Defs' Mot. to Dismiss Pl's Compl.) Defendants filed an additional
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request for judicial notice with their reply brief, asking the Court to take judicial notice of additional
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documents that Defendants' attorney attests are true and correct copies of Alameda County Superior
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Court documents. (Additional Req. for Judicial Notice Supp. Defs.' Mot. to Dismiss Pl's Compl.)
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The Court finds that the existence of the Alameda County Superior Court documents are
judicially noticeable; however, statements within these documents are hearsay, and their accuracy
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could reasonably be questioned. Defendants' requests for judicial notice are granted as to the
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existence of the documents only.
Plaintiff has also filed a request for judicial notice with her opposition to Defendants' motion
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Court. (Req. for Judicial Notice Supp. Pl.'s Opp. to Defs.' Mot. to Dismiss Compl.) Plaintiff is
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advised that she need not—and should not—request that the Court take judicial notice of laws; she
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may merely cite the laws in her briefs. In addition, Plaintiff has attached a number of documents to
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her opposition to Defendants' motion to dismiss, including documents that appear to be court filings,
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medical records, school records and other documents. (Opp. to Defs' Mot. to Dismiss Pl's Compl.,
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Exh. A-G.) As to the apparent court documents, Plaintiff has not attested that they are indeed true
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and correct copies of court documents. Because Plaintiff has not established the authenticity of the
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Northern District of California
to dismiss her complaint; she asks that the Court take notice of a number of California Rules of
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court documents, and it does not appear that the other documents contain facts which are "capable of
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accurate and ready determination by resort to sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be
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questioned," her request for judicial notice is denied.
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A.
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As noted above, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) requires that a pleading contain “a
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Plaintiff's Complaint is Dismissed For Failure to State a Claim.
short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.”
Although Plaintiff's complaint does not name causes of action, she appears to be attempting
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to make out the following causes of action under Section 1983: violation of her First Amendment
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rights by restricting her free exercise of religion; violation of her Fourth Amendment rights by
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illegally searching her home without cause; and violation of her Fourteenth Amendment rights by
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removing her children from her home without due process.
To state a claim under Section 1983, a plaintiff must allege 1) the violation of a
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Constitutional right, and 2) that the violation was committed by a person acting under the color of
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state law. West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988).
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1.
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First Amendment Claim
Plaintiff alleges that Defendants Lauretta and Moore took away her visitation rights because
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she believes in God, and that they told her that if she spoke about God she would not see her kids
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again.
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The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the free exercise of religion.
state interest and must be narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. Sherbert v. Verner, 374 U.S.
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398, 402-09 (1963). In order to state a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff establish that the government
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has placed a substantial burden on his or her free exercise of religion. Vernon v. City of Los Angeles,
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27 F.3d 1385, 1393 (9th Cir. 1994). Next, the Court must determine whether some compelling state
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interest justifies the infringement. Longmire v. City of Oakland, C 10-01465 JSW, 2010 WL
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Northern District of California
Governmental actions that substantially burden a religious practice must be justified by a compelling
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United States District Court
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2629818 (N.D. Cal. June 29, 2010). Notably, parents have a First Amendment right to direct their
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minor children's religious upbringing. See Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205, 231 (1972).
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Here, if Plaintiff's complaint is liberally construed, it alleges that Defendants, acting under
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the color of state law, did not allow Plaintiff to visit her children because of her faith, and coerced
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Plaintiff to stop talking to her children about her faith. Losing visitation rights on the basis of her
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faith and not being able to talk to her children about her faith are substantial burdens on Plaintiff's
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free exercise of religion. No compelling governmental interest is apparent.
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However, Plaintiff's complaint does not explain which Defendant told her that if she spoke
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about God she would not see her kids again. Nor does Plaintiff's complaint explain which Defendant
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or Defendants took away her visitation rights because of her belief in God, or how the Defendant or
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Defendants accomplished it.
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Accordingly, the Court finds these allegations must be dismissed with leave to amend. In her
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first amended complaint, Plaintiff must explain in detail which Defendant took actions that violated
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her First Amendment rights.
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2.
Fourth Amendment Claim
Plaintiff alleges that Defendants violated Plaintiff's privacy rights by having her home, car
and person searched without cause.
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The Fourth Amendment generally bans warrantless searches and seizures in a person's
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dwelling unless exigent circumstances exist. See Kyllo v. U.S., 533 U.S. 27, 31 (2001); Illinois v.
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Rodriguez, 497 U.S. 177, 181 (1990); Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573, 588–90 (1980). The
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Fourth Amendment also gives citizens the right to be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion
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in their own homes. Kyllo, 533 U.S. at 31.
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Plaintiff's allegations that Defendants violated her privacy rights and searched her home and
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car without cause are legal conclusions. Plaintiff must explain the facts that give rise to these
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claims. Specifically, Plaintiff should explain in detail which Defendants violated her privacy rights;
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how her privacy rights were violated; when and for what reason her home and car were searched;
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and why this search harmed Plaintiff and almost caused her to lose her property.
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Fourteenth Amendment Claim
Northern District of California
United States District Court
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As stated above, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants unlawfully removed her children from her
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home, and filed false allegations against Plaintiff. Defendant Moore allegedly harassed Plaintiff by
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phone and in person, and purposely overscheduled Plaintiff with case plan services and made court
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dates without her knowledge, so that she would not get her children back.
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The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees "that parents will not be separated from their
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children without due process of law except in emergencies.” Mabe v. San Bernardino County, 237
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F.3d 1101, 1107 (9th Cir. 2001). Social workers “may remove a child from the custody of its parent
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without prior judicial authorization only if the information they possess at the time of the seizure is
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such as provides reasonable cause to believe that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily
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injury and that the scope of the intrusion is reasonably necessary to avert that specific injury.”
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Wallis v. Spencer, 202 F.3d 1126, 1138 (9th Cir. 1999).
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Plaintiff's allegation that Defendants "unlawfully" removed her children from her home is a
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legal conclusion. Instead, Plaintiff must explain in detail the circumstances under which the children
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were removed from the home, and the facts explaining why Defendants' actions in removing the
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children were unlawful. Plaintiff must also explain what false allegations Defendants made against
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her; how Defendants overscheduled her and made court dates without her knowledge; what effect
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these incidents had on the state court juvenile dependency proceedings; and what other harm
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Plaintiff suffered as a result of these incidents. Plaintiff should specifically state which Defendant
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did each action.
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Monell Liability
Plaintiff names as a Defendant the Alameda County Social Services Agency. A plaintiff
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suing a municipality under § 1983 must “identify a municipal ‘policy’ or ‘custom’ that caused the
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plaintiff's injury.” Bd. of County Com'rs of Bryan County, Okl. v. Brown, 520 U.S. 397, 403 (1997)
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(citing Monell v. Dep't of Soc. Serv., 436 U.S. 658, 694 (1978). “[A]n act performed pursuant to a
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‘custom’ that has not been formally approved by an appropriate decisionmaker may fairly subject a
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municipality to liability on the theory that the relevant practice is so widespread as to have the force
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of law.” Id. at 404.
Northern District of California
Alternatively, a plaintiff may establish that the “decision-making official was, as a matter of
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state law, a final policymaking authority whose edicts or acts may fairly be said to represent official
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policy in the area of decision” or that “an official with final policymaking authority either delegated
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that authority to, or ratified the decision of, a subordinate.” Ulrich v. City & County of San
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Francisco, 308 F.3d 968, 984 (9th Cir. 2002).
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Plaintiff's complaint does not include facts that would support either of these theories of
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Monell liability. Plaintiff does not allege that the individual Defendants' wrongful acts were done
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pursuant to a county policy or custom. Nor does Plaintiff allege that either of the individual
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Defendants was a final policymaking authority.
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Accordingly, Plaintiff's claims against Defendant Alameda County Social Services Agency
are dismissed with leave to amend.
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B.
The Rooker-Feldman Doctrine Does Not Necessarily Bar Plaintiff's Claims.
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Defendants argue that Plaintiff's section 1983 claim based on Defendants' initiating and
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prosecuting the state court juvenile dependency proceedings is barred by the Rooker-Feldman
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doctrine.
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The Rooker–Feldman doctrine holds that "[i]f claims raised in the federal court action are
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‘inextricably intertwined’ with the state court's decision such that the adjudication of the federal
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claims would undercut the state ruling or require the district court to interpret the application of state
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laws or procedural rules, then the federal complaint must be dismissed for lack of subject matter
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jurisdiction.” Bianchi v. Rylaarsdam, 334 F.3d 895, 898 (9th Cir. 2003). The Rooker-Feldman
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doctrine . . . is confined to cases . . . brought by state-court losers complaining of injuries caused by
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state-court judgments rendered before the district court proceedings commenced and inviting district
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court review and rejection of those judgments." Exxon–Mobil Corp. v. Saudi Basic Ind. Corp., 544
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U.S. 280, 284 (2005). The test of whether Rooker-Feldman applies focuses on the nature of the
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relief sought. Bianchi at 900. If the plaintiff seeks to “undo” a state court's decision, the Rooker-
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Feldman doctrine prevents the federal court from hearing the plaintiff's claim. Id. at 901. See Doe v.
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Mann, 285 F. Supp. 2d 1229, 1233 (N.D. Cal. 2003) aff'd, 415 F.3d 1038 (9th Cir. 2005).
Plaintiff's complaint "falls squarely within the confines of a de facto appeal[] from the stipulated
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Northern District of California
Defendants, relying on Doe v. Mann, 415 F.3d 1038, 1044-47 (9th Cir. 2005), argue that
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Order in the juvenile dependency proceedings." Def's Mem. of Points and Authorities Supp. Mot. to
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Dismiss Pl's Compl. at 9. But the instant case is different than the Doe case, because Plaintiff does
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not expressly ask this Court to review or undo the state court's judgment. Plaintiff does not ask that
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this Court order that her children be returned to her. Nor does Plaintiff ask that this Court review
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whether the state court's ruling was correct. Instead, Plaintiff appears to be seeking money damages
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based on Defendants' actions. See Belinda K. v. County of Alameda, 10-CV-05797-LHK, 2011 WL
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2690356 (N.D. Cal. July 8, 2011) ("Because Plaintiff complains of legal injuries caused by the
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Defendants' actions, rather than by the Superior Court's judgment, her claims are not barred by the
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Rooker–Feldman doctrine. As Plaintiff neither seeks relief from the state court's judgment, nor
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alleges error on the part of the state court, she is not “a ‘state-court loser’ looking to the federal court
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to second-guess a previously rendered state-court judgment on the merits.”). In addition, Plaintiff's
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allegations regarding Defendants' violation of her first amendment rights may not be barred by the
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Rooker-Feldman doctrine, because, although unclear, the complaint seems to allege that Defendants
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took away Plaintiff's visitation and telephone rights without going through court proceedings.
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However, Plaintiff is cautioned that any claims in her amended complaint that seek to undo
the state court's decision will be dismissed pursuant to the Rooker-Feldman doctrine.
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C.
Plaintiff's Claims Are Not Necessarily Barred by Res Judicata.
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Defendants also argue that Plaintiff's claims are barred by res judicata. The concept of res
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judicata—that is, the preclusive effect of a judgment—encompasses both issue preclusion and claim
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preclusion. Taylor v. Sturgell, 553 U.S. 880, 892 (2008). "Under the doctrine of claim preclusion, a
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final judgment forecloses successive litigation of the very same claim, whether or not relitigation of
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the claim raises the same issues as the earlier suit . . . . Issue preclusion, in contrast, bars successive
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litigation of an issue of fact or law actually litigated and resolved in a valid court determination
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essential to the prior judgment, even if the issue recurs in the context of a different claim." Id.
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(internal citations omitted).
arising from her allegations that Defendants burdened her religious exercise. As explained above,
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Defendants do not appear to argue that res judicata bars Plaintiff's First Amendment claims
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United States District Court
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Plaintiff has not yet pled sufficient facts to state section 1983 claims relating to Defendants' removal
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of her children, termination of visitation and phone privileges, and search of her house and car.
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Because the factual, and therefore legal, basis of these claims are not yet clear, it is also unclear
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whether res judicata applies to bar the claims. The Court cannot yet decide whether Plaintiff's
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potential claims or the issues within those claims have previously been litigated and resolved.
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D.
Defendants May Not be Entitled to Absolute Immunity.
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Finally, Defendants argue that they are entitled to absolute immunity for their decision to
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institute dependency proceedings. Social workers do have absolute immunity to make
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“discretionary, quasi-prosecutorial decisions to institute court dependency proceedings to take
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custody away from parents.” Beltran v. Santa Clara County, 514 F.3d 906, 908 (9th Cir. 2008)
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(citing Miller v. Gammie, 335 F.3d 889, 896 (9th Cir. 2003)). But social workers "are not entitled to
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absolute immunity from claims that they fabricated evidence during an investigation or made false
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statements in a dependency petition affidavit that they signed under penalty of perjury, because such
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actions aren't similar to discretionary decisions about whether to prosecute." Id.
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Here, Plaintiff has alleged that Defendants filed false statements against her. Plaintiff may be
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able to state facts in her amended complaint that would demonstrate that Defendants are not entitled
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to absolute immunity. The motion to dismiss will not be granted on this basis.
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IV.
Orders to Show Cause
On October 15, 2012, the Court issued an order to show cause regarding the parties' failure to
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timely file a joint case management statement before the October 16, 2012 case management
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conference. Both Plaintiff and Defendants eventually responded to the order to show cause,
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although Plaintiff did not do so in a timely manner. Defendants explained that the failure to file the
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case management statement resulted from a calendaring error. Plaintiff, apparently ignorant of her
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responsibility to file a separate case management statement, explained that Defendants did not
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contact her to work on the joint case management statement.
On November 2, 2012, after Plaintiff failed to appear at the hearing on Defendants' motion to
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failure to prosecute. Plaintiff responded to the order to show cause, explaining that she had been
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Northern District of California
dismiss, the Court issued an order to show cause why Plaintiff's case should not be dismissed for
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United States District Court
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taking care of a sick relative and could not find anyone else to watch her relative during the hearing.
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At the November 13, 2012, case management conference, Plaintiff submitted her untimely
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case management statement directly to the Court. The Court explained to the parties that although
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they were not required to file joint case management statements, joint statements were encouraged.
Good cause appearing, the Court discharges both orders to show cause.
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V.
Conclusion
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Based on the foregoing, it is hereby ORDERED that:
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Defendants' motion to dismiss is granted.
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2.
Plaintiff may file a first amended complaint within three weeks of the date of this
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order, that is, by December 4, 2012.
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3.
Defendants' requests for judicial notice are granted, and Plaintiff's request for judicial
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notice is denied.
In addition, at the November 13, 2012, case management conference, the Court set several
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dates for further proceedings. Upon further consideration, the Court vacates the dates set in the case
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management conference and sets the dates below:
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1.
Defendants may file their response to Plaintiff's first amended complaint within 14 days
after Plaintiff files her first amended complaint.
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If Defendants file a motion to dismiss, Plaintiff may file an opposition to the motion to
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dismiss within 7 days of the filing of the motion to dismiss, and Defendants may file a
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reply brief within 7 days after that.
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3.
January 17, 2013, at 11:00 a.m.
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If Defendants file a motion to dismiss, the Court will hold a hearing on the motion on
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A further case management conference is set for January 29, 2013, at 1:30. The parties'
case management statement or statements is due on January 22, 2013.
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The Court's October 15, 2012, and November 2, 2012 orders to show cause are discharged.
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It is so ORDERED.
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DATE: November 13, 2012
_______________________________________
KANDIS A. WESTMORE
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
Northern District of California
United States District Court
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