Martinez v. Moreno et al

Filing 6

WRITTEN Opinion entered by the Honorable Ruben Castillo on 11/16/2011: The plaintiff's motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis [# 3 ] is granted. The Court authorizes and orders Cook County Jail officials to deduct $10.68 from the pla intiff's account, and to continue making monthly deductions in accordance with this order. The Clerk shall send a copy of this order to the Supervisor of Inmate Trust Fund Accounts, Cook County Dept. of Corrections Administrative Office, Divisio n V, 2700 S. California, Chicago, Illinois 60608. However, summonses shall not issue at this time. The Court hereby appoints William D. Dallas, Regas, Frezados, Harp & Dallas, 111 West Washington Street, Suite 1525, Chicago, Illinois 60602, (312) 236 -4400 to represent the plaintiff in accordance with counsel's trial bar obligations under the District Court's Local Rule 83.37 (N.D. Ill.). The complaint on file is dismissed without prejudice to appointed counsel filing an amended complaint within 60 days if the amended complaint comports with appointed counsel's obligations under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (For further details see Written Opinion.) Mailed notice. (psm, )

Order Form (01/2005)

United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Name of Assigned Judge
or Magistrate Judge

RUBÉN CASTILLO

CASE NUMBER

11 C 7984

CASE
TITLE

Sitting Judge if Other
than Assigned Judge

DATE

11/16/2011

Fernando Martinez (#2010-0719185) vs. Jesús Moreno, et al.

DOCKET ENTRY TEXT:

The plaintiff’s motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis [#3] is granted. The Court authorizes and orders
Cook County Jail officials to deduct $10.68 from the plaintiff’s account, and to continue making monthly
deductions in accordance with this order. The Clerk shall send a copy of this order to the Supervisor of Inmate
Trust Fund Accounts, Cook County Dept. of Corrections Administrative Office, Division V, 2700 S. California,
Chicago, Illinois 60608. However, summonses shall not issue at this time. The Court hereby appoints William
D. Dallas, Regas, Frezados, Harp & Dallas, 111 West Washington Street, Suite 1525, Chicago, Illinois 60602,
[phone] to represent the plaintiff in accordance with counsel’s trial bar obligations under the District
Court’s Local Rule 83.37 (N.D. Ill.). The complaint on file is dismissed without prejudice to appointed counsel
filing an amended complaint within 60 days if the amended complaint comports with appointed counsel’s
obligations under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
O [For further details see text below.]

Docketing to mail notices.

STATEMENT
The plaintiff, an inmate in the custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections, has brought this
pro se civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The plaintiff claims that the defendants, correctional
officials and health care providers at the jail, have violated the plaintiff’s constitutional rights by acting with
deliberate indifference to his safety and medical needs. More specifically, the plaintiff alleges that the defendants
have failed either to protect him from repeated attacks by his cellmate or to provide needed medical and mental
health care following the assaults.
The plaintiff’s motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis is granted. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §
1915(b)(1), the plaintiff is assessed an initial partial filing fee of $10.68. The supervisor of inmate trust accounts
at the Cook County Jail is authorized and ordered to collect, when funds exist, the partial filing fee from the
plaintiff’s trust fund account and pay it directly to the Clerk of Court. After payment of the initial partial filing
fee, the trust fund officer at the plaintiff’s place of confinement is directed to collect monthly payments from the
plaintiff’s trust fund account in an amount equal to 20% of the preceding month’s income credited to the account.
(CONTINUED)
mjm

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STATEMENT (continued)
Monthly payments collected from the plaintiff’s trust fund account shall be forwarded to the Clerk of Court each
time the amount in the account exceeds $10 until the full $350 filing fee is paid. All payments shall be sent to the
Clerk, United States District Court, 219 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, Illinois 60604, attn: Cashier’s Desk, 20th Floor,
and shall clearly identify the plaintiff’s name and the case number assigned to this action. The Cook County inmate
trust account office shall notify transferee authorities of any outstanding balance in the event the plaintiff is
transferred from the jail to another correctional facility.
Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, the Court is required to conduct a prompt threshold review of the complaint.
Here, accepting the plaintiff’s allegations as true, the Court finds that the complaint articulates colorable federal
causes of action. Correctional officials may not act with deliberate indifference to a substantial risk to the safety
of a pretrial detainee. See, e.g., Washington v. LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department, 306 F.3d 515 (7th Cir. 2002);
Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520, 535 (1979). In addition, the Due Process Clause prohibits deliberate indifference
to the serious medical needs of a pretrial detainee. Grieveson v. Anderson, 538 F.3d 763, 779 (7th Cir. 2008);
Chapman v. Keltner, 241 F. 3d 842, 845 (7th Cir. 2001). Furthermore, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh
Circuit has found that “the need for a mental illness to be treated could certainly be considered a serious medical
need.” Sanville v. McCaughtry, 266 F.3d 724, 734 (7th Cir. 2001); see also Wellman v. Faulkner, 715 F.2d 269
(7th Cir. 1983).
Due to the serious nature of the plaintiff’s allegations, the Court hereby appoints William D. Dallas, Regas,
Frezados, Harp & Dallas, 111 West Washington Street, Suite 1525, Chicago, Illinois 60602, [phone] to
represent the plaintiff in accordance with counsel’s trial bar obligations under the District Court’s Local Rule 83.37
(N.D. Ill.). After investigation, appointed counsel should file an amended complaint within sixty days if such
amendment comports with counsel’s obligations under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. If counsel
is unable to file an amended complaint, he should so inform the Court.

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