KATHERINE POLK FAILLA, United States District Judge.
The instant matter concerns allegations of discrimination and constitutional violations that have been brought by a legally blind inmate to redress incidents that occurred while he was detained at the Rikers Island correctional facility in 2017. Defendants have responded with a motion to dismiss, arguing procedural and substantive infirmities in Plaintiff's pleadings that cannot be redressed by amendment. For the reasons stated in this Opinion, certain of Plaintiff's claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the "ADA") survive, and the remainder of Plaintiff's claims are dismissed with prejudice.
For purposes of this motion, the Court accepts as true the well-pleaded allegations of Plaintiff's pleadings. Plaintiff, who is proceeding pro se, is legally blind; in 2017, he was detained at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center (the "OBCC"), and then at the North Infirmary Command (the "NIC"), both of which are part of the Rikers Island correctional facility complex in New York City. (Compl. ¶¶ 1-3, 29-32).
Prior to entering DOC custody, Plaintiff sustained injuries that included "[b]lindness in both eyes, broken finger, [s]titches in right leg open wounds (tibia fibula), swelling and lacerations of facial area closed eye, contusion of left leg, high fever,
From January 8, 2017, until January 20, 2017, Plaintiff was housed in the Security Risk Group (or "SRG") at OBCC, in an upper dormitory reached by three flights of stairs, along with other inmates who were gang members, despite Plaintiff's having "injuries to the right leg and contusions on the left leg with crutches and a broken finger and [being] clearly disabled[.]" (Compl. ¶ 29; Mar. Supp. Compl. ¶¶ 7-8).
On January 20, 2017, Plaintiff was transferred to NIC, where he was "informed that handicap housing was shut down," and placed in a medical unit dormitory. (Compl. ¶ 32; Mar. Supp. Compl. ¶ 10). While in the medical unit, Plaintiff was issued a "short" blind mobility cane. (Compl. ¶ 33). Plaintiff alleges that he should have been issued a "tall" blind mobility cane, and that the cane provided to him "was too short" for him to use. (Id.). Plaintiff also lacked an inmate mobility assistant, or sighted guide, to assist him in his movements around the facility. (Id. at ¶ 34). The Court understands that Plaintiff is not only challenging prison officials' failure to act on his requests for accommodations, but also their failure to advise him of available resources for blind inmates. As stated in the pleadings, Plaintiff was compelled to "[c]ontinue on crutches, without [a] mobility guide, social worker, or information on Reasonable Accommodations within [the] facility [which] should have consist[ed] of, free matter for the blind mail, mobility guide, Blind cane, video Court, and devices within facility law library, corrective lenses, social worker, phone system, large lettering commissary purchases, [and] Braille courses." (Mar. Supp. Compl. ¶ 10 (first emphasis added, second emphasis in original)).
Plaintiff was also allegedly denied access to assistive devices in the law library, and this denial forms a significant portion of
(Compl. ¶ 36). Plaintiff's March Supplemental Complaint further specifies:
(Mar. Supp. Compl. ¶ 29).
Thereafter, Plaintiff contacted Defendant Nina Edwards to request reasonable accommodations. (Compl. ¶ 37). According to the Complaint, "[w]hen plaintiff contacted defendant NINA EDWARDS, she referred the request for reasonable accommodations to [another person] when she [was] supposed to have handled it herself[,]" suggesting that Defendant Edwards may have delayed or impaired Plaintiff's attempts to access accommodations. (Id.). Additional information is provided in Plaintiff's March Supplemental Complaint:
(Mar. Supp. Compl. ¶ 29). Plaintiff filed a grievance with both the superintendent and Defendant Edwards in or about August 30, 2017, to no avail. (Id.). Plaintiff alleges here that his "inability to utilize the law library [caused him to] suffer[] injuries" because it impeded his ability to advocate for himself in his legal proceedings
Copies of Plaintiff's requests for reasonable accommodations of his disability at the law library are attached to his pleadings. The first request is contained in an Inmate Grievance and Request Program ("IGRP") statement form dated July 20, 2017, wherein Plaintiff stated: "I am requesting a device to use inside of [the] law library to read ... documents because I'm unable to see due to being legally blind." (Compl., Ex. 1 at 4). Also attached is a response, dated August 18, 2017, which states: "Please be advised that the Disability Rights Coordinator for Inmates has received your request for an accommodation... you will be informed of a determination as soon as possible." (Id. at 5).
The second grievance, an appeal to the Warden of NIC dated August 18, 2017, states:
(Compl., Ex. 1 at 6).
Plaintiff's third grievance, an appeal to the DOC dated August 31, 2017, states:
(Compl., Ex. 1 at 7-8).
Among the exhibits to Plaintiff's December Supplemental Complaint is a different IGRP form, dated August 13, 2017, in which Plaintiff grieves the lack of reasonable accommodations in his housing:
(Dec. Supp. Compl., Ex. D).
Separately, Plaintiff alleges that the NIC facility lacked several accommodations for inmates in wheelchairs or who have difficulty hearing, such as non-slip shower mats and wheelchair-accessible exits, handrails, and proper ramps. (Compl. ¶¶ 28-29, 42-58). Plaintiff also alleges that he was retaliated against for filing complaints and grievances. (Id. at ¶ 77).
Plaintiff commenced this action on November 30, 2017. (Dkt. # 2). He brings claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983; Title II of the ADA, 29 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12134, 12141-12150, 12160-12165; and § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794. (Compl. ¶¶ 18, 67-80). Plaintiff also brings claims for contempt of court, and state-law claims for negligence. (Id. at ¶¶ 81-88, 94-97). He seeks injunctive, declaratory, and monetary relief. (Id. at ¶¶ 98-101).
On March 20, 2018, Plaintiff filed the first of several supplemental factual allegations (Dkt. #16), which he later informed the Court were not intended to replace the original Complaint (see Dkt. # 20). Given Plaintiff's pro se status, the Court will nonetheless consider the facts alleged in Plaintiff's later submissions as supplemental to his Complaint. Additional factual submissions were filed on April 16, 2018 (Dkt. # 25), and May 3, 2018 (Dkt. # 26).
On December 19, 2018, after briefing on the motion to dismiss had concluded, Plaintiff submitted an additional set of factual allegations, entitled "Supporting Evidence of Federal Claims." (Dkt. # 41). The document contains many of the same allegations, and attaches many of the same exhibits, as his prior two submissions. However, as described above, it contains an additional IGRP form from August 12, 2017, in which Plaintiff seeks a mobility guide and "para van" transportation.
On July 30, 2018, Defendants moved to dismiss the Complaint in its entirety. (Dkt. # 35). Plaintiff submitted a memorandum in opposition on August 13, 2018 (Dkt. # 38), and Defendants replied on October 5, 2018 (Dkt. # 39).
When considering a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), the court must "draw all reasonable inferences in [the non-movant's] favor, assume all well-pleaded factual allegations to be true, and determine whether they plausibly give rise to an entitlement to relief." Faber v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., 648 F.3d 98, 104 (2d Cir. 2011) (internal citations and quotation marks omitted). A claimant prevails on a motion to dismiss if the complaint "contain[s] sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to `state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'" Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)).
In light of Plaintiff's pro se status, the Court will construe his pleadings "liberally and `interpret them to raise the strongest arguments that they suggest.'" Pabon v. Wright, 459 F.3d 241, 248 (2d Cir. 2006) (quoting Burgos v. Hopkins, 14 F.3d 787, 790 (2d Cir. 1994)); see also McLeod v. Jewish Guild for the Blind, 864 F.3d 154, 158 (2d Cir. 2017). In addition, the Court has considered factual allegations and exhibits submitted by Plaintiff in the various submissions he has filed after the Complaint. See generally Walker v. Schult, 717 F.3d 119, 122 n.1 (2d Cir. 2013) ("A district court deciding a motion to dismiss may consider factual allegations made by a pro se party in his papers opposing the motion."). And while a plaintiff's pleadings are typically limited to the complaint itself and any documents "attached to it as an exhibit or any statements or documents incorporated in it by reference[,]" Int'l Audiotext Network, Inc. v. Am. Tel. & Tel. Co., 62 F.3d 69,
As a preliminary matter, the Court considers whether any of Plaintiff's claims is moot because Plaintiff is no longer in DOC custody. "It is settled in this Circuit that a transfer from a prison facility moots an action for injunctive relief against the transferring facility. On the other hand, the transfer does not moot an action for damages." Prins v. Coughlin, 76 F.3d 504, 506 (2d Cir. 1996). "[A]n inmate's transfer from a prison facility generally moots claims for declaratory and injunctive relief against officials of that facility." Salahuddin v. Goord, 467 F.3d 263, 272 (2d Cir. 2006). (See also Def. Br. 21).
Plaintiff acknowledges that he is "presently under the care, custody and control of ... Sullivan Correctional Facility" in Fallsburg, New York. (Pl. Opp. 1). As Plaintiff is no longer in the custody of the DOC, his claims for declaratory and injunctive relief are dismissed.
To state a claim under the ADA, plaintiffs must show "that [i] they are `qualified individuals' with a disability; [ii] that the defendants are subject to the ADA; and [iii] that plaintiffs were denied the opportunity to participate in or benefit from defendants' services, programs, or activities, or were otherwise discriminated against by defendants, by reason of plaintiffs' disabilities." Henrietta D. v. Bloomberg, 331 F.3d 261, 272 (2d Cir. 2003); accord Bolmer v. Oliveira, 594 F.3d 134, 148 (2d Cir. 2010).
"[P]laintiffs may not bring suits for money damages against individual defendants under the ADA." Askins v. New York City Transit, No. 11 Civ. 6371 (PGG), 2013 WL 142007, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 8, 2013) (emphasis added) (collecting authorities); see also 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12132 (stating that the ADA prohibits discrimination by public entities, not by individuals). Instead, "Title II and Rehabilitation Act suits for prospective injunctive relief may... proceed against individual officers in their official capacity." Harris v. Mills, 572 F.3d 66, 72 (2d Cir. 2009).
Defendants argue for dismissal of the ADA claims against the individual Defendants on the basis that Plaintiff "cannot assert ADA claims against individual defendants." (Def. Br. 14). Defendants are correct that, to the extent that Plaintiff seeks money damages against the individual Defendants under the ADA, such claims must be, and are, dismissed. See 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12132; Askins, 2013 WL 142007, at *4. And while the ADA could support claims for injunctive relief against individual defendants, see Harris, 572 F.3d at 72, such claims have been mooted in this case by Plaintiff's transfer from the facilities where the conduct complained of is alleged to have taken place. Therefore, Plaintiff's ADA claims against the individual Defendants are dismissed.
Plaintiff's ADA claims against the institutional Defendants for monetary damages remain to be considered. Defendants concede that Plaintiff is a "qualified individual with a disability as defined by the ADA," and that the institutional Defendants — DOC (subsumed by Defendant City of New York) and HHC — are subject to the ADA. (Def. Br. 16). However, Defendants maintain that Plaintiff has failed adequately to plead the third, denial-of-services prong of an ADA claim. (Id.). On that prong, Plaintiff's pleadings present three categories of ADA-related allegations that the Court will address in turn: (i) failure to provide assistive devices in the law library; (ii) failure to provide accommodations with respect to Plaintiff's housing, including a mobility guide, separate housing, a longer cane, and separate busing, as well as a failure to provide free postal services; and (iii) non-compliance with ADA guidelines and alleged contempt of court.
Plaintiff alleges that he requested access to assistive devices in the law library, and that he was not provided with such devices, including specifically that Defendant Vicky Burgess denied him access to such devices. (Compl. ¶ 36; see also Pl. Opp. 14). Plaintiff filed multiple written grievances seeking access to the law library, copies of which are appended to the Complaint. (Compl. ¶ 36, Ex. 1). He also showed Defendant Burgess a letter indicating the existence of the assistive devices, all without success. (Id. at ¶ 36). Plaintiff contends that he was "unlawfully denied to utilize visual impairment devices during a critical stage of his criminal proceedings[.]" (Pl. Opp. 13).
Relatedly, Plaintiff argues that the law library "falls below any known acceptable standard" because it lacks sufficient volumes, and has "outdated software, inoperable typewriters, [and] limited employees with neither knowledgeable insight nor law experience." (Pl. Opp. 13). In Plaintiff's view, "reasonable accommodations for his visual impairment [include] devices such as
Defendants' brief initially appears to seek dismissal of all of Plaintiff's ADA claims, including his claims for denial of access to assistive devices in the law library and blind mail, on the grounds that "[Plaintiff] has not alleged that he was denied meaningful access to prison services or programs, and because he does not allege that he actually requested any particular accommodation and was subsequently denied such accommodation." (Def. Br. 16 (emphasis added)). One page later, Defendants qualify this argument: "Plaintiff alleges that he was denied numerous accommodations.... Other than with respect to Plaintiff's allegations regarding the law library and blind mail however, Plaintiff fails to allege that he was prevented from participating in or benefitting from prison programs because of his disability." (Id. at 17). And one page after that, Defendants qualify their argument even further: "[A]part from assistive devices in the law library, nowhere in the Complaint, or any other part of his pleadings, does he allege that he actually requested the accommodations which he alleges he was denied." (Id. at 18).
Therefore, specifically as to assistive devices in the law library, the Court understands Defendants to acknowledge that Plaintiff has adequately alleged that he actually requested the accommodations he was denied. Nonetheless, Defendants argue that Plaintiff's ADA claim should fail because, in Defendants' view, Plaintiff has not adequately alleged that he was denied meaningful access to prison services or programs. (See Def. Br. 18 (asserting that Plaintiff has failed adequately to plead a denial of "meaningful access to prison services or programs" (emphasis added)); see also id. at 19).
The Second Circuit has explored the intersection of the ADA concepts of "reasonable accommodation" and "meaningful access" in the prison context in Wright v. New York State Department of Corrections, 831 F.3d 64, 73-76 (2d Cir. 2016). The plaintiff in that case was confined to a wheelchair; he challenged the mobility assistance program implemented state-wide by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision ("DOCCS"), which program, among other things, contained a blanket proscription on motorized wheelchairs. Id. at 68. Ultimately, the Court concluded that genuine disputes of fact remained concerning whether the program provided meaningful access to DOCCS services, and whether allowing the plaintiff to use a motorized wheelchair would amount to an undue burden to prison officials. Id. at 68-69. More broadly, the Court found that a blanket ban, without any individualized inquiry, violated the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. Id.
The Wright Court explained the obligation of prison officials to provide meaningful access to prison programs and services:
831 F.3d at 73 (internal citations omitted); see id. at 75 ("While we are sensitive to
Viewed through the lens of Wright, the Court finds that Plaintiff has adequately stated a claim under the ADA based on the lack of assistive devices in the law library. Plaintiff repeatedly requested, and was denied, reasonable accommodations for visually impaired persons to access the law library. These denials impeded, if not outright prevented, Plaintiff from using the law library. And the law library is a vital public service, which Plaintiff was denied the opportunity to participate in and benefit from as a result of his disability. See Pa. Dep't of Corr. v. Yeskey, 524 U.S. 206, 210-11, 118 S.Ct. 1952, 141 L.Ed.2d 215 (1998) (holding that a state prison's law library constitutes a public service under the ADA). Defendants' motion to dismiss that portion of Plaintiff's claim is therefore denied. See Phelan v. Thomas, 439 F. App'x 48, 51 (2d Cir. 2011) (summary order) (reversing dismissal of pro se complaint, finding that plaintiff "has alleged specific facts to show that he is an ADA-covered individual; that he was excluded from participation in mental health, library, and other services at the prison, and suffered retaliation when he attempted to complain about his treatment; and that the alleged discriminatory treatment and retaliation were due to his disability"); cf. Carrasquillo v. City of New York, 324 F.Supp.2d 428, 443 (S.D.N.Y. 2004) (dismissing ADA claim alleging, in part, that plaintiff was housed far from prison library, because of failure to allege that plaintiff "was prevented from participating in or benefiting from prison programs and services because of his disability").
Plaintiff also argues a variety of housing-related ADA claims, including claims that he "remain[ed] in general population, without any mobility guide, blind stick, [or] social worker, while forced to court without any handicap accessibility transportation." (Pl. Opp. 6; see id. at 3 (citing deficiencies regarding "transportation, video court, social worker, medical staff, free matter for the blind postage, closure of dorm"); see also Compl. ¶ 35 (claiming denial of access to services for the blind from the U.S. Postal Service); Mar. Supp. Compl. ¶ 10 (citing deficiencies regarding "mobility guide, social worker, or information on Reasonable Accommodations within facility should have consisting of, free matter for the blind mail, mobility guide, Blind cane, video Court, and devices within facility law library, corrective lenses, social worker, phone system, large lettering commissary purchases, Braille courses" (emphases deleted)).
As to most of these allegations, Defendants contend that the Complaint fails to allege that Plaintiff was denied an opportunity to participate in, or benefit from, programs and services due to his disability. (See Def. Br. 17 (arguing the Complaint does not allege that Plaintiff was "prevented from accessing any prison service because of his disability, or because he was not provided an accommodation")).
Defendants are correct that "to be denied a reasonable accommodation, an individual must first request that accommodation." (Def. Reply 9).
As to the claims that remain, the Court considers the extent to which denial of these accommodations may have impeded Plaintiff's "opportunity to participate in or benefit from defendants' services, programs, or activities[.]" Henrietta D., 331 F.3d at 272. With respect to the mobility guide and the change in housing, the Court finds at this stage in the litigation that Plaintiff has alleged viable claims under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. Indeed, the Court views these two potential accommodations as two sides of the same coin, namely, assisting Plaintiff in navigating his housing placement. The Court in Wright, in the context of a summary judgment motion, allowed analogous housing access claims to go forward, finding that
831 F.3d at 73; see also id. at 73-74 (refusing to find, as a matter of law, that mobility aides sufficed as a reasonable accommodation, observing that "the mobility assistance program, in practice, is ineffective because it requires [the plaintiff] to seek out and rely upon the cooperation of other inmates"). With respect to the current motion to dismiss (as distinguished from Wright's summary judgment setting), the Court has an underdeveloped record concerning the reasonable accommodations provided at OBCC and NIC and the undue burdens, if any, of granting Plaintiff's requests for accommodations. Accordingly, these claims survive.
The same cannot be said for Plaintiff's requests for accommodations in transportation. Plaintiff does not contend that he was denied access to any prison programs or services because of his transportation on general population buses; that his ability to access any programs or services was in any way impaired because of the use of these buses; or that he was in any way dissuaded from using the general population buses. Instead, Plaintiff states only that he was transported to these programs and services in a regular bus, rather than a "para van transport with the shoulder strap." (Dec. Supp. Compl. at 30). These allegations do not suffice to state a claim under the ADA or the Rehabilitation Act.
As a third category of ADA claims, Plaintiff alleges that DOC has failed to comply generally with ADA Guidelines and is in contempt of various consent decrees and settlement agreements. (Compl. ¶¶ 41-59, 94-97). To the extent Plaintiff raises them as civil rights violations, the claims fail. "The remedy for breach of [a consent decree] is a suit for breach of contract or enforcement of the decree through judicial sanctions, including contempt, not an action under § 1983."
These claims also fail under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. As Defendants observe, Plaintiff "fails to allege that he suffered any injury related to the alleged" breaches of the consent decrees and settlement agreements, and, indeed, "fails even to allege that the noncompliance issues ... pertained to his disability or that his disability required accommodations in these contexts." (Def. Br. 20). The ADA Guidelines referenced in Plaintiff's pleadings primarily concern wheelchair accessibility and hearing accessibility. (See, e.g., Compl. ¶¶ 37-59, 97). Plaintiff has not alleged that he used a wheelchair, or that he required accommodations for a hearing impairment, at any point during the relevant period. Accordingly, to the extent that Plaintiff's claims of non-compliance with ADA Guidelines address any accommodations other than those for which he was eligible as a result of his disability, those claims are also dismissed.
The Court now turns to Plaintiff's constitutional claims, brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. "[Section 1983] creates no substantive rights; it merely provides remedies for deprivations of rights established elsewhere." City of Okla. City v. Tuttle, 471 U.S. 808, 816, 105 S.Ct. 2427, 85 L.Ed.2d 791 (1985). To plead a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff must show "[i] the defendant acted under color of state law; and [ii] as a result of the defendant's actions, the plaintiff suffered a denial of [his] federal statutory rights, or [his] constitutional rights or privileges." Annis v. Cty. of Westchester, 136 F.3d 239, 245 (2d Cir. 1998).
Plaintiff's claims of law library deficiencies are also presented as deprivations of his First Amendment right to access the courts. In Bounds v. Smith, the Supreme Court held that prisoners' "constitutional right of access to the courts requires prison authorities to assist inmates in the preparation and filing of meaningful legal papers by providing prisoners with adequate law libraries or adequate assistance from persons trained in the law." 430 U.S. 817, 828, 97 S.Ct. 1491, 52 L.Ed.2d 72 (1977). To state a claim for denial of access to the courts, an inmate must:
Lewis v. Casey, 518 U.S. 343, 351, 116 S.Ct. 2174, 135 L.Ed.2d 606 (1996). In other words, an inmate must "demonstrate that a nonfrivolous legal claim had been frustrated or was being impeded." Id. at 353, 116 S.Ct. 2174.
Moreover, the right of access extends solely to certain types of legal claims — specifically, "direct appeals from the convictions for which [the inmates]
"[T]he right to counsel and the right of access to the courts are interrelated, since the provision of counsel can be a means of accessing the courts. However, the two rights are not the same." Benjamin v. Fraser, 264 F.3d 175, 186 (2d Cir. 2001). The Second Circuit has since clarified that the provision of counsel may obviate a claim of denial of access to the courts. In Bourdon v. Loughren, 386 F.3d 88 (2d Cir. 2004), the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a complaint alleging violation of the right of access to the courts by the denial of reference material in a jail law library, and inadequate law library facilities, because the plaintiff was represented by counsel and "the appointment of [that] counsel satisfied the state's obligation to provide access to the courts[.]" Id. at 89-90. Bourdon "explicitly h[e]ld that the appointment of counsel can be a valid means of fully satisfying a state's constitutional obligation to provide prisoners ... with access to the courts[.]" Id. at 94; see also Spates v. Manson, 644 F.2d 80, 85 (2d Cir. 1981) (holding that "where state-financed legal assistance is available," a prisoner does not have "a right to state-financed library resources"); Black v. Kurtz, No. 16 Civ. 3941 (BMC)(RLM), 2016 WL 4536869, at *1 (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 30, 2016) (concluding that plaintiff had failed adequately to plead an "actual injury" required to state a claim for denial of access to courts because plaintiff had been successful in having his criminal case dismissed, and because he had been represented by counsel in the criminal matter); Hayes v. Cty. of Sullivan, 853 F.Supp.2d 400, 436 (S.D.N.Y. 2012) ("[C]ourts within the Second Circuit have consistently held that a state is not constitutionally obligated to provide a pretrial detainee with additional legal resources, such as a law library, when that detainee is already represented by counsel." (internal citation, quotation, and alterations omitted)).
Here, Plaintiff argues that "his inability to utilize any devices within the facility law library so prejudiced him in meaningful access to the courts[.]" (Pl. Opp. 13, 16-17). Plaintiff claims as well that the denial of free postage for blind mail also violated his right of access to the courts. (Id. at 4, 13-17). The following sections of Plaintiff's pleadings, liberally construed, provide additional allegations relevant to his access-to-courts claim:
Plaintiff's briefing identifies three purported injuries caused by the alleged denial of access to the law library. First, it "hinder[ed Plaintiff] in being effective resulting in accept[ance] of [a] guilty plea... [that] has now been render[ed] as not knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently accepted." (Pl. Opp. 13).
Second, Plaintiff complains that his motion to set aside his sentence as illegal and the product of ineffective representation, which motion was filed in state court pursuant to New York Penal Law § 440.20 (the "440.20 Motion"), "was denied due to failure to controvert these allegations during criminal proceedings which plaintiff challenged due to his inability to see and properly research his criminal proceedings[.]" (Pl. Opp. 15 (emphasis added)). In support, Plaintiff attaches a copy of the 440.20 Opinion issued on May 30, 2018, from the trial court in Kings County, denying Plaintiff's 440.20 Motion. (Id., Ex. A (the "440.20 Opinion")).
Third, Plaintiff claims that his difficulties accessing the law library "denied [him] the opportunity to research important constitutional violations now raised in motions." (Pl. Opp. 14). As to this third purported injury, Plaintiff's March Supplemental Complaint presents additional relevant allegations regarding an earlier lawsuit that Plaintiff filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the arresting officers:
(Mar. Supp. Compl. ¶¶ 32-33). Plaintiff attaches a letter, dated July 7, 2017, in which he advised the Department of Justice ("DOJ") that he was facing a charge of robbery, and that his public defender "[i]nform[ed] [the Civilian Complaint Review Board, or "C.C.R.B."] not to [discuss] my
Defendants make two arguments in opposition. To start, they assert that the 440.20 Opinion undermines Plaintiff's allegations of injury in the making of his 440.20 Motion — both because it establishes that Plaintiff submitted the motion on March 29, 2018, long after Plaintiff had been transferred from DOC custody on September 14, 2017, and because it dismissed Plaintiff's motion on the merits rather than on procedural grounds. (Def. Reply 6). The Court concurs, and observes as well that the state-court judge who issued the 440.20 Opinion found no infirmities in Plaintiff's guilty plea proceeding, while also finding that Plaintiff's counsel was effective for purposes of the Sixth Amendment and the New York State Constitution. (Pl. Opp., Ex. A). See generally 28 U.S.C. § 1738 (noting that the acts, records, and judicial proceedings of a state "shall have the same full faith and credit in every court within the United States and its Territories and Possessions as they have by law or usage in the courts of such State, Territory or Possession from which they are taken"); Allen v. McCurry, 449 U.S. 90, 103-04, 101 S.Ct. 411, 66 L.Ed.2d 308 (1980) (recognizing issue preclusion for civil and criminal state court decisions in action brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983); Migra v. Warren City Sch. Dist. Bd. of Educ., 465 U.S. 75, 84, 104 S.Ct. 892, 79 L.Ed.2d 56 (1984) ("Having rejected in Allen the view that state-court judgments have no issue preclusive effect in § 1983 suits, we must reject the view that § 1983 prevents the judgment in petitioner's state-court proceeding from creating a claim preclusion bar in this case.").
Defendants' second argument is that Plaintiff's access-to-courts claims "are without merit because it is clear that Plaintiff was represented by counsel at all times relevant to the instant action." (Def. Reply 6). Further, Defendants argue that "Plaintiff does not allege that Defendants in any way interfered with his access to counsel, he only alleges that he was experienc[ing] difficulties using the law library." (Id.). The record only partially supports Defendants' position.
The 440.20 Opinion establishes that Plaintiff received the effective assistance of counsel during his criminal proceedings for purposes of the Sixth Amendment and the New York Constitution. (Pl. Opp., Ex.
In consequence, the Court considers whether impediment of a § 1983 claim for assault by arresting police officers qualifies an injury that can establish standing for a claim for denial of access to the courts. The Court finds that it does not. Lewis limits standing for such claims to denial of the tools that "inmates need in order to attack their sentences, directly or collaterally, and in order to challenge the conditions of their confinement." Lewis, 518 U.S. at 355, 116 S.Ct. 2174. Lewis further explains that "[i]mpairment of any other litigating capacity is simply one of the incidental (and perfectly constitutional) consequences of conviction and incarceration." Id. (emphasis in original). To be sure, prior to both Lewis and Bounds, the Supreme Court expressly expanded the right of access to the courts from habeas petitions to "civil rights actions ... to protect basic constitutional rights." See Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539, 579, 94 S.Ct. 2963, 41 L.Ed.2d 935 (1974), quoted in Lewis, 518 U.S. at 354-55, 116 S.Ct. 2174. Yet, Lewis unequivocally limits the entitlement for civil rights actions to those challenging the conditions of confinement. Lewis, 518 U.S. at 354, 116 S.Ct. 2174; see also Kowalyshyn v. Willett, No. 10 Civ. 752 (SRU), 2011 WL 1793257, at *4 (D. Conn. May 11, 2011) ("[P]risoners are entitled to legal assistance to file civil rights actions only to the extent that those actions challenge the conditions of their confinement." (collecting cases)); Collins v. Goord, 438 F.Supp.2d 399, 417 (S.D.N.Y. 2006) (concluding that "an Article 78 petition that challenges an inmate's remand to SHU confinement is an action for which access to the courts is constitutionally guaranteed"). In light of legal developments since Bounds, Plaintiff's allegations regarding his § 1983 action are not sufficient to state a constitutional claim for denial of access to the courts.
While it is not necessary to its decision, the Court pauses to note one further flaw in Plaintiff's access-to-court claims concerning his § 1983 action: they are demonstrably false. Plaintiff claims that his § 1983 action was dismissed as untimely. (See Mar. Supp. Compl. ¶¶ 32-33). It was not. Plaintiff filed his complaint in this District on or about August 22, 2017, and it was transferred to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on venue grounds on or about August 25, 2017. (See Walker v. Raja, No. 17 Civ. 6434 (CM) (S.D.N.Y.), Dkt. # 1, 4; Walker v. Raja, No. 17 Civ. 5202 (PKC) (LB) (E.D.N.Y.)). According to the E.D.N.Y. docket, the case was stayed for several months while the C.C.R.B. completed an investigation into claims of officer misconduct. (See, e.g., No. 17 Civ. 5202, Dkt. # 36 (stay order entered April 18, 2018), 51 (order lifting stay entered August 7, 2018)). According to the most recent docket entries, the parties are discussing potential motion practice or trial. (See, e.g., No. 17 Civ. 5202, Dkt. # 83 (defendants' letter motion dated February 1, 2019, regarding
For all of the reasons discussed in this section, Plaintiff's claims of deprivation of his First Amendment right to access the courts are dismissed.
Plaintiff also raises several claims under the Fourteenth Amendment, beginning with challenges to the medical care he received at Rikers Island. Courts in the Second Circuit analyze a pretrial detainee's claims of unconstitutional conditions of confinement, such as inadequate medical care, under the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause rather than the Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause. Darnell v. Pineiro, 849 F.3d 17, 29 (2d Cir. 2017); see generally Yates v. Villalobos, No. 15 Civ. 8068 (KPF), 2018 WL 718414, at *3 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 5, 2018). Nevertheless, "[a] detainee's rights are `at least as great as the Eighth Amendment protections available to a convicted prisoner.'" Id. (quoting City of Revere v. Mass. Gen. Hosp., 463 U.S. 239, 244, 103 S.Ct. 2979, 77 L.Ed.2d 605 (1983) ).
A claim for inadequate medical care requires a showing of "deliberate indifference to ... serious medical needs," which in turn requires proof of two elements: "medical need" and "deliberate indifference." Smith v. Carpenter, 316 F.3d 178, 183-84 (2d Cir. 2003). The first element, "medical need," is objective, measuring "the severity of the alleged deprivation." Id. Courts assessing this prong "examine how the offending conduct is inadequate and what harm, if any, the inadequacy has caused or will likely cause" the plaintiff. Salahuddin, 467 F.3d at 280. Factors informing this analysis include "[i] whether a reasonable doctor or patient would perceive the medical need in question as `important and worthy of comment or treatment,' [ii] whether the medical condition significantly affects daily activities, and [iii] `the existence of chronic and substantial pain.'" Brock v. Wright, 315 F.3d 158, 162 (2d Cir. 2003) (quoting Chance v. Armstrong, 143 F.3d 698, 702 (2d Cir. 1998)). In addition, "the actual medical consequences that flow from the alleged denial of care will be highly relevant[.]" Smith, 316 F.3d at 187.
The Second Circuit has clarified that the second element, "deliberate indifference," though often characterized as "subjective," is better understood as an element simply analyzing mens rea because it is "defined objectively." Darnell, 849 F.3d at 29, 35. Indeed, this element requires proof that the defendant "acted intentionally to impose the alleged condition, or recklessly failed to act with reasonable care to mitigate the risk that the condition posed to the pretrial detainee even though the defendant[] knew, or should have known, that the condition posed an excessive risk to health or safety." Id. at 35. This standard therefore does not encompass "an inadvertent failure to provide adequate medical care[.]" Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 105-06, 97 S.Ct. 285, 50 L.Ed.2d 251 (1976).
Plaintiff alleges inadequate medical care in the forms of failure "to employ
Plaintiff's pleadings fail to allege any unreasonable denials of proper medical care, or any deterioration or worsening of any of Plaintiff's conditions, that resulted from a denial of proper medical care. Plaintiff does not allege that he was ever denied medical treatment (although the Court wishes the delay in receiving treatment were shorter than that alleged), and "does not allege facts showing any negative consequence resulting from any alleged inadequate or delayed medical treatment." (Def. Reply 2). To the contrary, the Complaint indicates that Plaintiff was diagnosed with advanced glaucoma prior to his arrest, and that, while in custody, he received care for this condition from a specialist, while receiving frequent medical treatment for the injuries to his finger and leg. (See Compl., Ex. 1 at 16-17). As a result, Plaintiff has failed adequately to plead deliberate indifference to serious medical needs under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Plaintiff also tries, without success, to establish a constitutional violation from DOC's alleged failure to abide by its own internal policies and procedures. "[T]he failure to follow a DOCS Directive or prison regulation does not give rise to a federal constitutional claim." Rivera v. Wohlrab, 232 F.Supp.2d 117, 123 (S.D.N.Y. 2002). Therefore, to the extent that the Complaint alleges violations of constitutional rights predicated on Defendants' non-compliance with internal policy (see Compl. ¶¶ 28-30), those portions of Plaintiff's Complaint do not state a claim under the Fourteenth Amendment.
As a third argument under the Fourteenth Amendment, Plaintiff claims that Defendants failed to protect him while he was detained at Rikers Island. It "is a Fourteenth Amendment violation where [an] officer acted with deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm to an inmate." Rosen v. City of New York, 667 F.Supp.2d 355, 359-60 (S.D.N.Y. 2009) (citing Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 828, 114 S.Ct. 1970, 128 L.Ed.2d 811 (1994)) (internal quotation marks omitted). Accordingly, to state a constitutional claim for failure to protect based on conditions of confinement, an "inmate must show [i] that the failure to intervene or protect the inmate was sufficiently serious such that it caused an unquestioned and serious deprivation of basic human needs and [ii] that the defendant acted with a sufficiently culpable state of mind." Corley v. City of New York, No. 14 Civ. 3202 (GHW), 2017 WL
Here, Plaintiff argues that unsafe conditions of confinement deprived him of his "constitutional right to be reasonably protected from constant threats of violence and sexual assault from other inmates[.]" (Pl. Opp. 11). He alleges that corrections officers "[f]ailed to reasonably protect him from constant threats of violence and exercise preventive measures from potential assaults from other inmates while legally blind being housed inside general population housing." (Id.). Plaintiff argues that other inmates, who were gang members, prevented him from using the bathroom or the phone, caused him "extreme difficulty" in showering, navigating his environment, and identifying persons around him, and stole his personal belongings. (Id.). And Plaintiff contends that these inmates "received cooperation from individual correction officers[.]" (Id.).
Defendants correctly observe that Plaintiff has failed to show a "substantial risk of serious harm because Plaintiff has not alleged any facts showing an imminent or actual harm, physical violence, violence of any kind, or any threats more than mere verbal harassment." (Def. Br. 10). It is true, as Plaintiff claims and Defendants concede, that Plaintiff "does not need to wait until he is actually assaulted before obtaining relief." (Id. (citing Woodhous v. Virginia, 487 F.2d 889, 890 (4th Cir. 1973))). However, the Complaint nonetheless fails to allege any facts supporting a reasonable inference that the prison conditions described created a substantial risk of serious harm. (See Def. Reply 2). Further, Plaintiff has failed to allege with particularity that any Defendant acted with a culpable state of mind, as he has failed to allege that any Defendant knew or should have known of an imminent risk of harm to his safety from his placement for 12 days in SRG housing. (See Def. Br. 11). This claim, too, is dismissed.
Plaintiff fares no better recasting certain of his claims as ones for retaliation. To state a First Amendment claim for retaliation, a Plaintiff must show "[i] that the speech or conduct at issue was protected, [ii] that the defendant took adverse action against the plaintiff, and [iii] that there was a causal connection between the protected speech and the adverse action." Dolan v. Connolly, 794 F.3d 290, 294 (2d Cir. 2015) (internal citation and quotation marks omitted).
Plaintiff alleges that, "[i]n retaliation for [his] complaints, grievances defendants denied him handicapped housing, denied him reasonable accommodations, increasingly hindered [his] access to handicap housing and assistance devices and auxiliary aids, and adequate medical care." (Compl. ¶ 77). This bare assertion, without more, does not adequately state a claim for First Amendment retaliation. (See Def. Br. 11-12).
In sum, Plaintiff has failed to state a claim for constitutional violations under the First or Fourteenth Amendments. And while Plaintiff suggested a Fourth Amendment claim in his Complaint (see Compl. ¶¶ 11, 75), there are no allegations regarding same in any of his pleadings, and his opposition memorandum does not mention the Fourth Amendment (see generally Pl. Opp.). The Court does not consider Plaintiff to have alleged a Fourth Amendment claim. Because Plaintiff has failed to plead a viable claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the Court need not address subsidiary issues concerning individual liability or Monell liability.
Section 803(d)(e) of the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1996 (the "PLRA") mandates that "[n]o Federal civil action may be brought by a prisoner confined in a jail, prison, or other correctional facility, for mental or emotional injury suffered while in custody without a prior showing of physical injury[.]" 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(e). In this Circuit, plaintiffs may bring an action under the PLRA for punitive damages for purely mental or emotional injury. Thompson v. Carter, 284 F.3d 411, 418-19 (2d Cir. 2002). However, claims for compensatory damages under the PLRA are generally barred unless a plaintiff also alleges physical injury. See Leneau v. Ponte, No. 16 Civ. 776 (GHW), 2018 WL 566456, at *17 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 25, 2018), appeal dismissed (July 16, 2018); but cf. Holland v. City of New York, 197 F.Supp.3d 529, 537 (S.D.N.Y. 2016) ("However, although the PLRA bars compensatory damages `for mental or emotional injury,' even absent physical injury, [the plaintiff] may still recover `compensatory damages for the loss of a constitutional liberty interest.'"); Rosado v. Herard, No. 12 Civ. 8943 (PGG), 2014 WL 1303513, at *13 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 25, 2014) ("[C]ourts in this Circuit have concluded that a physical injury is not required for a prisoner to recover compensatory damages for the loss of a constitutional liberty interest." (citing Kerman v. City of New York, 374 F.3d 93, 125 (2d Cir. 2004))); Lipton v. County of Orange, N.Y., 315 F.Supp.2d 434, 457-58 (S.D.N.Y. 2004) (discussing "an exception to the aforementioned PLRA preclusion of compensatory damages in the absence of physical injury that is applicable to cases wherein the constitutional right that is allegedly violated arises under the First Amendment").
Defendants are correct that Plaintiff has failed to allege "any physical injury as a result of the alleged conditions of confinement, the alleged failure to protect, the alleged delay in medical treatment or any other constitutional tort." (Def. Br. 21). Therefore, to the extent Plaintiff seeks compensatory damages under the PLRA, his claims are dismissed.
As Defendants point out, the Court has discretion to decline to exercise
Plaintiff has not sought leave to amend, and the Court will not grant such leave sua sponte. In recognition of Plaintiff's pro se status, the Court has effectively permitted him to amend his Complaint four times by accepting and considering three supplemental pleadings and an opposition memorandum of law that included updated factual, as well as legal, arguments. Cf. Ganley v. City of New York, 734 F. App'x 784, 786 (2d Cir. 2018) (summary order) ("A district court should grant a pro se litigant leave to amend `at least once when a liberal reading of the complaint gives any indication that a valid claim might be stated.'" (quoting Cuoco v. Moritsugu, 222 F.3d 99, 112 (2d Cir. 2000)). For this reason, and because the parties' submissions make clear that further amendment would be futile, the Court will not permit further amendment of Plaintiff's Complaint.
For the reasons stated in this Opinion, Defendants' motion to dismiss is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Plaintiff's claims under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act for assistive devices, a sighted guide, and changes in housing remain viable. His other claims are dismissed with prejudice. The Clerk of Court is directed to terminate the motion at docket entry 35.
Per the Court's individual rules, the parties are ORDERED to meet and confer and submit a proposed case management plan to the Court on or before
SO ORDERED.