Franklin-Samuels v. Social Security Admin.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO

WESTERN DIVISION

CHARLOTTE L. FRANKLIN-SAMUELS, Case No. 1:22-cv-775

Plaintiff,

McFarland, J.

vs. Litkovitz, M.J.

SOCIAL SECURITY

ADMINISTRATION, et al., REPORT AND

Defendants. RECOMMENDATION

Plaintiff, a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, has filed a pro se civil complaint against the

Social Security Administration, the Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, the Court of Common Pleas

Probate Division, and the Department of the Treasury. (Doc. 1-1). By separate Order,

plaintiff has been granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915.

This matter is now before the Court for a sua sponte review of the complaint to determine

whether the complaint or any portion of it should be dismissed because it is frivolous, malicious,

fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted or seeks monetary relief from a defendant

who is immune from such relief. See Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995 § 804, 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(e)(2)(B).

Screening of Complaint

A. Legal Standard

Congress enacted 28 U.S.C. § 1915, the federal in forma pauperis statute, seeking to

“lower judicial access barriers to the indigent.” Denton v. Hernandez, 504 U.S. 25, 31 (1992).

In doing so, however, “Congress recognized that ‘a litigant whose filing fees and court costs are

assumed by the public, unlike a paying litigant, lacks an economic incentive to refrain from

filing frivolous, malicious, or repetitive lawsuits.’” Id. at 31 (quoting Neitzke v. Williams, 490

U.S. 319, 324 (1989)). To address this concern, Congress included subsection (e)(1) as part of

the statute, which provides in pertinent part:

(2) Notwithstanding any filing fee, or any portion thereof, that may have been

paid, the court shall dismiss the case at any time if the court determines that—

* * *

(B) the action or appeal—

(i) is frivolous or malicious;

(ii) fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted; or

(iii) seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.

28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B); Denton, 504 U.S. at 31. Thus, § 1915(e) requires sua sponte

dismissal of an action upon the Court’s determination that the action is frivolous or malicious, or

upon determination that the action fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.

To properly state a claim upon which relief may be granted, a plaintiff must satisfy the

basic federal pleading requirements set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a). See also

Hill v. Lappin, 630 F.3d 468, 470–71 (6th Cir. 2010) (applying Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

12(b)(6) standards to review under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915A and 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii)). Under Rule

8(a)(2), a complaint 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). Thus, Rule 8(a) “imposes legal and

factual demands on the authors of complaints.” 16630 Southfield Ltd., P’Ship v. Flagstar Bank,

F.S.B., 727 F.3d 502, 503 (6th Cir. 2013).

Although this pleading standard does not require “‘detailed factual allegations,’ . . . [a]

pleading that offers ‘labels and conclusions’ or ‘a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause

1 Formerly 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d).

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of action’” is insufficient. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atlantic

Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). A complaint will not “suffice if it tenders ‘naked

assertion[s]’ devoid of ‘further factual enhancement.’” Id. (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557).

Instead, to survive a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under Rule 12(b)(6), “a

complaint must contain sufficient factual matter . . . to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on

its face.’” Id. (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570). Facial plausibility is established “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. “The plausibility of an inference depends

on a host of considerations, including common sense and the strength of competing explanations

for the defendant’s conduct.” Flagstar Bank, 727 F.3d at 504 (citations omitted). A complaint

filed by a pro se plaintiff must be “liberally construed” and “held to less stringent standards than

formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007) (per curiam)

(quoting Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 106 (1976)). By the same token, however, “‘courts

should not have to guess at the nature of the claim asserted.’” Frengler v. Gen. Motors, 482 F.

App’x 975, 976–77 (6th Cir. 2012) (quoting Wells v. Brown, 891 F.2d 591, 594 (6th Cir. 1989)).

B. Plaintiff’s Complaint

Plaintiff’s 142 page complaint consists of a handwritten narrative of family events

beginning in the 1970s, interspersed with various court and official documents (e.g., marriage

license and death certificates). The Court is unable to discern any causes of action or a request

for relief in the complaint.

C. Resolution

Plaintiff’s allegations are insufficient to state a claim with an arguable basis in law over

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which this federal Court has subject matter jurisdiction.

Plaintiffs pro se complaint is rambling, difficult to decipher, and virtually

incomprehensible. Plaintiff's complaint provides no factual content or context from which

the Court may reasonably infer that the named defendants violated plaintiff's rights. Jgbal,

556 US. at 678. Plaintiffs allegations do not “give the defendant[s] fair notice of what the . .

. claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” Erickson, 551 U.S. at 93 (citations omitted).

Accordingly, the complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted and should be

dismissed under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B).

IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED THAT:

1. The complaint be DISMISSED with prejudice pursuant to 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(e)(2)(B).

2. The Court certify pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) that for the foregoing reasons an

appeal of any Order adopting this Report and Recommendation would not be taken in good

faith and therefore deny plaintiff leave to appeal in forma pauperis. Plaintiff remains free to

apply to proceed in forma pauperis in the Court of Appeals. See Callihan v. Schneider, 178

F.3d 800, 803 (6th Cir. 1999), overruling in part Floyd v. United States Postal Serv., 105 F.3d

274, 277 (6th Cir. 1997).

Date: 1/5/2023 Herm K Kethov

Karen L. Litkovitz

United States Magistrate Judge

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO

WESTERN DIVISION

CHARLOTTE L. FRANKLIN-SAMUELS, Case No. 1:22-cv-775

Plaintiff,

McFarland, J.

vs. Litkovitz, M.J.

SOCIAL SECURITY

ADMINISTRATION, et al.,

Defendants.

NOTICE

Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b), WITHIN 14 DAYS after being served with a copy of

the recommended disposition, a party may serve and file specific written objections to the

proposed findings and recommendations. This period may be extended further by the Court on

timely motion for an extension. Such objections shall specify the portions of the Report

objected to and shall be accompanied by a memorandum of law in support of the objections. If

the Report and Recommendation is based in whole or in part upon matters occurring on the

record at an oral hearing, the objecting party shall promptly arrange for the transcription of the

record, or such portions of it as all parties may agree upon, or the Magistrate Judge deems

sufficient, unless the assigned District Judge otherwise directs. A party may respond to another

party’s objections WITHIN 14 DAYS after being served with a copy thereof. Failure to make

objections in accordance with this procedure may forfeit rights on appeal. See Thomas v. Arn,

474 U.S. 140 (1985); United States v. Walters, 638 F.2d 947 (6th Cir. 1981).

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