JONES v. CAMDEN COUNTY JAIL

Filing 2

OPINION FILED. Signed by Chief Judge Jerome B. Simandle on 2/1/17. (js)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

ROBERT ALLEN JONES,

HONORABLE JEROME B. SIMANDLE

Plaintiff,
Civil Action
No. 16-cv-07685 (JBS-AMD)

v.
CAMDEN COUNTY JAIL,

OPINION
Defendant.
APPEARANCES:
Robert Allen Jones, Plaintiff Pro Se
1268 Magnolia Avenue
Camden, New Jersey 08103
SIMANDLE, Chief District Judge:
1.

Plaintiff Robert Allen Jones seeks to bring a civil

rights complaint pursuant to the 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the
Camden County Jail (“CCJ”). Complaint, Docket Entry 1. Based on
Plaintiff’s affidavit of indigency, the Court will grant his
application to proceed in forma pauperis.
2.

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.
3.

Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

requires pleadings to contain “a short and plain statement of
the grounds for the court's jurisdiction . . .

a short and

plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is
entitled to relief; and demand for the relief sought . . . .”
Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(1)-(3).
4.

Plaintiff has named CCJ as the sole defendant in his

complaint; however, the complaint itself is blank. Complaint §§
III-V. As such, the Court cannot discern what cause of action
Plaintiff intends to pursue against CCJ. The complaint must
therefore be dismissed for failure to state a claim.
5.

Plaintiff may amend the complaint within 30 days of

the date of this order. Any amended complaint must comply with
Rule 8 and 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)
“[A] pleading that offers ‘labels or conclusions’ or ‘a
formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will
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not do.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)).
6.

Plaintiff is further advised that the CCJ is not a

“state actor” within the meaning of § 1983 and cannot be sued
for monetary damages. See Crawford v. McMillian, No. 16-3412,
2016 WL 6134846 (3d Cir. Oct. 21, 2016) (“[T]he prison is not an
entity subject to suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.”) (citing Fischer
v. Cahill, 474 F.2d 991, 992 (3d Cir. 1973)). Plaintiff must
name someone with personal involvement in the alleged violation
as the defendant if he intends to pursue monetary damages.
7.

Plaintiff should note that when an amended complaint

is filed,1 the original complaint no longer performs any function
in the case and cannot be utilized to cure defects in the
amended complaint, unless the relevant portion is specifically
incorporated in the new complaint. 6 Wright, Miller & Kane,
Federal Practice and Procedure 1476 (2d ed. 1990) (footnotes
omitted). An amended complaint may adopt some or all of the
allegations in the original complaint, but the identification of
the particular allegations to be adopted must be clear and
explicit. Id. To avoid confusion, the safer course is to file an
amended complaint that is complete in itself. Id. The amended

1

The amended complaint shall be subject to screening prior to
service.
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complaint may not adopt or repeat claims that have been
dismissed with prejudice by the Court.
8.

For the reasons stated above, the complaint is

dismissed without prejudice for failure to state a claim. The
Court will reopen the matter in the event Plaintiff files an
amended complaint within the time allotted by the Court.
9.

An appropriate order follows.

February 1, 2017
Date

s/ Jerome B. Simandle
JEROME B. SIMANDLE
Chief U.S. District Judge

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