United States District Court for the District of Arizona, 2020

Ramirez 103771 v. Corizon Health

Ramirez 103771 v. Corizon Health
United States District Court for the District of Arizona · Decided April 14, 2020
Ramirez 103771 v. Corizon Health

Trial Court Opinion

1 KM WO 6 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 7 FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA Leobardo L. Ramirez, No. CV 19-05799-PHX-DGC (JZB) 10 Plaintiff, v. ORDER Corizon Health, et al., Defendants.

15 On November 5, 2019, Plaintiff Leobardo L. Ramirez, who is confined in the Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis, filed a pro se civil rights Complaint in the Maricopa County Superior Court. On December 12, 2019, Defendants Ende and Corizon removed the action to this Court and paid the filing fee. On January 23, 2020, Plaintiff filed an Objection to removal. In a January 28, 2020 Order, the Court dismissed the Complaint with leave to amend.

21 On February 6, 2020, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Ruling and Clarification. On February 20, 2020, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Extension of Time to Amend. In a March 23, 2020 Order, the Court denied the Objection to Removal, partially granted the Motion for Ruling and Clarification, and granted Plaintiff’s Motion for Extension of Time.

25 The Court gave Plaintiff 30 days to file an amended complaint on the court-approved form.

26 On March 26, 2020, Plaintiff filed his First Amended Complaint (Doc. 9). The Court will dismiss the First Amended Complaint with leave to amend.

28 . . . .

1 I. Statutory Screening of Prisoner Complaints 2 The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a governmental entity or an officer or an employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if a plaintiff 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).

8 A pleading must contain a “short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2) (emphasis added). While Rule 8 does not demand detailed factual allegations, “it demands more than an unadorned, the- defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). “Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Id. 14 “[A] complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Id. (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). A claim is plausible “when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. “Determining whether a complaint states a plausible claim for relief [is] . . . a context-specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial experience and common sense.” Id. at 679. Thus, although a plaintiff’s specific factual allegations may be consistent with a constitutional claim, a court must assess whether there are other “more likely explanations” for a defendant’s conduct. Id. at 681.

23 But as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has instructed, courts must “continue to construe pro se filings liberally.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 (9th Cir. 2010). A “complaint [filed by a pro se prisoner] ‘must be held to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.’” Id. (quoting Erickson v. Pardus, 551 27 U.S. 89, 94 (2007) (per curiam)).

28 . . . .

1 If the Court determines that a pleading could be cured by the allegation of other facts, a pro se litigant is entitled to an opportunity to amend a complaint before dismissal of the action. See Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1127-29 (9th Cir. 2000) (en banc).

4 Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint will be dismissed for failure to state a claim, but because it may possibly be amended to state a claim, the Court will dismiss it with leave to amend.

7 II. First Amended Complaint 8 Plaintiff names the following Defendants in his four-count First Amended Complaint: Corizon Health (Corizon); Centurion Health (Centurion); Nurse Practitioner Lawrence Ende; former Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) Director Charles Ryan; and John Does 1-3. Plaintiff seeks injunctive relief and money damages.

12 In Count One, Plaintiff alleges his Eighth Amendment rights were violated by inadequate medical care. Plaintiff alleges Defendant Corizon refused to treat his serious medical problems and, “when they finally attempted to treat some of them, the prescribed medications did not work and they refused to change them.” Plaintiff claims “they also refused to send [Plaintiff] to an eye specialist or an ear, nose, and throat specialist for proper diagnosing and treating some of [his] medical problems.” Plaintiff asserts he also has severe pain in his right hip and leg, “which has also been ignored by this Defendant.” In his “Conclusion” at the end of the First Amended Complaint, Plaintiff states he suffered from cataracts and Defendant Corizon refused to send Plaintiff to an eye specialist.

21 Plaintiff received cataract surgery in March 2020. Plaintiff states he also has “breathing and ear problems,” which Corizon “refused to do anything about.”

23 In Count Two, Plaintiff claims Defendant Centurion violated his Eighth Amendment right to medical care. Plaintiff alleges Defendant Centurion began providing medical care for inmates on July 1, 2019, and “since they kept some staff from the previous company, a lot of the same problems still exist.” Plaintiff states he “is not scheduled to see any other specialists at this time, even though he is in serious pain, he also is not receiving medication that helps relieve the pain.” Plaintiff further claims Defendant Centurion is “charging the $4.00 co-pay even when charges for some medical care is exempt.” In his “Conclusion,” Plaintiff contends Defendant Centurion did not change Plaintiff’s medications and “did nothing,” even though Plaintiff “still suffers severe pain.”

4 In Count Three, Plaintiff alleges Defendant Ende has violated his Eighth Amendment right to adequate medical care. Plaintiff asserts Defendant Ende “did not order tests that are necessary to find the causes of Plaintiff’s several medical issues that cause severe pain” and “did not order proper effective medications to control pain.” In his “Conclusion,” Plaintiff claims he suffers “severe pain in his ears, right leg, and hip, and other locations.” Plaintiff states his pain “keeps [him] from doing certain activities.”

10 Plaintiff states Defendant Ende worked for Defendants Corizon and Centurion.

11 In Count Four, Plaintiff alleges Defendant Ryan violated his Eighth Amendment right to adequate medical care when he failed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of inmates.

13 Plaintiff asserts Defendant Ryan signed the contract with Defendant Corizon, but failed to ensure Corizon “provided proper medical care to inmates.” Plaintiff states he filed “numerous grievances which included grievance appeals which went to Ryan until he cancelled them.” Plaintiff also contends Defendant Ryan “has been in contempt of Court in another medical case for not making sure Corizon met the proper treatment of inmates per the agreement and contract.” Plaintiff further alleges Defendant Ryan “did not pay close attention to complaints on the actions of some correctional officers” and “as a result of [Ryan’s] poor management skills and not caring how inmates are treated, Plaintiff had to and has to suffer needlessly.”

22 In his “Conclusion,” Plaintiff claims he was “physically attacked by staff for no reason, two attacks put Plaintiff in the hospital with life threatening injuries.” Plaintiff states “the three correctional officers were not disciplined.”

25 III. Failure to State a Claim 26 Although pro se pleadings are liberally construed, Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520-21 (1972), conclusory and vague allegations will not support a cause of action. Ivey v. Bd. of Regents of the Univ. of Alaska, 673 F.2d 266, 268 (9th Cir. 1982). Further, a liberal interpretation of a civil rights complaint may not supply essential elements of the claim that were not initially pled. Id. 3 A. Defendants Corizon and Centurion 4 To state a claim under § 1983 against a private entity performing a traditional public function, such as providing medical or dental care to prisoners, a plaintiff must allege facts to support that his constitutional rights were violated as a result of a policy, decision, or custom promulgated or endorsed by the private entity. See Tsao v. Desert Palace, Inc., 698 F.3d 1128, 1138-39 (9th Cir. 2012); Buckner v. Toro, 116 F.3d 450, 452 (11th Cir. 1997). A plaintiff must allege the specific policy or custom and how it violated his constitutional rights. A private entity is not liable simply because it employed individuals who allegedly violated a plaintiff’s constitutional rights. See Tsao, 698 F.3d at 1139.

12 Plaintiff does not allege that he suffered injuries resulting from policies or customs of Defendants Corizon or Centurion. Plaintiff therefore fails to state a claim against these Defendants.

15 B. Defendants Ende and Ryan 16 Not every claim by a prisoner relating to inadequate medical treatment states a violation of the Eighth Amendment. To state a § 1983 medical claim, a plaintiff must show (1) a “serious medical need” by demonstrating that failure to treat the condition could result in further significant injury or the unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain and (2) the defendant’s response was deliberately indifferent. Jett v. Penner, 439 F.3d 1091, 1096 (9th Cir. 2006).

22 “Deliberate indifference is a high legal standard.” Toguchi v. Chung, 391 F.3d 23 1051, 1060 (9th Cir. 2004). To act with deliberate indifference, a prison official must both know of and disregard an excessive risk to inmate health; “the official must both be aware of facts from which the inference could be drawn that a substantial risk of serious harm exists, and he must also draw the inference.” Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 837 (1994).

27 Deliberate indifference in the medical context may be shown by a purposeful act or failure to respond to a prisoner’s pain or possible medical need and harm caused by the indifference. Jett, 439 F.3d at 1096. Deliberate indifference may also be shown when a prison official intentionally denies, delays, or interferes with medical treatment or by the way prison doctors respond to the prisoner’s medical needs. Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 4 97, 104-05 (1976); Jett, 439 F.3d at 1096.

5 Deliberate indifference is a higher standard than negligence or lack of ordinary due care for the prisoner’s safety. Farmer, 511 U.S. at 835. “Neither negligence nor gross negligence will constitute deliberate indifference.” Clement v. California Dep’t of Corr., 220 F. Supp. 2d 1098, 1105 (N.D. Cal. 2002); see also Broughton v. Cutter Labs., 622 F.2d 9 458, 460 (9th Cir. 1980) (mere claims of “indifference,” “negligence,” or “medical malpractice” do not support a claim under § 1983). “A difference of opinion does not amount to deliberate indifference to [a plaintiff’s] serious medical needs.” Sanchez v. Vild, 891 F.2d 240, 242 (9th Cir. 1989). A mere delay in medical care, without more, is insufficient to state a claim against prison officials for deliberate indifference. See Shapley v. Nevada Bd. of State Prison Comm’rs, 766 F.2d 404, 407 (9th Cir. 1985). The indifference must be substantial. The action must rise to a level of “unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain.” Estelle, 429 U.S. at 105.

17 1. Defendant Ende 18 Plaintiff’s allegations against Defendant Ende are insufficient to state an Eighth Amendment medical claim. Plaintiff does not clearly describe the conditions for which he sought treatment, when and how he made Defendant Ende aware of his need for treatment, and how (or when) Defendant Ende responded. Further, Plaintiff does not describe what types of diagnostic tests he should have received, what type of medication he was provided and when, and when he informed Defendant Ende that his medications were not working.

24 Plaintiff’s allegations are too vague to state a claim against Defendant Ende.

25 2. Defendant Ryan 26 Plaintiff sues Defendant Ryan in both his individual and official capacities. A suit against a defendant in his or her individual capacity seeks to impose personal liability upon the official. Kentucky v. Graham, 473 U.S. 159, 165-66 (1985). For a person to be liable in his or her individual capacity, “[a] plaintiff must allege facts, not simply conclusions, that show that the individual was personally involved in the deprivation of his civil rights.”

3 Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194 (9th Cir. 1998). By comparison, a suit against a defendant in his or her official capacity represents only another way of pleading an action against the entity that employs the defendant. Kentucky, 473 U.S. at 165. That is, the real party in interest is not the named defendant, but the entity that employs the defendant. Id. To bring a claim against an individual in his official capacity, a plaintiff must show that the constitutional deprivation resulted from the entity’s policy, custom, or practice. Id.; Monell v. Dep’t of Soc. Servs. of New York, 436 U.S. 658, 694 (1978).

10 Because Defendant Ryan is no longer the Director of the ADC, any official capacity claims for injunctive relief would be construed as brought against the current Director of ADC. However, Plaintiff does not allege he suffered injuries as a result of policies or customs of the Arizona Department of Corrections and therefor fails to state an official capacity claim against the current ADC Director.

15 Plaintiff’s individual capacity claims against Defendant Ryan are insufficient to state an Eighth Amendment medical claim. Plaintiff does not clearly describe the conditions from which he suffers, nor does he state when or how he made Defendant Ryan aware of his serious medical needs, or what response, if any, Defendant Ryan provided.

19 Plaintiff therefore fails to state a claim against Defendant Ryan.

20 C. Doe Defendants 21 Plaintiff alleges the three Doe Defendants physically attacked him. When an inmate claims that prison officials violated his Eighth Amendment rights by using excessive physical force, the relevant inquiry is “whether force was applied in a good-faith effort to maintain or restore discipline, or maliciously and sadistically to cause harm.” Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 7 (1992). However, the Supreme Court has made it clear that not every use of physical force violates the Eighth Amendment: That is not to say that every malevolent touch by a prison guard gives 28 rise to a federal cause of action. See Johnson v. Glick, 481 F.2d [1028, 1033 (2nd Cir. 1973)] (“Not every push or shove, even if it may later seem unnecessary in the peace of a judge’s chambers, violates a prisoner’s constitutional rights”). Id. at 9.

Plaintiff has not provided any details about the circumstances of the alleged physical attacks such as when they occurred or what events led up to each incident. Plaintiff’s allegations are too vague to state an excessive force claim.

IV. Leave to Amend For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint will be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Within 30 days, Plaintiff may submit a second amended complaint to cure the deficiencies outlined above. The Clerk of Court will mail Plaintiff a court-approved form to use for filing a second amended complaint. If Plaintiff fails to use the court-approved form, the Court may strike the second amended complaint and dismiss this action without further notice to Plaintiff.

Plaintiff must clearly designate on the face of the document that it is the “Second Amended Complaint.” The second amended complaint must be retyped or rewritten in its entirety on the court-approved form and may not incorporate any part of the original Complaint or First Amended Complaint by reference. Plaintiff may include only one claim per count.

In each count, Plaintiff must write short, plain statements telling the Court: (1) the constitutional right Plaintiff believes was violated; (2) the name of the Defendant who violated the right; (3) exactly what that Defendant did or failed to do; (4) how the action or inaction of that Defendant is connected to the violation of Plaintiff’s constitutional right; and (5) what specific injury Plaintiff suffered because of that Defendant’s conduct. See Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362, 371-72, 377 (1976).

Plaintiff must repeat this process for each person he names as a Defendant. If Plaintiff fails to affirmatively link the conduct of each named Defendant with the specific injury suffered by Plaintiff, the allegations against that Defendant will be dismissed for failure to state a claim. Conclusory allegations that a Defendant or group of Defendants has violated a constitutional right are not acceptable and will be dismissed.

3 A second amended complaint supersedes the original Complaint and First Amended Complaint. Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1262 (9th Cir. 1992); Hal Roach Studios v. Richard Feiner & Co., 896 F.2d 1542, 1546 (9th Cir. 1990). After amendment, the Court will treat the original Complaint and First Amended Complaint as nonexistent. Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1262. Any cause of action that was raised in the original Complaint or First Amended Complaint and that was voluntarily dismissed or was dismissed without prejudice is waived if it is not alleged in a second amended complaint. Lacey v. Maricopa County, 693 F.3d 896, 928 (9th Cir. 2012) (en banc).

11 V. Warnings 12 A. Address Changes 13 Plaintiff must file and serve a notice of a change of address in accordance with Rule 83.3(d) of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure. Plaintiff must not include a motion for other relief with a notice of change of address. Failure to comply may result in dismissal of this action.

17 B. Possible Dismissal 18 If Plaintiff fails to timely comply with every provision of this Order, including these warnings, the Court may dismiss this action without further notice. See Ferdik, 963 F.2d 20 at 1260-61 (a district court may dismiss an action for failure to comply with any order of the Court).

22 IT IS ORDERED: 23 (1) The First Amended Complaint (Doc. 9) is dismissed for failure to state a claim. Plaintiff has 30 days from the date this Order is filed to file a second amended complaint in compliance with this Order.

26 (2) If Plaintiff fails to file a second amended complaint within 30 days, the Clerk of Court must, without further notice, enter a judgment of dismissal of this action with prejudice and deny any pending unrelated motions as moot.

1 (3) The Clerk of Court must mail Plaintiff a court-approved form for filing a civil rights complaint by a prisoner.

3 Dated this 14th day of April, 2020.

6 Cou ll 7 Senior United States District Judge Instructions for a Prisoner Filing a Civil Rights Complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona 1. Who May Use This Form. The civil rights complaint form is designed to help incarcerated persons prepare a complaint seeking relief for a violation of their federal civil rights. These complaints typically concern, but are not limited to, conditions of confinement. This form should not be used to challenge your conviction or sentence. If you want to challenge a state conviction or sentence, you should file a petition under 28 U.S.C. ' 2254 for a writ of habeas corpus by a person in state custody. If you want to challenge a federal conviction or sentence, you should file a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to vacate sentence in the federal court that entered the judgment.

2. The Form. Local Rule of Civil Procedure (LRCiv) 3.4(a) provides that complaints by incarcerated persons must be filed on the court-approved form. The form must be typed or neatly handwritten. The form must be completely filled in to the extent applicable. All questions must be answered clearly and concisely in the appropriate space on the form. If needed, you may attach additional pages, but no more than fifteen additional pages, of standard letter-sized paper. You must identify which part of the complaint is being continued and number all pages. If you do not fill out the form properly, you will be asked to submit additional or corrected information, which may delay the processing of your action. You do not need to cite law.

3. Your Signature. You must tell the truth and sign the form. If you make a false statement of a material fact, you may be prosecuted for perjury.

4. The Filing and Administrative Fees. The total fees for this action are $400.00 ($350.00 filing fee plus $50.00 administrative fee). If you are unable to immediately pay the fees, you may request leave to proceed in forma pauperis. Please review the “Information for Prisoners Seeking Leave to Proceed with a (Non-Habeas) Civil Action in Federal Court In Forma Pauperis Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. ' 1915” for additional instructions.

5. Original and Judge=s Copy. You must send an original plus one copy of your complaint and of any other documents submitted to the Court. You must send one additional copy to the Court if you wish to have a file-stamped copy of the document returned to you. All copies must be identical to the original. Copies may be legibly handwritten. This section does not apply to inmates housed at an Arizona Department of Corrections facility that participates in electronic filing.

6. Where to File. You should file your complaint in the division where you were confined when your rights were allegedly violated. See LRCiv 5.1(a) and 77.1(a). If you were confined in Maricopa, Pinal, Yuma, La Paz, or Gila County, file in the Phoenix Division. If you were confined in Apache, Navajo, Coconino, Mohave, or Yavapai County, file in the Prescott Division.

If you were confined in Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham, or Greenlee County, file in the Tucson Division. Mail the original and one copy of the complaint with the $400 filing and administrative fees or the application to proceed in forma pauperis to: Revised 3/11/16 1 Phoenix & Prescott Divisions: OR Tucson Division: U.S. District Court Clerk U.S. District Court Clerk U.S. Courthouse, Suite 130 U.S. Courthouse, Suite 1500 West Washington Street, SPC 10 405 West Congress Street Phoenix, Arizona 85003-2119 Tucson, Arizona 85701-5010 7. Change of Address. You must immediately notify the Court and the defendants in writing of any change in your mailing address. Failure to notify the Court of any change in your mailing address may result in the dismissal of your case.

8. Certificate of Service. You must furnish the defendants with a copy of any document you submit to the Court (except the initial complaint and application to proceed in forma pauperis).

Each original document (except the initial complaint and application to proceed in forma pauperis) must include a certificate of service on the last page of the document stating the date a copy of the document was mailed to the defendants and the address to which it was mailed. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(a), (d). Any document received by the Court that does not include a certificate of service may be stricken. This section does not apply to inmates housed at an Arizona Department of Corrections facility that participates in electronic filing.

A certificate of service should be in the following form: I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing document was mailed this (month, day, year) to: Name: Address: Attorney for Defendant(s) (Signature) 9. Amended Complaint. If you need to change any of the information in the initial complaint, you must file an amended complaint. The amended complaint must be written on the court-approved civil rights complaint form. You may file one amended complaint without leave (permission) of Court within 21 days after serving it or within 21 days after any defendant has filed an answer, whichever is earlier. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a). Thereafter, you must file a motion for leave to amend and lodge (submit) a proposed amended complaint. LRCiv 15.1. In addition, an amended complaint may not incorporate by reference any part of your prior complaint. LRCiv 15.1(a)(2). Any allegations or defendants not included in the amended complaint are considered dismissed. All amended complaints are subject to screening under the Prison Litigation Reform Act; screening your amendment will take additional processing time.

10. Exhibits. You should not submit exhibits with the complaint or amended complaint.

Instead, the relevant information should be paraphrased. You should keep the exhibits to use to support or oppose a motion to dismiss, a motion for summary judgment, or at trial.

11. Letters and Motions. It is generally inappropriate to write a letter to any judge or the staff of any judge. The only appropriate way to communicate with the Court is by filing a written pleading or motion.

12. Completing the Civil Rights Complaint Form.

HEADING: 1. Your Name. Print your name, prison or inmate number, and institutional mailing address on the lines provided.

2. Defendants. If there are four or fewer defendants, print the name of each. If you name more than four defendants, print the name of the first defendant on the first line, write the words “and others” on the second line, and attach an additional page listing the names of all of the defendants. Insert the additional page after page 1 and number it “1-A” at the bottom.

3. Jury Demand. If you want a jury trial, you must write “JURY TRIAL DEMANDED” in the space below “CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT BY A PRISONER.” Failure to do so may result in the loss of the right to a jury trial. A jury trial is not available if you are seeking only injunctive relief.

Part A. JURISDICTION: 1. Nature of Suit. Mark whether you are filing the complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. ' 1983 for state, county, or city defendants; “Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents” for federal defendants; or “other.” If you mark “other,” identify the source of that authority.

2. Location. Identify the institution and city where the alleged violation of your rights occurred.

3. Defendants. Print all of the requested information about each of the defendants in the spaces provided. If you are naming more than four defendants, you must provide the necessary information about each additional defendant on separate pages labeled “2-A,” “2-B,” etc., at the bottom. Insert the additional page(s) immediately behind page 2.

Part B. PREVIOUS LAWSUITS: You must identify any other lawsuit you have filed in either state or federal court while you were a prisoner. Print all of the requested information about each lawsuit in the spaces provided.

If you have filed more than three lawsuits, you must provide the necessary information about each additional lawsuit on a separate page. Label the page(s) as “2-A,” “2-B,” etc., at the bottom of the page and insert the additional page(s) immediately behind page 2.

Part C. CAUSE OF ACTION: You must identify what rights each defendant violated. The form provides space to allege three separate counts (one violation per count). If you are alleging more than three counts, you must provide the necessary information about each additional count on a separate page. Number the additional pages “5-A,” “5-B,” etc., and insert them immediately behind page 5. Remember that you are limited to a total of fifteen additional pages.

1. Counts. You must identify which civil right was violated. You may allege the violation of only one civil right per count.

2. Issue Involved. Check the box that most closely identifies the issue involved in your claim. You may check only one box per count. If you check the box marked “Other,” you must identify the specific issue involved.

3. Supporting Facts. After you have identified which civil right was violated, you must state the supporting facts. Be as specific as possible. You must state what each individual defendant did to violate your rights. If there is more than one defendant, you must identify which defendant did what act. You also should state the date(s) on which the act(s) occurred, if possible.

4. Injury. State precisely how you were injured by the alleged violation of your rights.

5. Administrative Remedies. You must exhaust any available administrative remedies before you file a civil rights complaint. See 42 U.S.C. § 1997e. Consequently, you should disclose whether you have exhausted the inmate grievance procedures or administrative appeals for each count in your complaint. If the grievance procedures were not available for any of your counts, fully explain why on the lines provided.

Part D. REQUEST FOR RELIEF: Print the relief you are seeking in the space provided.

SIGNATURE: You must sign your name and print the date you signed the complaint. Failure to sign the complaint will delay the processing of your action. Unless you are an attorney, you may not bring an action on behalf of anyone but yourself.

FINAL NOTE You should follow these instructions carefully. Failure to do so may result in your complaint being stricken or dismissed. All questions must be answered concisely in the proper space on the form. If you need more space, you may attach no more than fifteen additional pages.

But the form must be completely filled in to the extent applicable. If you attach additional pages, be sure to identify which section of the complaint is being continued and number the pages. ___________________________________________ Name and Prisoner/Booking Number ___________________________________________ Place of Confinement ___________________________________________ Mailing Address ___________________________________________ City, State, Zip Code (Failure to notify the Court of your change of address may result in dismissal of this action.)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA _________________________________________ , (Full Name of Plaintiff) ) Plaintiff, v. CASE NO. __________________________________ (To be supplied by the Clerk) (1) _______________________________________ , (Full Name of Defendant) CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT (2) _______________________________________ , BY A PRISONER (3) _______________________________________ , G Original Complaint (4) _______________________________________ , G First Amended Complaint G Second Amended Complaint Defendant(s).

G Check if there are additional Defendants and attach page 1-A listing them.

A. JURISDICTION 1. This Court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to: G 28 U.S.C. § 1343(a); 42 U.S.C. § 1983 G 28 U.S.C. § 1331; Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents, 403 U.S. 388 (1971).

G Other: .

2. Institution/city where violation occurred: .

550/555 B. DEFENDANTS 1. Name of first Defendant: . The first Defendant is employed as: ______________________________________________ at_______________________________________. (Position and Title) (Institution) 2. Name of second Defendant: . The second Defendant is employed as: as: ______________________________________________ at_______________________________________. (Position and Title) (Institution) 3. Name of third Defendant: . The third Defendant is employed as: ______________________________________________ at_______________________________________. (Position and Title) (Institution) 4. Name of fourth Defendant: . The fourth Defendant is employed as: ______________________________________________ at_______________________________________. (Position and Title) (Institution) If you name more than four Defendants, answer the questions listed above for each additional Defendant on a separate page.

C. PREVIOUS LAWSUITS 1. Have you filed any other lawsuits while you were a prisoner? G Yes G No 2. If yes, how many lawsuits have you filed? . Describe the previous lawsuits: a. First prior lawsuit: 1. Parties: v. 2. Court and case number: .

3. Result: (Was the case dismissed? Was it appealed? Is it still pending?) .

b. Second prior lawsuit: 1. Parties: v. 2. Court and case number: .

3. Result: (Was the case dismissed? Was it appealed? Is it still pending?) .

c. Third prior lawsuit: 1. Parties: v. 2. Court and case number: .

3. Result: (Was the case dismissed? Was it appealed? Is it still pending?) .

If you filed more than three lawsuits, answer the questions listed above for each additional lawsuit on a separate page.

D. CAUSE OF ACTION COUNT I 1. State the constitutional or other federal civil right that was violated: .

2. Count I. Identify the issue involved. Check only one. State additional issues in separate counts.

G Basic necessities G Mail G Access to the court G Medical care G Disciplinary proceedings G Property G Exercise of religion G Retaliation G Excessive force by an officer G Threat to safety G Other: .

3. Supporting Facts. State as briefly as possible the FACTS supporting Count I. Describe exactly what each Defendant did or did not do that violated your rights. State the facts clearly in your own words without citing legal authority or arguments.

.

4. Injury. State how you were injured by the actions or inactions of the Defendant(s).

.

5. Administrative Remedies: a. Are there any administrative remedies (grievance procedures or administrative appeals) available at your institution? G Yes G No b. Did you submit a request for administrative relief on Count I? G Yes G No c. Did you appeal your request for relief on Count I to the highest level? G Yes G No d. If you did not submit or appeal a request for administrative relief at any level, briefly explain why you did not. .

COUNT II 1. State the constitutional or other federal civil right that was violated: .

2. Count II. Identify the issue involved. Check only one. State additional issues in separate counts.

G Basic necessities G Mail G Access to the court G Medical care G Disciplinary proceedings G Property G Exercise of religion G Retaliation G Excessive force by an officer G Threat to safety G Other: .

3. Supporting Facts. State as briefly as possible the FACTS supporting Count II. Describe exactly what each Defendant did or did not do that violated your rights. State the facts clearly in your own words without citing legal authority or arguments.

.

4. Injury. State how you were injured by the actions or inactions of the Defendant(s).

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5. Administrative Remedies. a. Are there any administrative remedies (grievance procedures or administrative appeals) available at your institution? G Yes G No b. Did you submit a request for administrative relief on Count II? G Yes G No c. Did you appeal your request for relief on Count II to the highest level? G Yes G No d. If you did not submit or appeal a request for administrative relief at any level, briefly explain why you did not. .

COUNT III 1. State the constitutional or other federal civil right that was violated: .

2. Count III. Identify the issue involved. Check only one. State additional issues in separate counts.

G Basic necessities G Mail G Access to the court G Medical care G Disciplinary proceedings G Property G Exercise of religion G Retaliation G Excessive force by an officer G Threat to safety G Other: .

3. Supporting Facts. State as briefly as possible the FACTS supporting Count III. Describe exactly what each Defendant did or did not do that violated your rights. State the facts clearly in your own words without citing legal authority or arguments.

.

4. Injury. State how you were injured by the actions or inactions of the Defendant(s).

.

5. Administrative Remedies. a. Are there any administrative remedies (grievance procedures or administrative appeals) available at your institution? G Yes G No b. Did you submit a request for administrative relief on Count III? G Yes G No c. Did you appeal your request for relief on Count III to the highest level? G Yes G No d. If you did not submit or appeal a request for administrative relief at any level, briefly explain why you did not. .

If you assert more than three Counts, answer the questions listed above for each additional Count on a separate page.

E. REQUEST FOR RELIEF State the relief you are seeking:

.

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

Executed on DATE SIGNATURE OF PLAINTIFF

___________________________________________ (Name and title of paralegal, legal assistant, or other person who helped prepare this complaint)

___________________________________________ (Signature of attorney, if any)

___________________________________________ (Attorney=s address & telephone number)

ADDITIONAL PAGES All questions must be answered concisely in the proper space on the form. If you need more space, you may attach no more than fifteen additional pages. But the form must be completely filled in to the extent applicable.

If you attach additional pages, be sure to identify which section of the complaint is being continued and number all pages.

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.