COLEMAN v. CAMDEN COUNTY BOARD OF FREEHOLDERS et al
Filing
2
OPINION. Signed by Chief Judge Jerome B. Simandle on 1/3/16. (jbk, )
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY
DWYNN COLEMAN,
HONORABLE JEROME B. SIMANDLE
Plaintiff,
Civil Action
No. 16-7314 (JBS-AMD)
v.
CAMDEN COUNTY BOARD OF
FREEHOLDERS; CAMDEN COUNTY
CORRECTIONAL FACILITY; WARDEN
JAMES OWENS; WARDEN J. TAYLOR,
OPINION
Defendants.
APPEARANCES:
Dwynn Coleman, Plaintiff Pro Se
1329 Sayer’s Avenue
Camden, New Jersey 08104
SIMANDLE, Chief District Judge:
INTRODUCTION
Plaintiff Dwynn Coleman seeks to bring a civil rights
complaint pursuant to the 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the Camden
County Board of Freeholders, Camden County Correctional
Facility, Warden James Owens and Warden J. Taylor. Complaint,
Docket Entry 1. Based on Plaintiff’s affidavit of indigency, the
Court will grant her application to proceed in forma pauperis.
At this time, the Court must review the complaint, pursuant
to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) to determine whether it should be
dismissed as frivolous or malicious, for failure to state a
claim upon which relief may be granted, or because it seeks
monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief.
For the reasons set forth below, the Court will dismiss the
complaint with prejudice for failure to state a claim. 28 U.S.C.
§ 1915(e)(2)(b)(ii).
II.
BACKGROUND
Plaintiff alleges that “around or about 2007, 2008, 2009,
2010 not actual dates but close”, she was detained in the Camden
County Correctional Facility (“CCCF”). Complaint § III. She
further alleges that she was “placed in a holding cell with
other women and I slept on floor.”
She further alleges that
“the housing officer in Camden Co. Corr. Facility placed me in
the cell with other women with urine and speceis [sic] on the
floor.”
Id.
III. STANDARD OF REVIEW
Section 1915(e)(2) requires a court to review complaints
prior to service in cases in which a plaintiff is proceeding in
forma pauperis. The Court must sua sponte dismiss any claim that
is frivolous, is malicious, fails to state a claim upon which
relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant
who is immune from such relief. This action is subject to sua
sponte screening for dismissal under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)
because Plaintiff is proceeding in forma pauperis.
2
To survive sua sponte screening for failure to state a
claim, the complaint must allege “sufficient factual matter” to
show that the claim is facially plausible. Fowler v. UPMS
Shadyside, 578 F.3d 203, 210 (3d Cir. 2009) (citation omitted).
“A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads
factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable
inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct
alleged.” Fair Wind Sailing, Inc. v. Dempster, 764 F.3d 303, 308
n.3 (3d Cir. 2014) (quoting Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678). “[A]
pleading that offers ‘labels or conclusions’ or ‘a formulaic
recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.’”
Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell
Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)).
IV. DISCUSSION
Plaintiff seeks monetary damages for allegedly
unconstitutional conditions of confinement in the CCCF that she
experienced in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Plaintiff’s complaint
is barred by the statute of limitations, which is governed by
New Jersey's two-year limitations period for personal injury.1
1
“Although the running of the statute of limitations is
ordinarily an affirmative defense, where that defense is obvious
from the face of the complaint and no development of the record
is necessary, a court may dismiss a time-barred complaint sua
sponte under § 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) for failure to
state a claim.” Ostuni v. Wa Wa's Mart, 532 F. App’x 110, 111–12
(3d Cir. 2013) (per curiam).
3
See Wilson v. Garcia, 471 U.S. 261, 276 (1985); Dique v. N.J.
State Police, 603 F.3d 181, 185 (3d Cir. 2010). The accrual date
of a § 1983 action is determined by federal law, however.
Wallace v. Kato, 549 U.S. 384, 388 (2007); Montanez v. Sec'y Pa.
Dep't of Corr., 773 F.3d 472, 480 (3d Cir. 2014).
“Under federal law, a cause of action accrues when the
plaintiff knew or should have known of the injury upon which the
action is based.” Montanez, 773 F.3d at 480 (internal quotation
marks omitted). Plaintiff states she was detained around 2007,
2008, 2009 and 2010. The allegedly unconstitutional conditions
of confinement at CCCF would have been immediately apparent to
Plaintiff at the time of her detention; therefore, the statute
of limitations for Plaintiff’s claims expired in 2012 at the
latest. As there are no grounds for equitable tolling of the
statute of limitations,2 the complaint will be dismissed with
prejudice. Ostuni v. Wa Wa's Mart, 532 F. App’x 110, 112 (3d
Cir. 2013) (per curiam) (affirming dismissal with prejudice due
to expiration of statute of limitations).
2
Equitable tolling “is only appropriate ‘(1) where the defendant
has actively misled the plaintiff respecting the plaintiff's
cause of action; (2) where the plaintiff in some extraordinary
way has been prevented from asserting his or her rights; or (3)
where the plaintiff has timely asserted his or her rights
mistakenly in the wrong forum.’” Omar v. Blackman, 590 F. App’x
162, 166 (3d Cir. 2014) (quoting Santos ex rel. Beato v. United
States, 559 F.3d 189, 197 (3d Cir. 2009)).
4
V.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated above, the complaint is dismissed with
prejudice for failure to state a claim. An appropriate order
follows.
January 3, 2017
Date
s/ Jerome B. Simandle
JEROME B. SIMANDLE
Chief U.S. District Judge
5
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?