Roberts v. Lane et al, No. 7:2018cv00487 - Document 8 (W.D. Va. 2018)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Senior Judge Glen E. Conrad on 11/16/2018. (tvt)
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CLERK'S OFFICS U.S. DISX GOURT AT ROANOKE,VA FILED IN TIIE IJM TED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR TIIE W ESTERN DISTRICT OF W RGIM A R O AN OK E DIW SIO N JEREM Y G .ROBERTS, d2# 16 2218 JULIA . BY: , LE CASE NO .7:18CV00487 Plaintiff, V. M EMORANPUM OPINION C.0.LANE,c M . By: G len E.C onrad Senior U nited StatesD istrictJudge D efendants. Jeremy C.Roberts,an inmateattheregionaljailfacility in Duffield,Virginia,filedtllis proK civilrightsaction lmder42 U.S.C.j 1983.Robertsallegesthatwhen thedefendantjail oo certEwrecked the transportvan,''Roberts'back fGwasbrokey''çGmedicaldid nottreat(him) adequately,''and he Gtwasplaced in segregation in retaliation to lawsuit''Compl.2,ECF No.1. Upon review of the record,the courtfinds that the action must be sllmm arily dism issed for failureto exhaustadm inistrativeremedies. ThePrisonLitigation Reform Act,42 U.S.C.j 1997e(a),mandatesthataprisonercnnnot bring a civil action concem ing prison conditions tmtil he has first exhausted available administrativeremediesatthe prison. See Rossv.Blake,136 S.Ct.1850,1856 (2016). çtA courtmay suasponte dism issa complaintwhen the alleged factsin the complaint,taken astrue, prove thatthe inm ate failed to exhausthis administrative rem edies.'' Custisv.Davis,851 F.3d 358,361(4thCir.2017). Roberts v. Lane et al Doc. 8 The j1983 complaintform thatRoberts used to file thiscmse includes this question: ldl-lave you filed any grievances regr ding the factsofyourcomplaint?'' Compl.1,ECF No.1. In response,Roberts checked 1ûNo.'' Id. He states,:&Idon'tknow ofany grievanceprocedm es regarding this type of situation.'' Id.at 3. Roberts'ignorance ofthejail's administrative Dockets.Justia.com remediesprocedure and whetheritappliesto the issuesin tlliscase cnnnotexcuse hisfailure to make any effortatutilizing the jail's procedmes. Ross, 136 S.Ct.at 1857-88 (rejecting argllment that inmate was excused from attempting satisfaction of j 1997e(a) exhaustion requirem entbased on hisremsonable,butmistaken beliefthatavailable administrative rem edies didnotapply tohisissue). Accordingly,thecourtfndsitclearfrom thefaceofthecomplaint thathe did notsatisfy the exhaustion requirementin compliancewith j1997e(a)before filing thisaction. On thatbasis,the courtwilldismissthecasewithoutprejudice. Such a dismissal leaves Roberts 9ee to refle one or m ore of his claim s after he has exhausted available administrativeremediesasrequired by law.1 An appropriateorderwillissuethisday. The Clerk is directed to send copies of tllis m em orandllm opinion and accompanying orderto plaintiff. ENTER:This l6. dayofNovember, 2018. SeniorUnited StatesDishictJudge 1 The courtalso findsthatRoberts'currentcomplaintfailsto state a claim upon w hich reliefcan bejranted.See28U.S.C.j1915A(b)(1)(allowingsummarydismissalofcomplaintforfailuretostatea clmm). A jailofficial'smerefailuretouseappropriatecarewhiledrivinj is,atmost,negligence,and negligentactsby stateom cialsdo notsupporta j 1983 claim,which requlresshowing thattheplaintiff was deprived ofa constimtionalright. See Cty.of Sacramento v.Lewis,523 U.S.833,849 (1998) ((ilTjheConstitution doesnotguarantee due care on the partofstate offkials;liability fornegligently inflicted harm iscategorically beneaththetllreshold''ofconstitutionalprotections).ln addition,Roberts' complaint does not state facts showing thatthe one nam ed defendant was personally involved in the deficientm edicalcare orthe retaliation thatRobertsalleges. See Ashcroftv.Iqbalm556 U .S.662,676 (2009)(holdinj thatj 1983 plaintiffGtmustpleadthateach Government-officialdefendant,throughthe om cial'sown lndividualactions,hasviolatedtheConstitution'').
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