Grajeda v. Koenig
Grajeda v. Koenig
Trial Court Opinion
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 SANTIAGO GRAJEDA, 11 Case No. 20-06292 EJD (PR) Plaintiff, 12 ORDER OF SERVICE; STRIKING ALL OTHER CLAIMS AND v. 13 DEFENDANTS; DIRECTING
DEFENDANT TO FILE 14 C. KOENIG, et al., DISPOSITIVE MOTION OR NOTICE REGARDING SUCH 15 Defendants. MOTION; INSTRUCTIONS TO CLERK 16
17 18 Plaintiff, a California state prisoner, filed the instant pro se civil rights action 19 pursuant to
42 U.S.C. § 1983against officers at the Correctional Training Facility (“CTF”) 20 in Soledad.1 Dkt. No. 1. After an initial screening of the complaint, the Court dismissed 21 one claim for failure to state a claim for relief, found one cognizable claim against one 22 defendant, and dismissed the remaining claims with leave to amend. Dkt. No. 8. Plaintiff 23 has filed notice that he wishes to proceed on the one cognizable claim and strike all other 24 claims and defendants from this action. Dkt. No. 9. 25 /// 26 /// 27 1 DISCUSSION 2 A. Standard of Review 3 A federal court must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which a 4 prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a 5 governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the court must identify any 6 cognizable claims and dismiss any claims that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim 7 upon which relief may be granted or seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune 8 from such relief. See id. § 1915A(b)(1),(2). Pro se pleadings must, however, be liberally 9 construed. See Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t,
901 F.2d 696, 699(9th Cir. 1988). 10 To state a claim under
42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two essential 11 elements: (1) that a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States was 12 violated, and (2) that the alleged violation was committed by a person acting under the 13 color of state law. See West v. Atkins,
487 U.S. 42, 48(1988). 14 B. Plaintiff’s Claims 15 Plaintiff claims that on September 19, 2019, he was “accosted” by Defendant 16 Stephens when she ordered Plaintiff to submit to a clothed search. Dkt. No. 1 at 9. During 17 this search, Plaintiff claims Defendant Stephens “fondled” his penis “and in a sudden 18 motion – tightly squeezed [his] scrotum causing severe pain that radiated from the scrotum 19 to his abdomen.”
Id.Plaintiff filed an administrative grievance on October 18, 2019, 20 alleging “PREA [Prison Rape Elimination Act] violations and sexual misconduct.”
Id.21 When Defendant Stephens learned that Plaintiff had filed a grievance against her, Plaintiff 22 claims she subjected him to another search on October 22, 2019, during which she reached 23 inside his shorts and “firmly slapped his buttocks” such that her “middle finger struck the 24 back of [his] scrotum in a whip-like fashion causing sudden severe shooting pain.”
Id.As 25 Plaintiff kneeled in pain, Defendant Stephens stated, “‘Write that up.’” Id. at 10-11. 26 Based on these allegations, the Court found Plaintiff stated a cognizable claim 1 during the two non-emergency body searches. See Byrd v. Maricopa Cnty. Sheriff's Dep’t, 2
629 F.3d 1135, 1142(9th Cir. 2011) (en banc). 3 Plaintiff has elected to dismiss all other claims and defendants from this action. 4 Dkt. No. 9. Accordingly, all other claims and defendants as discussed in the Court’s initial 5 review order shall be stricken from the complaint. Dkt. No. 8. 6 7 CONCLUSION 8 For the reasons state above, the Court orders as follows: 9 1. This action is proceeding solely on the sexual misconduct claim against 10 Defendant Stephens. Accordingly, all other claims and defendants are DISMISSED from 11 this action. The Clerk shall terminate Defendants C. Koenig, J. L. Gonzalez, and J. 12 Marquez from this action. 13 2. The following defendant shall be served: Defendant Correctional Officer 14 A. Stephens at the Correctional Training Facility (P.O. Box 689, Soledad, CA 93960- 15 0689). 16 Service on the listed defendant(s) shall proceed under the California Department of 17 Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) e-service program for civil rights cases from 18 prisoners in CDCR custody. In accordance with the program, the clerk is directed to serve 19 on CDCR via email the following documents: the operative complaint and any attachments 20 thereto, (Dkt. No. 1), this order of service, a CDCR Report of E-Service Waiver form and 21 a summons. The clerk also shall serve a copy of this order on the plaintiff. 22 No later than 40 days after service of this order via email on CDCR, CDCR shall 23 provide the court a completed CDCR Report of E-Service Waiver advising the court 24 which defendant(s) listed in this order will be waiving service of process without the need 25 for service by the United States Marshal Service (USMS) and which defendant(s) decline 26 to waive service or could not be reached. CDCR also shall provide a copy of the CDCR 1 days, shall file with the court a waiver of service of process for the defendant(s) who are 2 waiving service. 3 Upon receipt of the CDCR Report of E-Service Waiver, the clerk shall prepare for 4 each defendant who has not waived service according to the CDCR Report of E-Service 5 Waiver a USM-205 Form. The clerk shall provide to the USMS the completed USM-205 6 forms and copies of this order, the summons and the operative complaint for service upon 7 each defendant who has not waived service. The clerk also shall provide to the USMS a 8 copy of the CDCR Report of E-Service Waiver. 9 3. No later than ninety-one (91) days from the date this order is filed, 10 Defendants shall file a motion for summary judgment or other dispositive motion with 11 respect to the claims in the complaint found to be cognizable above. 12 a. Any motion for summary judgment shall be supported by adequate 13 factual documentation and shall conform in all respects to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of 14 Civil Procedure. Defendants are advised that summary judgment cannot be granted, nor 15 qualified immunity found, if material facts are in dispute. If any Defendant is of the 16 opinion that this case cannot be resolved by summary judgment, he shall so inform the 17 Court prior to the date the summary judgment motion is due. 18 b. In the event Defendants file a motion for summary judgment, the 19 Ninth Circuit has held that Plaintiff must be concurrently provided the appropriate 20 warnings under Rand v. Rowland,
154 F.3d 952, 963(9th Cir. 1998) (en banc). See 21 Woods v. Carey,
684 F.3d 934, 940(9th Cir. 2012). 22 4. Plaintiff’s opposition to the dispositive motion shall be filed with the Court 23 and served on Defendants no later than twenty-eight (28) days from the date Defendants’ 24 motion is filed. 25 Plaintiff is also advised to read Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and 26 Celotex Corp. v. Catrett,
477 U.S. 317(1986) (holding party opposing summary judgment 1 || element of his claim). Plaintiff is cautioned that failure to file an opposition to 2 || Defendants’ motion for summary judgment may be deemed to be a consent by Plaintiff to 3 || the granting of the motion, and granting of judgment against Plaintiff without a trial. See 4 || Ghazali v. Moran,
46 F.3d 52, 53-54(9th Cir. 1995) (per curiam); Brydges v. Lewis, 18 5 || F.3d 651, 653 (9th Cir. 1994), 6 5. Defendants shall file a reply brief no later than fourteen (14) days after 7 || Plaintiff's opposition is filed. 8 6. The motion shall be deemed submitted as of the date the reply brief is due. 9 || No hearing will be held on the motion unless the Court so orders at a later date. 10 7. All communications by the Plaintiff with the Court must be served on 11 || Defendants, or Defendants’ counsel once counsel has been designated, by mailing a true 12 || copy of the document to Defendants or Defendants’ counsel. 13 8. Discovery may be taken in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil S 14 || Procedure. No further court order under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(a)(2) or Local 3 15 || Rule 16-1 is required before the parties may conduct discovery. A 16 9. It is Plaintiffs responsibility to prosecute this case. Plaintiff must keep the 8 17 || court informed of any change of address and must comply with the court’s orders in a 5 18 timely fashion. Failure to do so may result in the dismissal of this action for failure to 19 || prosecute pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b). 20 10. Extensions of time must be filed no later than the deadline sought to be 21 || extended and must be accompanied by a showing of good cause. 22 IT ISSO ORDERED.
EDWARD J. DAVILA 24 United States District Judge 25 96 || □□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□ svedestike claims 27
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