Mohammed-Bey v. Pool et al

Filing 8

ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF'S REQUEST FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION OR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER; ORDER OF SERVICE; DIRECTING DEFENDANTS TO FILE DISPOSITIVE MOTION OR NOTICE REGARDING SUCH MOTION. Signed by Judge Hon. Lucy H. Koh on 1/26/2015. (sms, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 1/27/2015)

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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Plaintiff,
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vs.
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K. POOL, et al.,
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Defendants.
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)
JIHAD MOHAMMED-BEY,

No.C 14-4217LHK(PR)
ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF'S
REQUEST FOR PRELIMINARY
INJUNCTION OR TEMPORARY
RESTRAINING ORDER; ORDER
OF SERVICE; DIRECTING
DEFENDANTS TO FILE
DISPOSITIVE MOTION OR
NOTICE REGARDING SUCH
MOTION

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Plaintiff, a California state prisoner proceeding prose, filed this civil rights action under
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42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiffhas been granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis in a separate
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order. For the reasons stated below, the court denies plaintiff's request for a preliminary

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injunction and orders service upon the defendants.
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DISCUSSION

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A.

Standard of Review

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A federal court must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which a prisoner
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seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. See
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28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the court must identify any cognizable claims and dismiss

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any claims that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted or
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Order Denying Plaintiffs Request for Preliminary Injunction or Temporary Restraining Order; Order of Service;
Directing Defendants to File Dispositive Motion or Notice Regarding Such Motion
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seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. See 28 U.S.C.
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§ 1915A(b)(l), (2). Prose pleadings must, however, be liberally construed. See Balistreri v.

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Pacifica Police Dep't., 901 F.2d 696,699 (9th Cir. 1988).

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To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two essential elements:

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(1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws ofthe United States was violated, and (2) that

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the alleged violation was committed by a person acting under the color of state law. See West v.

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Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988).

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B.

Legal Claims

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Plaintiff alleges that defendants denied plaintiffs request to change his ethnicity from

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"negro," or "black" to "his true nationality of Moorish-American" so that plaintiff could meet

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the requirements of his Islamic religion. Plaintiff claims that the change is necessary to abide by

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his religious beliefs. Liberally construed, plaintiff states a cognizable claim that defendants

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violated plaintiffs right to free exercise of his religion and violated the Religious Land Use and

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Institutionalized Persons Act.

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c.

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Preliminary Injunctionffemporary Restraining Order
Plaintiff moves for a preliminary injunction to prohibit defendants from using plaintiffs

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current status of "black" until the conclusion of this federal lawsuit. Federal Rule of Civil

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Procedure 65 sets forth the procedure for issuance of a preliminary injunction or temporary

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restraining order ("TRO"). However, prior to granting a preliminary injunction, notice to the

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adverse party is required. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(a)(l). Therefore, a motion for preliminary

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injunction cannot be decided until the parties to the action are served. See Zepeda v. INS, 753

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F.2d 719,727 (9th Cir. 1983). To the extent plaintiff is seeking a TRO, plaintiffhas not satisfied

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the requirements necessary to grant such relief. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b) (stating that a TRO

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may be granted without notice to the adverse party or that party's attorney only if: (1) it clearly

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appears from specific facts shown by affidavit or by the verified complaint that immediate and

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irreparable injury, loss, or damage will result to the movant before the adverse party can be heard

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in opposition; and (2) the movant's attorney certifies in writing any efforts made to give notice

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Order Denying Plaintiff's Request for Preliminary Injunction or Temporary Restraining Order; Order of Service;
Directing Defendants to File Dispositive Motion or Notice Regarding Such Motion
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and the reasons why it should not be required"). Plaintiffs request for a preliminary injunction
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or a TRO is DENIED without prejudice.

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CONCLUSION

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l.

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prejudice.

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2.

Plaintiffs request for a preliminary injunction or a TROis DENIED without

The clerk of the court shall mail a Notice of Lawsuit and Request for Waiver of

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Service of Summons, two copies ofthe Waiver of Service of Summons, a copy ofthe complaint

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and all attachments thereto (docket no. 1), and a copy ofthis order to Appeals Examiner K.

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Pool, Captain J.A. Zamora, Chief S.P. Albritten, CCII V. Wiggins, CCI T. Blanson, A WK.

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Mitchell, and CCRM S. Pangelinan at San Quentin State Prison. The clerk ofthe court shall

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also mail a courtesy copy of the complaint and a copy of this order to the California Attorney

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General's Office. Additionally, the clerk shall mail a copy of this order to plaintiff.

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3.

Defendants are cautioned that Rule 4 ofthe Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

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requires them to cooperate in saving unnecessary costs of service of the summons and complaint.

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Pursuant to Rule 4, if defendants, after being notified of this action and asked by the court, on

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behalf of plaintiff, to waive service of the summons, fail to do so, they will be required to bear

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the cost of such service unless good cause be shown for their failure to sign and return the waiver

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form. If service is waived, this action will proceed as if defendants had been served on the date

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that the waiver is filed, and defendants will not be required to serve and file an answer before

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sixty (60) days from the date on which the request for waiver was sent. Defendants are asked to

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read the statement set forth at the bottom ofthe waiver form that more completely describes the

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duties of the parties with regard to waiver of service of the summons. If service is waived after

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the date provided in the Notice but before defendants have been personally served, the Answer

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shall be due sixty (60) days from the date on which the request for waiver was sent or twenty

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(20) days from the date the waiver form is filed, whichever is later.

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4.

No later than sixty (60) days from the date the waivers are sent from the court,

defendants shall file a motion for summary judgment or other dispositive motion with respect to

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Order Denying Plaintiff's Request for Preliminary Injunction or Temporary Restraining Order; Order of Service;
Directing Defendants to File Dispositive Motion or Notice Regarding Such Motion
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the cognizable claims in the complaint.
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Any motion for summary judgment shall be supported by adequate factual documentation

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and shall conform in all respects to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Defendants

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are advised that summary jud2ment cannot be 2ranted, nor gualified immunity found, if

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material facts are in dispute. If defendants are of the· opinion that this case cannot be

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resolved by summary jud2ment, they shall so inform the court prior to the date the

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summary jud2ment motion is due.

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5.

Plaintiffs opposition to the dispositive motion shall be filed with the court and

served on defendants no later than twenty-eight (28) days from the date defendants' motion is

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filed. Plaintiff is advised to read Rule 56 ofthe Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and

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Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 (1986) (holding party opposing summary judgment must

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come forward with evidence showing triable issues of material fact on every essential element of

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his claim).

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opposition is filed.

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Defendants shall file a reply brief no later than fourteen (14) days after plaintiffs

The motion shall be deemed submitted as ofthe date the reply brief is due. No

hearing will be held on the motion unless the court so orders at a later date.

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8.

All communications by the plaintiff with the court must be served on defendants

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or defendants' counsel, by mailing a true copy of the document to defendants or defendants'

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counsel.

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Discovery may be taken in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

No further court order is required before the parties may conduct discovery.

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10.

It is plaintiffs responsibility to prosecute this case. Plaintiff must keep the court

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and all parties informed of any change of address and must comply with the court's orders in a

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timely fashion. Failure to do so may result in the dismissal of this action for failure to prosecute

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pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b).

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Ill

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Order Denying Plaintiffs Request for Preliminary Injunction or Temporary Restraining Order; Order of Service;
Directing Defendants to File Dispositive Motion or Notice Regarding Such Motion
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IT IS SO ORDERED.

2 DATED:

t/1-~/1)
r

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Order Denying Plaintiffs Request for Preliminary Injunction or Temporary Restraining Order; Order of Service;
Directing Defendants to File Dispositive Motion or Notice Regarding Such Motion
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