Green v. Amherst County Adult Det. Center et al, No. 7:2018cv00207 - Document 19 (W.D. Va. 2018)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Senior Judge Glen E. Conrad on 12/14/2018. (slt)
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CLERKS OFFICE U' S,DISX O UR-! ATRDANOKE,VA FILED DE: 1i 2218 IN TH E U N ITED STATE S D ISTR ICT C O U RT FO R TH E W ESTER N D ISTR ICT O F VIR G IN IA R O A N O K E D IV ISIO N M ICH AEL D U CH E LLE G RE EN, JUL BY: .DUD EY LERK 0TY AK CA SE N O .7:18CV 00207 Plaintiff, G MORANDUM OPIN ON V. = AM H ERST COUNTY ADULT DET.CENTER,c K , By: G len E.C onrad Senior United States D istrictJudge D efendants. M ichaelDuchelleGreen,aVirginia inmateproceeding pro K ,filed thiscivilrightsaction . pursuantto 42U.S.C.j 1983,allegingthathedidnotreceiveasuftkientlynutritiousdietwhile confined atthe AmherstCounty Detention Center(GW CADC ).Afterreview oftherecord,the r.X. - courtconcludesthatthiscivilactionmustbemlmmarily dismissed withoutprejudiceforfailure to statea claim . The ACADC is a jail facility operated by the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority (t% RRJA''). Green's j1983 complaintalleges: ç1Iam notbeing feed gsiclthem opercaloric intake asto the VA.DOC Standard by the Guidelines. This is a violation ofm y constitutional rights asbeing a VA.State Inmate.'' Compl.2,ECF No.1. A sdefendants,Green names the ACA D C , theBRRJA,and Timmy Trent.1 By order entered October 30,2018,the çourtnotifed Green thathiscom plaintdid not Green v. Amherst County Adult Det. Center et al Doc. 19 presentenough factsto state any actionable claim underj1983 againstthedefendantshehas nam ed and granted him thirty daysto file an am ended complaintorface sllmm ary dismissalof ' j Afterfiling this action, Green notified the courtthathe had been transferred.to anotherjail facility.Thus,anyclaim forinjunctivereliefismoot.SeeRendelmanv.Rouse,569F.3d182,186(4th Cir.2009)CG(Ajsageneralrule,aprisoner'stransferorreleasefrom aparticularprison mootshisclaims forinjunctive...reliefwithrespecttohisincarcerationthere.'') Dockets.Justia.com the action. Specitk ally,the courtinform ed Green that an nm ended complaintmust state the sequence ofeventson wllich he baseshis claims,whatactions each defendanttook in violation ofhisconstitutionalrights,whatharm he suffered asa resultoftheirconduct,and whatreliefhe seeks. The time granted forthe am ended com plainthas elapsed,and the courthasnotreceived any further pleading or correspondence from Green. Accordingly,the courtwill address his com plaintand attachm entsasinitially filed. Theattachm entsto the complaintprovide som eadditionaldetails. Green complained in a g' rievancethatthefoodatACADC wasmaldnghim GGverysick''andlefthim htmgry.JZ at4.A jailofficialissued awritten response,stating EGltlhekitchen goesby amenu thatisapprovedby the state dietician''and food service Eçstaff oversee the serving line and ensure thatthe correct nmountoffood isplaced on each tray.'' J#z.at5. Thisresponsealso indicated thatantlrsehad spoken with Green abouthiscomplaintoffeeling sick. Green appealed the grievance response totheBRRJA administration,statingitlijtisobviouswhatneedstobedone.W eneedtheProper J Calorie CotmtIn ourm eal. A1lthe Inm ate in K pod w illtestify to this;one Boiled egg,1 ledle Esicjofoatmeal,onemuffin isnottheltightCaloriecountforBrealcfast.W earestarving.'' 1d. at3.A BRRJA representativeaddressed theappeal: . Inmatesthroughoutthe (BRRJA)are given mealswith nutritionalvaluegsjthat either m eet or exceed the Recomm ended Dietary Allowance regarding caloric intake. A1lm enusare approved by a Registered Dietician. W hile itmay notbe the quantity you desire, the nmotmt coincides with the Virginia DOC Standard....lf you feelatany tim e like you need m edicalattention,submit a requestform . ld = II. The coul' t is required to dism iss any action or claim filed by a prisoner against a governm ental entity or ofscer if the courtdeterm ines that the action or claim is frivolous, malicipus,orfailsto state a claim on which reliefmay be granted. 28U.S.C.j 1915A(b)(1). Section 1983 permitsan aggrieved party to file a civilaction againsta person foractionstaken tmdercolorofstate 1aw thatviolated hisconstitutionalrights. Cooperv.Sheehan,735 F.3d 153, 158(4th Cir.2013).A complaintmustbedismissedifitdoesnotallegeçlenough factsto statea claim toreliefthatisplausibleonitsface.'' Giarratano v.Johnson,521F.3d 298,302 (4th Cir. 2008).2 A cou14 mustaccepttheplaintiffsfactualallegationsastnle, butneed nottçacceptthe legalconclusions (Irawn f' rom the facts''orGiacceptastrue unwarranted inferences,tmreasonable conclusions,orargum ents.''E.ShoreM lcts.sInc.v.J.D.Assocs.Ltd.P'ship,213 F.3d 175,180 (4th Cir.2000). GreenfirstnnmesACADC asadefendant.A jailbuilding,however,cnnnotqualify asa person subjecttobeingsuedlmderj1983. Mccoyv.ChesapeakeCorr.Ctr.,788F.Supp.890, 893-94(E.D.Va.1992).Therefore,thecourtmustdismissGreen'sclaimsagainstACADC. Green also nam estheBRRJA asa defendant. To provethata governm entalentity,such asaregionaljailauthority,isliableunderj1983 forconstitutionalviolationscommittedby its employees, the plaintiff must show that the entity's policy was Glthe m oving force of the constimtionalviolation.''Polk County v.Dodson,454 U.S.312,326 (1981). itocalgoverning bodies...canbesueddirectlyunder51983formonetary,declaratory,orinjtmctivereliefwhere . . . the action thatis alleged to be tmconstitutionalim plem entsor executes a policy statem ent, ordinance,regulation,or decision oftk ially adopted and promulgated by thatbody'sofficers.'' M ohellv.Dep'tofSoc.Serv.,436U.S.658,690(1978).Green statesnofactsinthecomplaint linking the allegedly inadequate am ountoffood he received atACADC to a specific policy or decisionofscially adoptedbythegoverningbody ofthejailauthority.On thecontrary,Green's 2Thecourthasom itted internalquotation m arks, alterations,and citationshereand throughout thisopinion,unlessotherwisenoted. attachm entsindicatethatperpolicy,the BRRJA provides itsinm ateswith a dietapproved by a registered dieticimlasnutritionally appropriateand consistentwith VDOC standards. The court willsumm arily dismissGreen'scomplaintagainsttheBRRJA. Green's third nam ed defendant is Timmy Trent. He does not state who Trent is or describe any action Trenttook,personally,thatviolated Green's rights orhnrmed him in any way. Thus,Green's subm issions do not state any actionable claim againstTrent. See,e.R., Vinnedaev.Gibbs,550 F.2d 926,928 (4th Cir.1977)(finding thatunderj1983,çfliabilitywill only lie where it is affirmatively shown that the official charged acted personally in the deprivation of the plaintiffl's)rights'). Accordingly,the complaintagainst Trent mustbe dism issed. In any event,Green'scomplaintdoesnotstate suftkientfactsforan actionable j1983 claim against anyone. His stated belief thatthe ACADA meals failed to provide him with adequate nutrition and caused him to become sick isunsupported by factualm atter. The court neednotaccepthismerely conclusory opinion asatnzefact.E.Shore M kts.,213 F.3d at180. --- Forthese remsons,the courtconcludesthatGreen's subm issions do notstate any claim upon which relief could be granted and must be summarily dism issed the action without prejudice under j1915A(b)(1). An appropriate orderwillenterthis day. Such a dismissal leaves Green f' ree to refile his claim sin a new and separate civilaction ifhe can state factsto supportan actionable claim againsta properdefendant. The Clerk isdirected to send copiesof thism'emorandtlm opinion and accompanying ordertoplaintiff ENTER:Tllis 1,42 day ofDecember, 2018. SeniorUnited StatesDistrictJudge
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