Taylor v. CVS Pharmacy Inc.
Filing
5
ORDER granting Plaintiff's 2 Motion for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis; denying as moot Plaintiff's 3 Motion to Appoint Counsel. Court dismisses without prejudice Pla's Complaint in its entirety for lack of subject matter jur isdiction. If Pla wishes to proceed with this matter, he must provide the requisite notice to the California Dept. of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) of the alleged discrimination and submit an Amended Complaint showing he has given notice. Amended Complaint must be filed by 11/13/2015. Signed by Judge Cynthia Bashant on 10/23/2015. (All non-registered users served via U.S. Mail Service) (jah)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
9
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
10
11
JESSIE WAYNE TAYLOR,
Plaintiff,
12
13
Case No. 15-cv-2102-BAS-MDD
ORDER:
(1) GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S
MOTION FOR LEAVE TO
PROCEED IN FORMA
PAUPERIS; AND
v.
14
15
16
CVS PHARMACY, INC.
(2) DISMISSING COMPLAINT
WITHOUT PREJUDICE FOR
LACK OF SUBJECT MATTER
JURISDICTION
Defendant.
17
18
19
On September 21, 2015, Plaintiff Jessie Wayne Taylor (“Plaintiff”),
20
proceeding pro se, commenced this action against Defendant CVS Pharmacy, Inc.
21
(“Defendant”). (ECF No. 1.) Plaintiff alleges that on April 24, 2015, CVS employees
22
at a CVS store in Lemon Grove, CA refused him permission to use the store’s
23
restroom. (Id.) Plaintiff claims that this refusal constitutes a denial of equal access to
24
a place of public accommodation in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act, 42
25
U.S.C. § 2000a. On the same day that Plaintiff filed his complaint, he also filed a
26
motion seeking leave to proceed in forma pauperis (“IFP”). (ECF No. 2.) For the
27
reasons outlined below, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s motion for leave to proceed
28
IFP and DISMISSES WITHOUT PREJUDICE the action in its entirety for lack of
–1–
15cv2102
1
subject matter jurisdiction. Plaintiff’s motion to appoint counsel is DENIED AS
2
MOOT. (ECF No. 3.)
3
I.
MOTION FOR LEAVE TO PROCEED IFP
4
Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915, a litigant who because of indigency is unable to pay
5
the fees or give security needed to commence a legal action may petition a court to
6
proceed without making such payment. The determination of indigency falls within
7
the district court’s discretion. Cal. Men’s Colony v. Rowland, 939 F.2d 854, 858 (9th
8
Cir. 1991), rev’d on other grounds, 506 U.S. 194 (1993) (holding that “Section 1915
9
typically requires the reviewing court to exercise its sound discretion in determining
10
whether the affiant has satisfied the statute’s requirement of indigency.”). It is well-
11
settled that a party need not be completely destitute to proceed in forma pauperis.
12
Adkins v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., 335 U.S. 331, 339-40 (1948). To satisfy
13
the requirements of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a), “an affidavit [of poverty] is sufficient which
14
states that one cannot because of his poverty pay or give security for costs . . . and
15
still be able to provide himself and dependents with the necessities of life.” Id. at 339
16
(internal quotations omitted). At the same time, however, “the same even-handed
17
care must be employed to assure that federal funds are not squandered to underwrite,
18
at public expense, . . . the remonstrances of a suitor who is financially able, in whole
19
or in material part, to pull his own oar.” Temple v. Ellerthorpe, 586 F. Supp. 848, 850
20
(D.R.I. 1984).
21
District courts, therefore, tend to reject IFP applications where the applicant
22
can pay the filing fee with acceptable sacrifice to other expenses. See, e.g., Stehouwer
23
v. Hennessey, 841 F. Supp. 316, 321 (N.D. Cal. 1994), vacated in part on other
24
grounds, Olivares v. Marshall, 59 F.3d 109 (9th Cir. 1995) (finding that a district
25
court did not abuse its discretion in requiring a partial fee payment from a prisoner
26
who had a $14.61 monthly salary and who received $110 per month from family).
27
Moreover, “[i]n forma pauperis status may be acquired and lost during the course of
28
litigation.” Wilson v. Dir. of Div. of Adult Insts., 2009 WL 311150, at *2 (E.D. Cal.
–2–
15cv2102
1
Feb. 9, 2009) (citing Stehouwer, 841 F. Supp. at 321); see also Allen v. Kelly, 1995
2
WL 396860, at *2 (N.D. Cal. June 29, 1995) (holding that a plaintiff who was initially
3
permitted to proceed in forma pauperis should be required to pay his $120 filing fee
4
out of a $900 settlement). In addition, the facts as to the affiant’s poverty must be
5
stated “with some particularity, definiteness, and certainty.” United States v.
6
McQuade, 647 F.2d 938, 940 (9th Cir. 1981) (quoting Jefferson v. United States, 277
7
F.2d 723, 725 (9th Cir. 1960)).
8
Having read and considered Plaintiff’s motion, the Court finds that Plaintiff
9
meets the requirements for IFP status under 28 U.S.C. § 1915. Plaintiff is currently
10
unemployed, and has been since July 1997. (IFP Mot. 5:2.) He has no cash on hand
11
nor money in a savings or checking account. (Id. at 6:2.) Although Plaintiff owns an
12
automobile, he has not, in the past twelve months, received any income in the form
13
of rent, interest, retirement payments, or money from other sources. (Id. at 5:9–13.)
14
Plaintiff also declares that he has a monthly rental obligation of $750.00. (Id. at 7:1–
15
4.) Under these circumstances, the Court finds that requiring Plaintiff to pay the court
16
filing fees would impair his ability to obtain the necessities of life. See Adkins, 335
17
U.S. at 339. Therefore, based on the information presented, the Court finds that
18
Plaintiff satisfies the requirements to proceed IFP.
19
II.
SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION
20
“Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction.” Kokkonen v. Guardian Life
21
Ins. Co. of Am., 511 U.S. 375, 377 (1994). “They possess only that power authorized
22
by the Constitution or a statute, which is not to be expanded by judicial decree.” Id.
23
(internal citations omitted). “It is to be presumed that a cause lies outside this limited
24
jurisdiction and the burden of establishing the contrary rests upon the party asserting
25
jurisdiction.” Id. (internal citations omitted); see also Abrego Abrego v. The Dow
26
Chem. Co., 443 F.3d 676, 684 (9th Cir. 2006). Here, Plaintiff has not provided the
27
required jurisdictional support for his claim.
28
Title II of the Civil Rights Act guarantees equal access to “the goods, services,
–3–
15cv2102
1
facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public
2
accommodation . . . without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race,
3
color, religion, or national origin.” 42 U.S.C. § 2000a(a). The fundamental object of
4
Title II is to vindicate “the deprivation of personal dignity that surely accompanies
5
denials of equal access to public establishments.” Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. U.S.,
6
379 U.S. 241, 250 (1964) (quotation marks and citation omitted). However, there are
7
certain jurisdictional prerequisites to bringing a claim under Title II. Specifically, 42
8
U.S.C. § 2000a–3(c) provides that where a State or local law prohibits the alleged
9
discriminatory act or practice and establishes a State or local authority to grant or
10
seek relief from such practice, “no civil action may be brought . . . before the
11
expiration of thirty days after written notice of such alleged act or practice has been
12
given to the appropriate State or local authority[.]” (emphasis added). “Therefore, if
13
the state in which the alleged civil rights violation occurred has established an agency
14
with authority to hear complaints of discrimination prohibited by Title II, giving
15
notice of the violation to the appropriate state agency is a prerequisite for federal
16
jurisdiction.” May v. California Hotel and Casino, Inc., 2014 WL 1494231, at *3 (D.
17
Nev. Apr. 14, 2014).
18
California law clearly prohibits the discriminatory act alleged by Plaintiff. The
19
state’s Unruh Civil Rights Act (“Unruh Act”), codified as California Civil Code §
20
51, states that “All persons within the jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and
21
no matter their sex, race, color, religion . . . are entitled to the full and equal
22
accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business
23
establishments of every kind whatsoever[.]” Furthermore, California law grants the
24
Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), a state agency, the power to
25
enforce California’s civil rights laws. This enforcement power extends to the Unruh
26
Act’s guarantee of equal access to public accommodations. See Cal. Govt. Code §
27
12930. In cases alleging an Unruh Act violation, complaints must be filed with the
28
DFEH within one year from the date of the alleged unlawful act. See Cal. Govt. Code
–4–
15cv2102
1
§ 12960(d).
2
Given that (1) California law prohibits the discriminatory act alleged here and
3
(2) there is a California state agency charged with enforcing the state’s anti-
4
discrimination laws, Plaintiff must provide written notice to the DFEH before
5
bringing a civil action in federal court. Plaintiff has not demonstrated that he has
6
provided such notice. Although Plaintiff’s complaint contains factual allegations
7
surrounding the incident, the complaint does not state whether Plaintiff has filed a
8
complaint with the DFEH or otherwise notified the agency. Therefore, because
9
Plaintiff fails to show that he has provided the requisite notice to the DFEH of the
10
alleged discrimination, this Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the Title II claim. May,
11
2014 WL 1494231, at *4; see also Whitehurst v. 230 Fifth Inc., 2011 WL 3163495,
12
at *8 (S.D.N.Y. Jul. 26, 2011) (dismissing claim brought under 42 U.S.C. § 2000a
13
because Plaintiffs did not provide written notice to the New York state agency
14
established to deal with civil rights complaints).
15
III.
CONCLUSION & ORDER
16
In light of the foregoing, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s motion for leave to
17
proceed IFP and DISMISSES WITHOUT PREJUDICE Plaintiff’s complaint in its
18
entirety for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. If Plaintiff still wishes to proceed with
19
this matter, he must provide the requisite notice to the California DFEH of the alleged
20
discrimination and SUBMIT AN AMENDED COMPLAINT clearly showing that he
21
has given such notice. The amended complaint must be filed no later than November
22
13, 2015. Plaintiff is reminded that a complaint filed in federal court must meet the
23
requirements outlined in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a). Plaintiff is further
24
reminded that notations on a civil cover sheet are “[f]or administrative purposes only”
25
and do not constitute part of the complaint. See Civ. L.R. 3.1.
26
IT IS SO ORDERED.
27
28
DATED: October 23, 2015
–5–
15cv2102
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.
Why Is My Information Online?