Willis v. Lappin

Decision Date16 October 2012
Docket Number1:09-cv-01703-AWI-GSA-PC
PartiesJAMES R. WILLIS, Plaintiff, v. HARLEY G. LAPPIN, et al., Defendants.
CourtU.S. District Court — Eastern District of California

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS,

RECOMMENDING THAT DEFENDANTS'

MOTION TO DISMISS BE GRANTED IN

PART

(Doc. 43.)

OBJECTIONS, IF ANY, DUE IN THIRTY

DAYS
I. RELEVANT PROCEDURAL HISTORY

James R. Willis ("Plaintiff") is a federal prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to Bivens vs. Six Unknown Agents, 403 U.S. 388 (1971) and the Federal Tort Claims Act ("FTCA"), 28 U.S.C. §§ 1346(b), 2671-2680. Plaintiff filed the Complaint commencing this action on September 28, 2009. (Doc. 1.) The case now proceeds with the Third Amended Complaint filed on July 8, 2011, against defendant United States for negligence under the FTCA; and against defendants Warden Dennis Smith, Associate Warden Belinda Avalos, Lieutenant ("Lt.") Cobb, Lt. Paul, Unit Manager Devere, Unit Manager Mrs. Bowles, Case Manager Liwag,1 and Associate Warden Carolyn Gant for failure to protect Plaintiff, in violation of the Eighth Amendment.2 (Doc. 24.)

On June 20, 2012, Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the Third Amended Complaint under Rule 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim, to dismiss Plaintiff's negligence claims under Rule 12(b)(1) for want of subject matter jurisdiction, to dismiss Plaintiff's Bivens claims based on qualified immunity, and to dismiss defendant Gant under Rule 12(b)(5) for failure to effect service. (Doc. 43.) On July 16, 2012, Plaintiff filed an opposition to the motion. (Docs. 47, 48.) On August 20, 2012, Defendants filed a reply to the opposition. (Doc. 51.) Defendants' motion to dismiss is now before the Court.

II. MOTION TO DISMISSRULE 12(b)(6)

A motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) operates to test the sufficiency of the complaint. The first step in testing the sufficiency of the complaint is to identify any conclusory allegations. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, __ U.S. __, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1950 (2009). "Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice." Id. at 1949 (citing Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). "[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 (citations and quotation marks omitted). Although the court must accept well-pleaded factual allegations of the complaint as true for purposes of a motion to dismiss, the court is "not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation." Id.

After assuming the veracity of all well-pleaded factual allegations, the second step is for the court to determine whether the complaint pleads "a claim to relief that is plausible on its face." Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949, 1950 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 570) (rejecting the traditional 12(b)(6) standard set forth in Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46 (1957)). A claim is facially 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. at 1949 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). The standard for plausibility is not akin to a "probability requirement," but it requires "more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully." Id. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. 556).

III. SUMMARY OF THE THIRD AMENDED COMPLAINT

Plaintiff is currently incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona ("USP-Tucson"). The events at issue in the Third Amended Complaint allegedly occurred at the United States Penitentiary in Atwater, California ("USP-Atwater"), while Plaintiff was incarcerated there. Plaintiff names as defendants Warden Dennis Smith, Associate Warden Belinda Avalos, Associate Warden Carolyn Gant, Lieutenant Cobb (Special Investigation Supervisor ("SIS")), Lieutenant Paul, Mr. Devere (Unit Manager for Buildings 4A, 5A, and 5B), Mrs. Bowles (Unit Manager for Building 6), Mr. Li Wag (Case Manager), and the United States.

Plaintiff alleges as follows in the Third Amended Complaint.

On April 15, 2007, Plaintiff was assaulted at the United States Penitentiary in Victorville, California ("USP-Victorville") and was subsequently transferred to USP-Atwater. It was documented in Plaintiff's Central File that he was assaulted because of his sex-offender label.

On June 12, 2007, upon arrival at USP-Atwater, Plaintiff was interviewed by defendant Lt. Cobb. Plaintiff told defendant Cobb about his assault at USP-Victorville due to his status as a sex-offender and told Cobb that he had at least one known enemy at USP-Atwater. Defendant Cobb acknowledged that he was aware of Plaintiff's history and knew Plaintiff's enemy, Kenneth Mattox. Defendant Cobb placed Plaintiff in the Special Housing Unit ("SHU"), pending an investigation.

On June 14, 2007, Plaintiff spoke to his case manager, defendant Wag, explained his situation, and gave him a Cop-Out (written request) explaining his safety concerns. Defendant Wag did not respond to the Cop-Out.

On June 21, 2007, Plaintiff spoke to defendant Warden Smith about his situation. Warden Smith told Plaintiff that when the investigation was concluded, a decision would be made whether to transfer Plaintiff.

In late June or early July of 2007, Plaintiff explained his situation to defendant Unit Manager Devere. Defendant Devere told Plaintiff that he would contact SIS Lt. Cobb about the investigation. Defendant Devere told Plaintiff he was going on sick leave, and defendant Bowles would be handling his caseload during his absence.

On July 7, 2007, Plaintiff wrote a letter to Regional Director Robert McFadden, explaining his situation. The letter was received by McFadden on July 12, 2007. A copy was forwarded to Warden Smith. On August 13, 2007, Warden Smith responded that the investigation was completed, the threat against Plaintiff was unverified, and Plaintiff would be released into the General Population. SIS never interviewed Plaintiff while he was in the SHU. Upon receipt of this information, Plaintiff sought a transfer and enlisted his mother's assistance. Plaintiff's mother called and spoke to defendants Wag and Devere, reiterating Plaintiff's safety concerns and pleading for a transfer, but the transfer was not granted. She wrote at least four letters, two to Mr. McFadden, one to Harley Lappin (Director of the BOP), and one to Warden Smith, during August and September 2007. These letters were sent down the chain of command to Warden Smith, defendant Devere, and defendant Wag, and placed in Plaintiff's Central File.

In August 2007, Plaintiff wrote a Cop-Out to defendant Wag, requesting a transfer and reminding Wag of his safety concerns.

On August 17, 2007, Plaintiff wrote Cop-Outs to Warden Smith, conveying his concerns that the threat against him was determined to be unverified. Plaintiff explained the history of threats against him due to his sex-offender status and told the Warden that he feared for his life if forced into the General Population. Plaintiff knew that USP-Atwater was a very violent and dangerous prison controlled by gangs, and that inmates labeled as sex offenders or snitches were routinely assaulted.

On August 17, 2007, Plaintiff wrote a Cop-Out to defendant Bowles about his known enemy, Kenneth Mattox, and the threats against Plaintiff. Plaintiff handed the Cop-Out to Bowles, who assured Plaintiff she would look into this matter, but she never responded to the Cop-Out. A record of this Cop-Out is in Plaintiff's Central File.

Associate Warden Gant responded to the Cop-Out Plaintiff sent to Warden Smith. Plaintiff spoke to Gant on at least three occasions, during her routine visits to the SHU, informing her of the threat that existed against him.

On August 24, 2007, Associate Warden Avalos responded to Plaintiff's mother's correspondence, on Warden Smith's behalf. Avalos stated that the threat against Plaintiff was not substantiated, but USP-Atwater staff had decided to transfer Plaintiff. No such transfer occurred.

In September 2007, Plaintiff spoke to Associate Warden Avalos and told her that the SIS Department had not come to see him about the investigation since his placement in the SHU, and that he was not scheduled for transfer. Plaintiff told her of his safety concerns and asked for the investigation to be reopened. Avalos said she would look into the matter, but Plaintiff did not receive a new investigation or a transfer.

On September 14, 2007, Plaintiff filed a BP-8 informal resolution form with his Unit Counselor Mr. Putnam, requesting administrative remedies. The BP-8 form was never responded to. Plaintiff proceeded to file a BP-9 form, Log number #466507-F1, with defendants Wag and Devere, explaining his safety concerns and requesting a transfer. The BP-9 form was rejected because the BP-8 form was not attached as required, even though a BP-9 form of a serious or life threatening nature should be processed without completion of a BP-8 informal resolution.

On September 19, 2007, Plaintiff spoke to defendant Lt. Paul in Paul's office about his safety concerns, and Paul agreed that if Plaintiff's allegations were true, Plaintiff would be in danger in the General Population. Although Plaintiff pleaded with Lt. Paul to place him on Protective Custody status, Lt. Paul told Plaintiff he would be ordered to the General Population, and if he refused the order, he would receive incident reports for refusing to program.

On September 25, 2007, Plaintiff was ordered to leave the SHU and was placed in the General Population. Plaintiff was approached by several gang members who told him that Kenneth Mattox was waiting to see him. Plaintiff met with Mattox, who was accompanied by several other gang members, without incident. On September 26, 2007, Plaintiff again encountered...

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