Hudson v. Harvey et al
Filing
13
OPINION & ORDER by Magistrate Judge Kevin R. Sweazea denying without prejudice 11 Motion to Produce; granting 12 Motion to Supplement, Construed as a Motion to Amend, and Directing Clerk of Court to Substitute Name (cbf)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO
ROBERT C. HUDSON,
Plaintiff,
v.
No. 2:16-cv-00568 MCA-KRS
FNU CALVILLO, Nurse and Director of Medical, LCCF,
FNU BRADSHAW, Nurse, LCCF,
FNC HARVEY, Sergeant, LCCF,
FNU MENDOZA, Lieutenant, LCCF,
FNU UNNAMED TRANSPORT SERGEANT, LCCF,
Defendants.
OPINION AND ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR
PRODUCTION WITHOUT PREJUDICE, CONSTRUING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO
SUPPLEMENT AS A REQUEST TO AMEND COMPLAINT, GRANTING MOTION TO
AMEND, AND DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO SUBSTITUTE NAME
Before the Court are Plaintiff Robert Hudson’s motions for production and to supplement
caption filed in this prisoner civil rights case. [Docs. 11 & 12]. Pursuant to its screening
function under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), the Court previously dismissed—and entered partial
judgment on—all but Hudson’s claims for deliberate indifference to his medical needs under the
Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments and negligent denial of care under New Mexico law. [Docs. 9
& 10]. The Court further ordered Hudson to identify the “FNU” transport sergeant within a
reasonable time. [Doc. 10]. In his first motion, Hudson seeks an order compelling production of
initial disclosures to enable him, among other things, to identify the doctor who placed a stint in his
heart. [Doc. 11]. In his second filing, Hudson asks to add Albert Fuentes as that unidentified
sergeant. [Doc. 12]. The Court will deny Hudson’s motion to compel disclosures without
prejudice, but will grant his motion for supplementation, which the Court construes as a request to
amend his complaint.
ANALYSIS
A. Motion For Production
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(1)(B)(iv) exempts from initial disclosure any
“action brought without an attorney by a person in the custody of . . . a state.” Hudson has
appeared pro se in this action and is presently incarcerated at the Lea County, New Mexico
correctional facility. The Court’s local rules also provide that prisoner petitioners are exempt
from pretrial case management and discovery procedures under Rules 16 and 26.
D.N.M.LR-Civ. 16.3, 26.3(a)(1).
See
The Court therefore concludes Hudson is not entitled to
production.
The Court is mindful, however, that Hudson may need information only Defendants
possess to prosecute the claims the Court has allowed to proceed. To address these concerns, the
Court may later, if appropriate, order a Martinez Report, “a court-authorized investigation and
report by prison officials” aimed at ferreting out “any factual or legal bases for [Hudson’s]
claims.” Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1109 (10th Cir. 1991). Additionally, if Hudson still
believes he needs information after that report is ordered and disclosed, he may renew his request
for discovery. See Abdulhaseeb v. Calbone, 600 F.3d 1301, 1310 (10th Cir. 2010) (delaying
“discovery pending an evaluation of the [Martinez] report [does not] constitute an abuse of
discretion or impermissibly contravene[] the discovery provisions of the federal rules”). The
Court will therefore deny Hudson’s motion for production without prejudice.
B. Motion to Supplement
Liberally construed, see Hall, 935 F.2d at 1109, Hudson asks to amend his complaint to
Hudson v. Calvillo, et al.
Opinion & Order
Page 2 of 4
substitute Albert Fuentes for Defendant “FNU” Unnamed Transportation Sergeant. Federal Rule
of Civil Procedure 15(a) allows Hudson to amend his complaint once as a matter of course, either
before the opposing party answers or within 21 days after service of the responsive pleading.
Because Defendants have not answered or served responsive pleadings, Hudson does not need
Court approval to amend. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a), (d) (distinguishing “amendments” to the
pleadings from “supplemental pleadings,” which set out transactions or occurrences that happened
after the pleading was filed). Nonetheless, the Court will grant the motion and treat his original
complaint as the operative pleading except that Mr. Fuentes will be added in place of the unnamed
transportation sergeant. For clarity’s sake the Court directs the Clerk of Court to substitute Albert
Fuentes for the FNU transportation sergeant.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated above, the Court will deny Hudson’s motion for production without
prejudice, grant his motion to supplement, construed as motion to amend his complaint, and direct
the Clerk of Court to substitute Albert Fuentes for Defendant FNU transportation sergeant.
Accordingly, it is ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Motion for Production [Doc. 11] is
DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.
It is further ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Motion to Supplement [Doc. 12], construed a
motion to amend complaint, is GRANTED. Plaintiff’s original complaint is hereby amended to
add Albert Fuentes in place of Defendant FNU Transportation Sergeant, LCCF.
The Clerk of
Court is also directed to substitute Albert Fuentes for Defendant FNU Unnamed Transportation
Sergeant, LCCF.
It is further ORDERED that the Clerk of Court is directed to send notice and waiver of
service forms, along with a copy of this order, the Memorandum Opinion and Order and Partial
Hudson v. Calvillo, et al.
Opinion & Order
Page 3 of 4
Judgment entered May 31, 2017 [Docs. 9 and 10], and the complaint [Doc. 1] to Defendant Albert
Fuentes.
____________________________________
KEVIN R. SWEAZEA
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
Hudson v. Calvillo, et al.
Opinion & Order
Page 4 of 4
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