United States District Court, E.D. California
JAMEEL R. COLES, Plaintiff,
v.
JIAN MA, et al., Defendants.
ORDER
CAROLYN K. DELANEY UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
Plaintiff
is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and seeking relief
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This proceeding was
referred to this court by Local Rule 302 pursuant to 28
U.S.C. § 636(b)(1).
Plaintiff
requests leave to proceed in forma pauperis. Since plaintiff
has submitted a declaration that makes the showing required
by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a), his request will be granted.
Plaintiff is required to pay the statutory filing fee of
$350.00 for this action. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1914(a),
1915(b)(1). By separate order, the court will direct the
appropriate agency to collect the initial partial filing fee
from plaintiff's trust account and forward it to the
Clerk of the Court. Thereafter, plaintiff will be obligated
for monthly payments of twenty percent of the preceding
month's income credited to plaintiff's prison trust
account. These payments will be forwarded by the appropriate
agency to the Clerk of the Court each time the amount in
plaintiff's account exceeds $10.00, until the filing fee
is paid in full. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).
The
court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners
seeking relief against a governmental entity or officer or
employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a).
The court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if the
prisoner has raised claims that are legally “frivolous
or malicious, ” that fail to state a claim upon which
relief may be granted, or that seek monetary relief from a
defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. §
1915A(b)(1), (2).
A claim
is legally frivolous when it lacks an arguable basis either
in law or in fact. Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S.
319, 325 (1989); Franklin v. Murphy, 745 F.2d 1221,
1227-28 (9th Cir. 1984). The court may, therefore, dismiss a
claim as frivolous where it is based on an indisputably
meritless legal theory or where the factual contentions are
clearly baseless. Neitzke, 490 U.S. at 327. The
critical inquiry is whether a constitutional claim, however
inartfully pleaded, has an arguable legal and factual basis.
See Jackson v. Arizona, 885 F.2d 639, 640 (9th Cir.
1989); Franklin, 745 F.2d at 1227.
In
order to avoid dismissal for failure to state a claim a
complaint must contain more than “naked assertions,
” “labels and conclusions” or “a
formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of
action.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550
U.S. 544, 555-557 (2007). In other words, “[t]hreadbare
recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by
mere conclusory statements do not suffice.”
Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009).
Furthermore, a claim upon which the court can grant relief
has facial plausibility. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570.
“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.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678.
When considering whether a complaint states a claim upon
which relief can be granted, the court must accept the
allegations as true, Erickson v. Pardus, 127 S.Ct.
2197, 2200 (2007), and construe the complaint in the light
most favorable to the plaintiff, see Scheuer v.
Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236 (1974).
The
court has reviewed plaintiff's complaint and finds that
it fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted
under federal law. Plaintiff's complaint must be
dismissed. The court will, however, grant leave to file an
amended complaint.
If
plaintiff chooses to amend the complaint, plaintiff must
demonstrate how the conditions complained of have resulted in
a deprivation of plaintiff's constitutional rights.
See Ellis v. Cassidy, 625 F.2d 227 (9th Cir. 1980).
Plaintiff complains about medical care. Denial or delay of
medical care may constitute a violation of the prisoner's
Eighth Amendment rights. Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S.
97, 104-05 (1976). An individual is liable for such a
violation only when injury results from deliberate
indifference to a prisoner's serious medical needs.
Id. A difference of opinion about the proper course
of treatment is not deliberate indifference, nor does a
dispute between a prisoner and prison officials over the
necessity for or extent of medical treatment amount to a
constitutional violation. See, e.g., Toguchi v.
Chung, 391 F.3d 1051, 1058 (9th Cir. 2004). Furthermore,
mere delay of medical treatment, “without more, is
insufficient to state a claim of deliberate medical
indifference.” Shapley v. Nev. Bd. of State Prison
Comm'rs, 766 F.2d 404, 407 (9th Cir. 1985). Where a
prisoner alleges that delay of medical treatment is
deliberate indifference, the prisoner must show that the
delay caused “significant harm and that Defendants
should have known this to be the case.” Hallett v.
Morgan, 296 F.3d 732, 745-46 (9th Cir. 2002).
Also,
in his amended complaint, plaintiff must allege in specific
terms how each named defendant is involved. There can be no
liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 unless there is some
affirmative link or connection between a defendant's
actions and the claimed deprivation. Rizzo v. Goode,
423 U.S. 362 (1976). Furthermore, vague and conclusory
allegations of official participation in civil rights
violations are not sufficient. Ivey v. Board of
Regents, 673 F.2d 266, 268 (9th Cir. 1982).
Finally,
plaintiff is informed that the court cannot refer to a prior
pleading in order to make plaintiff's amended complaint
complete. Local Rule 220 requires that an amended complaint
be complete in itself without reference to any prior
pleading. This is because, as a general rule, an amended
complaint supersedes the original complaint. See Loux v.
Rhay, 375 F.2d 55, 57 (9th Cir. 1967). Once plaintiff
files an amended complaint, the original pleading no longer
serves any function in the case. Therefore, in an amended
complaint, as in an original complaint, each claim and the
involvement of each defendant must be sufficiently alleged.
In
accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:
1. Plaintiffs request for leave to proceed in forma pauperis
(ECF No. 4) is granted.
2. Plaintiff is obligated to pay the statutory filing fee of
$350.00 for this action. All fees shall be collected and paid
in accordance with this court's order to the Director of
the California Department of ...