Buchanan v. Garza et al
Filing
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ORDER Granting Defendant's 149 Motion to Revoke Plaintiff's IFP Status Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). Plaintiff has until August 1, 2014 to pay the initial civil filing fee in the amount of $350. Alternatively, Plaintiff may file a renewed Motion to Proceed IFP, along with a declaration. If Plaintiff chooses to file a renewed Motion, he must do so no later than sixty (60) days following entry of this Order. If Plaintiff fails to pay the filing fee and is unsuccessful with a renewed Motion, the Court will dismiss this action in its entirety. Signed by Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz on 4/22/2014. (rlu)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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WHITTIER BUCHANAN,
CDCR #K-02554,
Civil
08cv1290 BTM (WVG)
No.
ORDER GRANTING
DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO
REVOKE PLAINTIFF’S IFP
STATUS UNDER 28 U.S.C. §
1915(g)
Plaintiff,
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vs.
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[ECF No. 149]
EDUARDO GARZA, et al.,
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Defendants.
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I.
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PROCEDURAL HISTORY
This matter, which has been pending for over five years and is nearing a trial date,
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has a lengthy procedural history. For the purposes of the motion currently before the
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Court, only the relevant procedural history will be addressed. Plaintiff initially filed this
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action on July 17, 2008. (ECF No. 1.) The Court granted Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed
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In Forma Pauperis and directed the United States Marshal’s Service to effect service of
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the Complaint on September 19, 2008. (ECF No. 3.) Defendants filed their first Motion
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to Dismiss approximately five years ago on November 26, 2008. (ECF No. 14.) There
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have been numerous other motions, including Defendants’ Motion for Summary
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Judgment which was partially denied by this Court on March 27, 2012, approximately
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two years ago. (ECF No. 125.)
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Pro Bono Counsel for Plaintiff was recently appointed on January 7, 2014. On
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January 29, 2014, Defendants filed a “Motion to Revoke Plaintiff’s IFP Status” which
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is the matter currently pending before this Court. (ECF No. 149.) Plaintiff has filed an
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Opposition, to which Defendants filed a Reply. (ECF Nos. 155, 156.) On April 16,
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2014, the Court held a hearing at which both parties were present.
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II.
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DEFENDANTS’ MOTION
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Three strike provision
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In this motion, Defendants seek revocation of Plaintiff’s IFP status and dismissal
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of this action for failing to pay the initial civil filing fee. (See Defs.’ Memo of Ps & As
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[ECF No. 20-1] at 1-2.) Defendants also seek judicial notice of previous civil filings by
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Plaintiff. (See Defs. Req. for Judicial Notice (ECF No. 20-2). A court “‘may take notice
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of proceedings in other courts, both within and without the federal judicial system, if
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those proceedings have a direct relation to matters at issue.’” Bias v. Moynihan, 508
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F.3d 1212, 1225 (9th Cir. 2007). Therefore, the Court grants Defendants’ request for
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judicial notice.
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Defendants argue that Plaintiff is not entitled to IFP status in this matter based on
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his previous litigation history. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). The Prison Litigation Reform
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Act provides that a prisoner may be precluded from proceeding IFP:
. . . if the prisoner has, on 3 or more prior occasions, while
incarcerated or detained in any facility, brought an action or
appeal in a court of the United States that was dismissed on
the grounds that it is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a
claim upon which relief can be granted, unless the prisoner is
under imminent danger of serious physical injury.
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28 U.S.C. § 1915(g).
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Defendants allege that Plaintiff has filed, at least, five actions prior to the filing
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of this action in 2008 which constitute “strikes” for 1915(g) purposes. They are as
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follows:
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1.
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Buchanan v. Chavez, N.D. Cal. Civil Case No. 4:99-cv-3991 (Order
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dismissing action pursuant to “three strikes” provision of 28 U.S.C.
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§ 1915(g) dated Nov. 3, 1999);
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Buchanan v. Perez, N.D. Cal. Civil Case No. 4:99-cv-3990 (Order
dismissing action dated Nov. 3, 1999);
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3.
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Buchanan v. LaMarque, N.D. Cal Civil Case No. 4:99-cv-3911
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(Order dismissing action dated Oct. 28, 1999); and Buchanan v.
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LaMarque, N.D. Cal. Civil Case No. 4:99-cv-3946 CW (Order
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dismissing action dated Oct. 28, 1999); and
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Buchanan v. Terhune, N.D. Cal. Civil Case No. 4:99-cv-2976 (Order
dismissing action dated July 1, 1999).
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The Court finds that the first action referenced, Buchanan v. Chavez, is not clearly
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a “strike” for § 1915(g) purposes. In the order, the court dismissed the action pursuant
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to § 1915(g). The court in that matter did not clearly indicate that the action was also
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dismissed for failing to state a claim, as frivolous or malicious.
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However, as to the remaining four actions submitted by Defendants, the Court
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does find that these actions are “strikes” within the meaning of § 1915(g). In each of
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these cases, the district court did dismiss all of the claims for failing to state a claim or
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as frivolous and noting that, in the alternative, the actions were subject to dismissal
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pursuant to § 1915(g).
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B.
Laches
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Plaintiff argues that laches prevents the Defendants from raising this issue due to
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the fact that it could have been raised at the initial stages of the proceeding. Laches is
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an equitable defense that prevents a party who “with full knowledge of the facts,
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acquiesces in a transaction and sleeps upon his rights.” Danjaq LLC v. Sony Corp., 263
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F.3d 942, 950-51 (9th Cir. 2001) (internal citations omitted.) The Court must look to the
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delay in raising the § 1915(g) issue and determine whether the delay was unreasonable.
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Evergreen Safety Counsel v. RSA Network, Inc., 697 F.3d 1221, 1226-27 (9th Cir. 2012.)
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Here, counsel for Defendants indicates that, while they were aware Plaintiff had filed a
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number of previous lawsuits, they did not have access to the orders noting the reason for
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the dismissals because they had been archived and were not accessible electronically.
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Counsel for Defendants also states that they were able to obtain a copy of these orders
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when she recently learned that Plaintiff’s IFP status had been recently revoked in a case
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in the Eastern District of California. See Antly Decl. at ¶ 7. The Court finds that the
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delay was unreasonable. If counsel in the Eastern District matter was able to research
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these previous cases filed by Plaintiff, there is no reasonable explanation given for why
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counsel for Defendants in this matter failed to do so when they first appeared in the case
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in November 2008. The “strikes” by Plaintiff were cases filed in 1999 and this case was
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filed in 2008. However, this motion was not brought until over five years later based on
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information that was available to the Defendants when they first appeared in this action.
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To establish a laches defense, Plaintiff must also show that he suffered prejudice
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as a result of this delay. See Save the Peaks Coalition v. U.S. Forest Service, 669 F.3d
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1025, 1031 (9th Cir. 2012). Plaintiff may be prejudiced if this action is dismissed for
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failing to pay the initial civil filing fee because he may potentially be barred from refiling
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this action by the applicable statute of limitations. However, this is the same situation
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Plaintiff faced at the time of the filing of the action and he placed himself in this
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situation by failing to disclose his “three strike” status in 2008. Had he disclosed this
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status, this would have given him a greater length of time under the applicable statute of
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limitation to either raise the funds to pay the filing fee or attempt to successfully argue
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that he was entitled to the imminent danger exception of § 1915(g). However, the
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potential prejudice Plaintiff may suffer is his own fault.
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Defendants also argue that the laches defense is not available to Plaintiff because
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he has unclean hands. The unclean hands doctrine “bars relief to a plaintiff who has
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violated conscience, good faith or other equitable principles in his prior conduct, as well
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as to a plaintiff who has dirtied his hands in acquiring the right presently asserted.”
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Dollar Systems, Inc., v. Avcar Leasing Systems, Inc., 890 F.2d 165, 173 (9th Cir. 1989)
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(citation omitted.) Specifically, Defendants argue that Plaintiff knew he had “three
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strikes” at the time he filed this action but failed to disclose it to the Court. See
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Buchanan v. Chavez, N.D. Cal. Civil Case 4:99-CV-3991 (November 3, 1999). Plaintiff
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argues in response that he was under no obligation to report the previous lawsuits that
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he had brought prior to this action or that he had been adjudicated to have three strikes.
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However, Plaintiff relies on equity to defeat dismissal. Given that he was aware that a
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court had found him to already have three strikes and denied him IFP status, his ignoring
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this fact and applying to this Court for IFP status defeats his laches defense. The court’s
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order in Buchanan v. Chavez in 1999 clearly identified Plaintiff’s status as a party with
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“three strikes” and thus, he was at the very least obligated to demonstrate that he was
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entitled to the three strike rule exception by stating in his pleading that he was “under
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imminent danger of serious physical injury” at the time of filing. See 28 U.S.C. §
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1915(g). He failed to do so. Therefore, the Court finds that the laches defense is not
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available to Plaintiff because he does not have clean hands.
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While the Court will revoke Plaintiff’s IFP status, the Court will allow Plaintiff
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the opportunity to pay the initial civil filing fee which is the same result that would have
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occurred if Defendants had filed this Motion soon after they first appeared in the action.1
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Accordingly, the Court finds that Plaintiff cannot defeat Defendants’ Motion with a
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laches defense.
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III.
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CONCLUSION AND ORDER
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Defendants’ Motion to Revoke Plaintiff’s IFP status is GRANTED
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g).
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While certain costs are reimbursable through the Court’s Pro Bono Fund, the Court will not
approve a request to reimburse the initial filing fee. Because Plaintiff is barred from proceeding IFP,
the Court’s funds cannot be used to undermine the intent of § 1915(g). However, this is limited to the
initial filing fee costs. The Court will consider any other expenses under the guidelines found in Local
Rule 83.8.
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2.
Plaintiff has until August 1, 2014 to pay the initial civil filing fee in the
amount of $350.00.2
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Alternatively, Plaintiff may file a renewed Motion to Proceed IFP, along
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with a declaration seeking to established that he was in “imminent danger of serious
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physical injury” at the time he filed this action on July 17, 2008 pursuant to 28 U.S.C.
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§ 1915(g). If Plaintiff chooses to file a renewed Motion, he must do so no later than
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sixty (60) days following entry of this Order.
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If Plaintiff fails to pay the filing fee and is unsuccessful with a renewed Motion,
the Court will dismiss this action in its entirety.
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DATED: April 22, 2014
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BARRY TED MOSKOWITZ, Chief Judge
United States District Court
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The current cost of a civil filing fee is $350 plus a $50 administrative fee. However, the Court
will apply the cost as it was in 2008 when Plaintiff initially filed this action.
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