holding that § 1915A dismissals are reviewed under the Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) standard for stating a claim for relief
How later courts described this case
- holding that § 1915A dismissals are reviewed under the Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) standard for stating a claim for relief
- plaintiff proceeding in forma pauperis and pro se had responsibility to provide correct names and proper addresses for service of process
Written by the judges who cited it.
The opinion
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA
HENRY JOSEPH JAQUEZ,
Plaintiff,
v. No. 23-CV-165-JFH-JAR
CHRIS SCHRUM, et al.,
Defendants.
OPINION AND ORDER
Plaintiff is a pro se pretrial detainee who is incarcerated at the Cherokee County Detention
Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He filed this civil rights complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983,
seeking relief for alleged constitutional violations at his facility. Dkt. No. 1. The defendants are
Chris Schrum, Cherokee County Jail Administrator; Johnny Dallis, Assistant Jail Administrator;
Sylvia Holmes, Supervisor; Sgt. Blue; Sgt. Scroggins; FNU Church, Detention Officer; FNU
Aaron, Detention Officer; FNU Jones, Detention Officer; Mary Burilson, Nurse; and FNU
Jackson, Detention Officer.
After review of the complaint, the Court finds Plaintiff must file an amended civil rights
complaint on the Court’s form, as set forth below.
Screening/Dismissal Standards
Federal courts must engage in a preliminary screening of cases in which prisoners seek
redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. §
1915A(a). The Court must identify any cognizable claims and dismiss any claims that are
frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or seek monetary relief
from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b); 28 U.S.C. §
1915(e)(2)(B).
The pleading standard for all civil actions was articulated in Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,
550 U.S. 544 (2007). See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 684 (2009). To avoid dismissal for
failure to state a claim under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6), a complaint must present factual allegations,
assumed to be true, that “raise a right to relief above the speculative level.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at
555. The complaint also must contain “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on
its face.” Id. at 570. A court must accept all the well-pleaded allegations of the complaint as true,
even if doubtful in fact, and must construe the allegations in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.
Id. at 555-56. “So, when the allegations in a complaint, however true, could not raise a claim of
entitlement to relief,” the cause of action should be dismissed. Id. at 558. The Court applies the
same standard of review for dismissals under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) that is employed for
Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) motions to dismiss for failure to state a claim. Kay v. Bemis, 500 F.3d
1214, 1217-18 (10th Cir. 2007). See also Turley v. Rednour, 729 F.3d 645, 649 (7th Cir. 2013)
(holding that § 1915A dismissals are reviewed under the Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) standard for
stating a claim for relief).
A pro se plaintiff’s complaint must be broadly construed under this standard. Erickson v.
Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007); Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972). The generous
construction given to the pro se litigant’s allegations, however, “does not relieve the plaintiff of
the burden of alleging sufficient facts on which a recognized legal claim could be based.” Hall v.
Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1110 (10th Cir. 1991). Notwithstanding a pro se plaintiff’s various
mistakes or misunderstandings of legal doctrines or procedural requirements, “if a court can
reasonably read the pleadings to state a valid claim on which the plaintiff could prevail, it should
do so . . . .” Id. A reviewing court need not accept “mere conclusions characterizing pleaded
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facts.” Bryson v. City of Edmond, 905 F.2d 1386, 1390 (10th Cir. 1990). “While a complaint
attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations, a
plaintiff’s obligation to provide the grounds of his entitlement to relief requires more than labels
and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.”
Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555 (quotations and citations omitted). The Court “will not supply additional
factual allegations to round out a plaintiff’s complaint or construct a legal theory on a plaintiff’s
behalf.” Whitney v. New Mexico, 113 F.3d 1170, 1173-74 (10th Cir. 1997).
Amended Complaint
No later than June 14, 2023, Plaintiff must file an amended complaint on this Court’s form.
The amended complaint must set forth the full name of each person he is suing under 42 U.S.C. §
1983. Further, the names in the caption of the amended complaint must be identical to those
contained in the body of the amended complaint, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 10(a). Plaintiff also
is responsible for providing sufficient information for service of process. See Lee v. Armontrout,
991 F.2d 487, 489 (8th Cir. 1993) (plaintiff proceeding in forma pauperis and pro se had
responsibility to provide correct names and proper addresses for service of process).
Plaintiff’s original complaint fails to set forth specific allegations against each individual
defendant. The amended complaint must include a short and plain statement of when and how
each named defendant violated Plaintiff’s constitutional rights and must show that Plaintiff is
entitled to relief from each named defendant. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). Plaintiff also shall identify
a specific constitutional basis for each claim. See id. He is admonished that simply alleging that
a defendant is an employee or supervisor of a state agency is inadequate to state a claim. Plaintiff
must go further and state how the named defendant’s personal participation violated his
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constitutional rights. The “denial of a grievance, by itself without any connection to the violation
of constitutional rights alleged by the plaintiff, does not establish personal participation under §
1983.” Gallagher v. Shelton, 587 F.3d 1063, 1069 (10th Cir. 2009) (citations omitted). The Court
only will consider claims “based upon the violation of a plaintiff’s personal rights, and not the
rights of someone else.” Archuleta v. McShan, 897 F.2d 495, 497 (10th Cir. 1990).
The Tenth Circuit has explained that when a § 1983 plaintiff includes a “government
agency and a number of government actors sued in their individual capacities,” then “it is
particularly important . . . that the complaint make clear exactly who is alleged to have done what
to whom, to provide each individual with fair notice as to the basis of the claims against him or
her, as distinguished from collective allegations against the state.” Robbins v. Oklahoma, 519 F.3d
1242, 1249-50 (10th Cir. 2008) (emphasis in original). When a plaintiff instead uses “either the
collective term ‘Defendants’ or a list of defendants named individually but with no distinction as
to what acts are attributable to whom, it is impossible for any of these individuals to ascertain what
particular unconstitutional acts they are alleged to have committed.” Id. at 1250 (citation omitted).
An amended complaint completely replaces the original complaint and renders the original
complaint of no legal effect. See Miller v. Glanz, 948 F.2d 1562, 1565 (10th Cir. 1991); Gilles v.
United States, 906 F.2d 1386, 1389 (10th Cir. 1990). See also Local Civil Rule 9.2(c). The
amended complaint must include all claims and supporting material to be considered by the Court.
See Local Civil Rule 9.2(c). It must be complete in itself, including exhibits, and may not reference
or attempt to incorporate material from the original complaint or exhibits. Id. Pursuant to Local
Civil Rule 5.2(a), the amended complaint must be clearly legible, only one side of the paper may
be used, and additional sheets of paper shall have margins of no less than one (1) inch on the top,
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bottom, and sides. The Court Clerk is directed to send Plaintiff a form for filing an amended
complaint.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that no later than June 14, 2023, Plaintiff is to file an
amended complaint on the Court’s form as directed in this Order. The Court Clerk is directed to
send Plaintiff a copy of the form for filing an amended civil rights complaint in this Court. Failure
to comply with this Order will result in dismissal of this action without further notice.
Dated this 24th day of May 2023.
____________________________________
JOHN F. HEIL, III
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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