BURNEY v. KIMBALL et al

Filing 3

OPINION. Signed by Judge Claire C. Cecchi on 1/15/2015. (ld, )

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NOT FOR PUBLICATION UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY JAMAR BURNEY, Civil Action No. 13-3126 (CCC) Plaintiff, v. SGT. N. KIMBALL, : OPINION et al., Defendants. APPEARANCES: JAMAR BURNEY, Plaintiff pro se #000641 East Jersey State Prison Special Treatment Unit 8 Production Way, CN—905 Avenel, New Jersey 07001 — CECCHI, District Judge Plaintiff, Jamar Burney, an involuntarily committed person pursuant to the Sexually Violent Predator Act 30:4—27,24, pauperis. et seq., (“SVPA”), N.J.S.A. seeks to bring this action in forms Based on his affidavit of indigence, the Court will grant pl6intiff’s application t.o proceed in forma pauperis (“IEP”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) and order the Clerk of the Court to file the Complaint. At this time, to 28 U.S.C. the Court must review the Complaint, § 1915(e) (2) (B), pursuant 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 concludes that Plaintiff’s claims asserting the use of excessive force and denial of medical care should proceed at this time, but that his denial of freedom of association and state law defamation claims should be dismissed without prejudice. I. BACKGROUND Plaintiff, Jamar Burney (“Plaintiff”), brings this civil action, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, against the following defendants: Sergeant M. Kimball, State Correctional Officer (“SCO”) Brown; SCO Higgins; and SCO T. Nacca.’ Complaint, Caption, and ¶1 4b, 4c.) (Docket 1 1, The following factual allegations are taken from the Complaint, and are accepted for purposes of this screening only. The Court has made no findings as to the veracity of Plaintiff’s allegations. Plaintiff alleges that, on May 9, 2013, Defendant Higgins caine to the South Unit, at the East Jersey State Prison—Special Treatment Unit (“EJSP-STU”), and threatened Plaintiff with This 1 Court notes that Plaintiff filed an earlier Complaint, Burney v. Hyatt, et al., Civil No. 13—2263 (CCC), on April 10, 2013, one month before filing the instant action. That earlier Complaint was dismissed without prejudice. 2 “severe bodily harm.” (Id., ¶ 6.) Another officer, SCO Aziz allegedly observed the incident but did not report it. (Id.) The next day, on May 10, 2013, Plaintiff was admitted to the “Annex Facility Hospital” for treatment of a blood clot in his leg. him. He was returned to D—Unit until a doctor could see On May 12, 2013, at about 2:15 p.m., Defendant Higgins came up to Plaintiff while he was on the telephone with his wife and proceeded to punch Plaintiff in the face. Defendant Brown had admitted Higgins in the Unit area and had observed Higgins’ actions. She came out of the booth and stood between Plaintiff and Higgins and told Higgins to stop punching Plaintiff. Higgins hit Plaintiff a couple times more and left the unit. Plaintiff alleges that he sustained a fractured jaw from the incident. He also alleges that Higgins had been assigned to another unit that day, but came to D—Unit for the purpose of assaulting Plaintiff. (Id.) Plaintiff also alleges that Defendant Kimball, the supervising officer, “failed to allow a nurse or a doctor to examine [Plaintiff’s] jaw,” and disregarded Plaintiff’s “pleas” for medical attention. from pain. Plaintiff now cannot “talk properly” (Id.) Plaintiff further alleges that Kimball authorized Higgins to leave his post to assault Plaintiff, and that Kimball and 3 Defendant Nacca laughed about the incident. 2 (Id.) Plaintiff contends that Kimball stated that, “the next time [Plaintiff] talks to the Star Ledger, he’ll think twice.” (Id.) In an addendum filed on May 24, 2013, Plaintiff admits that he was taken to the hospital on May 14, 2013 for treatment of his injuries. He generally alleges that supervisory officials, Unit Director Shantay Braine Adams and Clinical Director Merrill Main ignore these “serious situations” with the Department of Corrections (“DOC”) officers. (Dkt. * 2, Addendum at 2.) Plaintiff further alleges that there are no investigations of these assaults on residents by DOC officers, but rather the residents are charged with disciplinary infractions. (Id. at 2- 4.) Plaintiff next complains that, on May 15, 2013, residents of South Unit were brought to the yard while officers searched the residents’ cells. Plaintiff alleges that this conduct has occurred for three weeks “in retaliation and harassment of some residents telling the truth” about correctional officers committing assault on residents. (Id. at 4.) Plaintiff further alleges that the videotape of Higgins assaulting Plaintiff was lost. He also alleges that Higgins broke his hand when he Plaintiff 2 also alleges that Defendant Nacca participated in Defendant Higgins’ assault. 4 struck Plaintiff, the incident. places. (Id. but that is not mentioned in any reports of Plaintiff’s jaw allegedly was broken in three at 5-7.) Plaintiff also alleges that he was returned to the same environment where he was assaulted and that Defendant Higgins has a post in that area. He alleges that he had an I.V. when Higgins assaulted him on May 12, 2013, and that his parents and girlfriend came to the EJSP-STU the day he was assaulted but were refused visitation. Plaintiff further alleges that his parents came to the Union Memorial Hospital before, after his surgery for his broken jaw, see Plaintiff. (Id. but were not permitted to at 7-10.) Plaintiff alleges that since May 20, 2013, he has been locked in cell #18 in D—Unit with no phone calls, showers, etc. during and visits, Plaintiff further complains that the administrators and Internal Affairs Department at EJSP—STU are ignoring his requests to speak to witnesses of the assault, and that Ombudsman Kenneth Rozon is ‘hiding statements that he received from [Plaintiff’s] witnesses” (Id, at 11, 12,) Plaintiff asserts violations of his freedom of association and defamation of character, in addition to claims of excessive force and denial of medical care. 5 (Id. at 13.) (3) CD N C) F’U C) H C) U) F’ C) cC) U)) Hi * F Ii C C) ) Di F CD hi CX hi 0 C) CD C) H‘F) H F C) () Ct’, (U (I F CD U) hi H ‘U CD U. 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(28 U.S.C. United States, § 1915A(b)). the Supreme Court’s decision in Ashcroft v. that offers ‘labels or conclusions’ or 287 P. App’x According to Iqbal, “a pleading ‘a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will n.ot do.’” 662, 678 U.S. 544, (2009) 555 (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. (2007)). Rather, v. 556 U.S. Twombly, 550 to prevent surrnary dismissal, the complaint must allege “sufficient factual matter” to show that the claim is facially plausible. 578 P.3d 203, 210 (3d Cir. 2009) Bowler v. (citation omitted). while pro se pleadings are liberally construed, Gen., 655 F.3d 333, 339 UPMS Shadyside, (3d Cir. 2011), Moreover, Higgs v. Atty. “pro se litigants still must allege sufficient facts in their complaints to support a claim.” Cir. Mala v. 2013) Crown Bay Marina, (citation omitted) . Inc., 704 F.3d 239, Nonetheless, 245 (3d courts must be cognizant that the Iqbal standard “is not akin to a probability requirement.” Officials, U.S. Covington v. 710 F.3d 114, at 678) 118 Int’l Ass’n of Approved Basketball (3d Cir. 2013) (quoting Iqbal, 556 (Internal quotation marks omitted) III. SECTION 1983 ACTIONS Plain.tiff brings this action pursu.ant to 42 U.S.C. 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Caidwell, Civil No. 09—5652 (WJM), 2011 PIt 2293385, *7 n.5 (D.N.J. Jun. 8, 2011) (same). The standards for analyzing Fourteenth Amendment due process claims were established by the Supreme Court in Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520 (1979). In Bell, the Supreme Court stated: In evaluating the constitutionality of conditions or restrictions of pretrial detention that implicate only the protection against deprivation of liberty without due process of law, we think that the proper inquiry is whether those conditions amount to punishment of the detainee. For under the Due Process Clause, a detainee may not be punished prior to an adjudication of guilt in accordance with due process of law.... A court must decide whether the disability is imposed for the purpose of punishment or whether it is but an incident of some other legitimate governmental purpose. Absent a showing of an expressed intent to punish on the part of detention facility officials, that determination generally will turn on wwhether an alternative purpose to which [the restriction] may rationally be connected is assignable for it, and whether it appears excessive in relation to the alternative purpose assigned [to it].” Thus, if a particular condition or restriction of pretrial detention is reasonably related to a legitimate governmental objective, it does not, without more, amount to punishment.” Conversely, if a restriction or condition is not reasonably related to a legitimate goal-if it is arbitrary or purposeless-a court permissibly may infer that In 3 a recent non-precedential decision, the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit observed that Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause applies to excessive force claims by pretrial detainees, but where the claim stems from a prison disturbance, the Eighth Amendment standard is generally applied because prison guards cannot be expected to draw distinctions between sentenced and un-sentenced inmates while they are trying to stop a prison disturbance. Carson v. Mulvihill, 488 F. App’x 554, 562 (3d Cir. 2012). As the facts in this case do not indicate a prison disturbance, the Fourteenth Amendment standard will be applied. 9 -‘ ) • I’ ‘. 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F’ Id tn CD I-., 0 F’-it LI Ct 0101 CLI’ ,Qrt CDLI rIF’ 00 I-’LI’ CDED CDLI OCt 00) LI ‘0 ‘OF’ C ao CtCt CDF’ LIDI i-hi’ F-’ F’-DI CDCD LI F—’CD ‘CP1 LI mo )-44 ta-CD Cii F’-l-b ft .0 ‘rio •OtO •LICD CD ‘0 000 LIOC CDCtP1 asit CDWLI’ ii’Cm 01 F.3d 318, 326 (3d Cir. 2009); Bethune v. Cnty. of Cape May, Civil No. 08—5738, 2011 WL 2037627, *3 (D.N.J. May 20, 2011). Construing all inferences in Plaintiff’s favor, as the Court must do at this preliminary screening stage, this Court preliminarily finds that Plaintiff has pled facts sufficient to state a plausible claim for relief necessary to withstand summary dismissal at this time. In particular, the facts, as alleged by Plaintiff in his Complaint, are sufficient to question the use of force exercised by Defendant Higgins and the manner and purpose for which the force was applied. Plaintiff alleges that Higgins punched him in the face repeatedly while Plaintiff was on the phone. He does not allege any incidents or unit disturbances that warranted Higgins’ unprovoked assault. Plaintiff also alleges that Defendant Kimball allowed the assault to occur and did nothing to protect Plaintiff from harm. Therefore, the Court will allow Plaintiff’s Fourteenth Amendment excessive force claim to proceed at this time against Defendants Higgins and Kimball. However, Plaintiff alleges no facts to support a claim of excessive force, failure to protect, or any other constitutional violation by Defendants Brown and Nacca. In fact, Plaintiff alleges that Brown interceded and placed herself between Higgins and Plaintiff to stop the alleged assault. 11 As to Nacca, Plaintiff makes a general allegation that Nacca and Higgins “intentionally started assaulting the phone,” (Dkt. [Plaintiff), when [he) was on but in Plaintiff’s recitation of # 1 at ¶ 4c), Plaintiff makes no the assault in his Statement of Claims, Therefore, mention of Nacca’s involvement. the Complaint will in its entirety, be dismissed without prejudice, as against Defendants Brown and Nacca. B. Denial of Medical Care Claim Next, it appears that Plaintiff may be alleging a denial of medical care claim because it took two days for Plaintiff to be taken to the hospital for treatment of his broken jaw. This Court will rely upon the Fourteenth Amendment in analyzing Plaintiff’s denial of medical care claim. Massachusetts General Hospital, 463 U.S. See City of Revere v. 239, 243—45 (1983) (holding that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, rather than the Eighth Amendment, controls the issue of whether prison officials must provide medical care to those confined in jail awaiting trial); 150, 158 Appx 92, (3d Cir 96 2005); (3d Cir. King v. 2008) . Hubbard v. Cnty. Taylor, 399 F.3d of Gloucester, In Hubbard, 302 F. the Third Circuit clarified that the Eighth Amendment standard acts only as a floor for due process inquiries into medical and non—medical conditions of pretrial detainees. 12 399 F,3d at 165—67, The Fourteenth Amendment standard of unconstitutional punishment, like the Eighth Amendment’s cruel and unusual punishments standard, contains both an objective component and a subjective component: Unconstitutional punishment typically includes both objective and subjective components. As the Supreme Court explained in Wilson v. Seiter, 501 U.S. 294, 111 S.Ct. 2321, 115 L.Ed.2d 271 ... (1991), the objective component requires an inquiry into whether the deprivation [was] sufficiently serious” and the subjective component asks whether “the officials act[ed] with a sufficiently culpable state of mind[.]” Id. at 298.... The Supreme Court did not abandon this bipartite analysis in Bell, but rather allowed for an inference of mens rea where the restriction is arbitrary or purposeless, or where the restriction is excessive, even if it would accomplish a legitimate governmental objective. Stevenson v. Carroll, 495 F.3d 62, 68 (3d Cir. 2007). In this case, Plaintiff alleges that he was denied medical attention for treatment of his jaw, which had been broken in three places. He alleges that Defendant Kimball denied Plaintiff medical care for two days without any medical or legitimate justification before being sent to the Union Memorial Hospital on May 14, 2013. Consequently, it would appear that Plaintiff has alleged facts sufficient at this time to raise a “plausible claim for relief.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 679. The medical claim will be allowed to proceed at this time as against Defendant Kimball. 13 C. Supervisor Liability Plaintiff also generally alleges in his addendum to the Complaint that supervisory officials Adams and Main ignore these incidents of assaults and conduct no investigations. Plaintiff does not specify any facts in support of this broad allegation. As a general rule, government officials may not be held liable for the unconstitutional conduct of their subordinates under a theory of respondeat superior. 676; Monell v. 658, 691 New York City Dept. (1978) See Iqbal, 556 U.S. Of Social Servs., at 436 U.S. (finding no vicarious liability for a municipal “person” under 42 U.S.C. § 1983) . In Iqbal, the Supreme Court held that “[b]ecause vicarious or supervisor liability is inapplicable to Bivens and § 1983 suits, 4 that each Government-official defendant, a plaintiff must plead through the official’s own individual actions, has violated the Constitution.” 556 U.S. each government official is liable only at 676. Thus, for his or her own conduct. Iqbal, The Supreme Court rejected the contention that supervisor liability can be imposed where the official had only “knowledge” or “acquiesced” in their subordinates conduct. See id., 556 U.S. at 677. 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D o C) ft H- CD ‘0 H 0 ft to 0 Di CD to to ‘0 C Di H :3 H H- C) HØ to H- a Hi 0 H to to ft Di ft C to Z 0 H H 0 3 ft Di H-to Di Hi 0 H H CD CD Di H H H :3 a CD C) Di ‘0 H :3 0’ CD CD Di Di to Di CD it Di CA) O’i r-3 H ii Z 0 H 0 H$4 H- Di I-’ as Di’ ftg H - o o o ‘— * to CD .U C CD H H- to p’ ‘0 :3 :s 0 H H- ‘0 I”- Di H CD Cl ‘I U) I U) ‘U :“ CD LXI 4 c it it Di it i CD 13 ft C, CD ‘0 Di H Di 4 Pc to to H it to Di Hit D ft 0 Hto Hi Hit ‘ CD CD to ft o :3 ii’ H C o C) Di Hto 5 to Di C H it • Di to Di CD it o it to to CD to CD z E Hft Di it H- P’1. ;z’ Di HH to ii Hi H Z Di F-’ CD z ft Fl Di CD it a Di 11 0 CD F’ F’ to Zi’ F’ H3 a CD 0 0 H Hto CD Di CD 0’ CD C) Di s.: to CD to it H CD to Ha CD :3 0 ft Di CD H Di it E H- 3 o HDi ft H C) to 0 Di to 0 Hi H 0 a CD Hi H ft 0 ft H H‘0 !3 CD J ft a I CD 3 ‘ H I-’H to it ,zi Di I’ to a HCD :3 CD a I to :3 CD it ft Di Di to H CD ‘0 CD Di Di H to 0 HHi it to F’ Di i’:3 Di C) to 0 0 HDi ft F’ 0 HI 0 8’ a CD CD U • subjected to penological restrictions reasonably related to his status as an adjudicated SVP. See Sealer v. Ludeman, Civil No. 09—0732 ADM/SRN, 2010 IlL 145275, *15 (D. Minn. Jan. 8, 2010) (finding that restrictions on a civilly committed sex offender’s right to freedom of association is permissible where such restrictions are reasonably related to legitimate interests to ensure security and order in the facility). The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has acknowledged that restrictions on association or interaction between civilly committed persons are not constitutionally offensive if the restrictions rest on legitimate security measures or disciplinary purposes, and are not treatment decisions. Williams, 689 F.3d 879, 882 (7th Cir. 2012). Lane v. Here, the freedom of association restrictions appear to be consistent with Plaintiff’s status as a dangerous sex offender. Accordingly, Plaintiff’s freedom of association claim is dismissed without prejudice for failure to state a cognizable claim at this time. Plaintiff’s freedom of association claim also fails to allege “sufficient factual matter” to show that the claim is facially plausible. See Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 676. Consequently, this general claim, as pled, does not satisfy the threshold requirement set forth in Iqbal, and alternatively, it 17 will be dismissed without prejudice for failure to state a claim at this time. 5 S. Defamati, Claim Finally, Plaintiff asserts a bare claim of defamation of rc eanLLn is a tort actionable under the laws of most States, ’ 0 constitutonal deprivaj 233 (1991); (3d Cir. see also Clark v. 1989); WL 1792398, Siegert v. *2 Thomas v. Gilley, Dy but not a 500 U.S. 226, T. of Falls, 890 F.2d 611, christy, Civil No. 13-2560 (D.N.J. Apr. claim under New Jersey law, 25, 2013) . (NLH), 619 2013 To state a defamation a defendant must make a false and defamatory statement of fact about plaintiff that the defendant knew or should have known was false, to third parties, causing damages. Flea World, 356 F. Inc., and that was communicated See Artista Records, Supp.2d 411, 424 (D.N.J. 2005) Inc. v. (citing This 5 dismissal is without prejudice to Plaintiff filing an amended Complaint to allege facts that conform to the legal standards set forth in this Opinion, Plaintiff should note that n an amenc;ed complain iS filed, ic suoersedes the original whe and renders it of no lecal effect, un.l ess the •amended co.mp.la:r 11, specific refar to or adopts the earlier pleading, See West Run Studet t Housjp Assac tes, LLC s’. Sin tin gtoi, Na tional Rank, No, 12li430, 201. WI. J.3389 it (3d C, Ron, 4, 2013) , 86 (collatir cases S S es .Alan Wright & Arthur A, Niller, Federal Practl. and § 1475 (3d ad, 2008) An amended complaint may adopt some or all of the allegations in the originai complaint but the identification of the Particular s to allegation adopted must be clear and explicit, IN. 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