federal 12b motion.rtf

8/10/2019 Federal 12b motion.rtf

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INSTRUCTIONS AND SAMPLE LETTER-BRIEF INOPPOSITION TO RULE 12(b)(6) MOTION TO DISMISS

FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM

Inpro se prisoner cases, defendants will often le a motion to dismiss

for failure to state a claim. In cases led in federal court under 42 U.S.C.

1983 ci!il ri"#ts actions$, a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim is

led under %ederal &ule of Ci!il 'rocedure 12($)$.

&ule 12($)$ is a su(*part of %.&.C.'. 12($, w#ic# states in "eneral t#at

all defenses s#ould (e put in t#e defendants+ answer, (ut it also "i!es t#e

defendants t#e option to raise some defenses ( motion (efore an answer is

led. -#erefore, defendants can, instead of answerin" ri"#t awa, raise one

or more &ule 12($ defenses ( motion, and onl if t#e defendants lose t#at

motion, will t#e #a!e to le an answer to t#e complaint.

ne of t#e defenses &ule 12($ allows to (e raised ( motion is t#e

defense set out in &ule 12($)$, i.e., /failure to state a claim upon w#ic#

relief can (e "ranted. If t#e defendants win suc# a motion, t#e case will (e

dismissed. -#is means t#at t#e case will (e o!er in t#e district court and ou

will #a!e to appeal if ou want to "et our case reinstated.

W!*t is * +C$*i,+-

In order to defend a"ainst a motion to dismiss for failure to state a

claim upon w#ic# relief can (e "ranted, ou rst need to understand w#at

a/claim/ is under t#e %ederal &ules of Ci!il 'rocedure. 0 /claim for relief/ is

dened in &ule 8a$ as #a!in" t#ree elements

1$ /a s#ort and plain statement of t#e "rounds upon w#ic# t#e

court+s urisdiction depends

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2$ a s#ort and plain statement of t#e claim s#owin" t#at t#e

pleader is entitled to relief/

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3$ a demand for ud"ment for t#e relief t#e pleader sees.../

5#at t#is means is t#at a complaint need not (e lon" and complicated,

(ut it must contain statements t#at support t#e federal court+s urisdiction

for e6ample, t#at t#e case is (rou"#t to enforce constitutional ri"#ts under

42 U.S.C. 1983$, alle"ations of fact t#at support eac# claim t#at is (ein"

made, and a re7uest for relief. -#e polic (e#ind t#ese rules is to simplif

pleadin" and not to put up tec#nical (arriers to relief t#at a plainti needs

and can "et from t#e court.

-#e most important part of &ule 8a$ for purposes of a &ule 12($)$

motion is t#e second part /a s#ort and plain statement of t#e claim./ -#is

means a s#ort and plain statement of factst#at mae up t#e claim. %or

e6ample, in a case in w#ic# ou alle"e constitutionall inade7uate medical

care as opposed to simple ne"li"ence or medical malpractice$, ou must put

in statements t#at s#ow 1$ w#at #appened to ou 2$ t#at ou were inured

and t#at t#e inur was serious *./ 3$ t#e mental state element re7uired

( t#e courts * t#at t#e defendants$ acted wit# /deli(erate indierence to

serious medical needs./ Note: If you only state that the defendant doctor

was "negligent," and not "deliberately indierent," then your complaint will

be dismissed because negligence is not enough to state a constitutionalclaim. See the PSH!s pamphlet on #$%I!& !&'$ for the dierence

between a federal constitutional claim and a state tort action.$ ou must

mae sure to mae specic alle"ations of *%t w#o did w#at, w#ere and

w#en. 0!oid conclusions. %or e6ample, do not sa t#in"s suc# as /t#e doctor

!iolated m ri"#ts,/ or /t#e nurse "a!e (ad medical care,/ wit#out specifin"

w#at t#e doctor or nurse did or did not do. 0lso (e sure to include #ow ou

were inured ( w#at t#e defendant did. 0fter puttin" in t#e factual

alle"ations, ou can t#en sa somet#in" lie, /t#ese facts s#ow

unconstitutional medical care./

If ou #a!e included in our complaint urisdictional alle"ations, t#e

facts of w#at t#e defendants$ did, alle"ations of deli(erate indierence or

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ot#er necessar mental state, and a re7uest for relief monetar dama"es or

inuncti!e relief$, ou #a!e a claim. 0 &ule 12($)$ motion tests w#et#er t#at

claim is one /upon w#ic# relief can (e "ranted./

St*./*(/s F'( R$e 123b4354 6'ti'.s

Courts do not "enerall fa!or &ule 12($)$ motions to dismiss,

(ecause t#e polic of t#e federal rules is to allow cases to proceed if t#e

plainti #as an reasona(le c#ance of o(tainin"

relief. -#erefore, t#e defendants are re7uired to mae a !er stron" s#owin"

(efore a complaint will (e dismissed for failure to state a claim.

0 &ule 12($)$ motion ar"ues t#at, (ased onl on w#at is said in t#e

complaint, t#e plainti could not possi(l (e entitled to relief. Courts do not

determine w#et#er t#e facts as stated ( t#e plainti are true, (ut instead

assume t#e trut# of plainti+s factual statements and decide w#et#er ou

ma #a!e a claim t#at could lead to relief.

0s t#e U.S. Supreme Court #as stated /-#e issue is not w#et#er a plainti

will ultimatel pre!ail (ut w#et#er t#e claimant is entitled to oer e!idence

in support of t#e claims. Indeed it ma appear on t#e face of t#e pleadin"s

t#at a reco!er is !er remote and unliel, (ut t#at is not t#e test./ Scheuer(. 'hodes, 41) U.S. 232, 23) 19:4$. &at#er, /a complaint s#ould not (e

dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears (eond dou(t t#at t#e

plainti can pro!e no set of facts in support of #is claim w#ic# would entitle

#im to relief./ !onley (. )ibson, 3;; U.S. 41, 4;*4) 19;:$.

In a recent prison case, t#e


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defendin" a"ainst a &ule 12 ($)$ motion. %irst, a &ule 12($)$ motion

s#ould not include an additional factual material ( defendants. If t#e

defendants do attempt to add facts, it is liel t#at t#e motion will (e treated

not as a &ule 12($)$ motion, (ut as a motion for summar ud"ment.

Second, t#is standard is !er fa!ora(le to plaintis. nl if t#e plainti

cannot concei!a(l mae out a claim will t#e complaint (e dismissed. %or

e6ample, in t#e prison medical care case, t#e complaint can (e dismissed at

t#is sta"e onl if t#e plainti #as failed to claim deli(erate indierence, or

failed to set out facts t#at s#ow t#at a serious medical need was not

responded to.

-#ird, as t#e SchneiderCourt stated, courts are reluctant to dismiss

/wit#out lea!e to amend./ -#e usual practice of courts is to allow plaintis

w#ose complaints appear to (e defecti!e a c#ance to amend t#e complaint

at least once. -#is is (ecause t#e polic of t#e federal rules is to #a!e cases

decided on t#e (asis of t#e su(stanti!e ri"#ts in!ol!ed, not on tec#nicalities.

/0mendment s#ould (e refused onl if it appears to a certaint t#at plainti

cannot state a claim./ 5ri"#t and >iller, +ederal Practice and Procedure,!ol

;0, 13;:.

>oreo!er, pleadin"s led (pro se prisoners are /#eld to less strin"entstandards t#an formal pleadin"s drafted ( lawers.../ Haines (. erner, --

U.S. ;19 19:2$. -#is means t#at, in decidin" a &ule 12($)$ motion a"ainst

apro seplainti, t#e court is supposed to loo e!en more carefull to see

w#et#er an set of facts consistent wit# t#e complaint could (e pro!en, and

if so, to den t#e &ule 12($)$ motion.

W!e. * R$e 123b4354 6'ti'. Be%',es * S,,*( J/),e.t 6'ti'.

&ule 12($)$ states t#at if, as part of t#e proceedin"s on a &ule 12($

)$ motion, /matters outside t#e pleadin" are presented to and not e6cluded

( t#e court, t#e motion s#all (e treated as one for summar ud"ment/

"o!erned ( t#e standards and procedures of &ule ;), alt#ou"# t#e parties

will (e "i!en a c#ance to compl wit# &ule ;). -#erefore, if t#e defendant

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includes factual material alon" wit# a &ule 12($)$ motion, ou s#ould t#in

carefull a(out asin" t#e court not to consider t#e new material. If ou do

not, or if t#e court decides o!er our o(ection to consider t#e material, t#en

ou #a!e a summar ud"ment motion and not a failure to state a claim

motion to deal wit#. In suc# a case, ou s#ould read t#e 'S?@C+s S*,"$e

B(ie i. O""'siti'. t' * 6'ti'. '( S,,*( J/),e.t&

ou s#ould also (e careful not to inad!ertentl turn a &ule 12($)$

motion into a summar ud"ment motion ( addin" factual material ourself.

0t t#at point, ou will #a!e to #a!e all t#e factual material necessar to

pro!e our case.

S"e%i*$ R$es '( P(is'. C*ses

In addition to t#e possi(ilit t#at defendants ma le a &ule 12($)$

motion, prisoner plaintis will also (e faced wit# t#e 'rison @iti"ation &eform

0ct '@&0$, w#ic# re7uire federal district courts to re!iew /as soon as

practica(le/ a complaint led ( a prisoner seein" relief from actions of

"o!ernment a"encies or emploees, to identif /co"niAa(le claims,/ and to

dismiss an claim t#at is /fri!olous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon

w#ic# relief can (e "ranted.../ 28 U.S.C. 191;0a$. -#is means t#at t#e

ud"e can dismiss our case for failure to state a claim e!en (efore t#edefendant les a motion to dismiss. In some cases, (efore decidin" to

dismiss under t#e '@&0, t#e court will identif deciencies in t#e complaint

and pro!ide t#e prisoner plainti an opportunit to amend. If the c!"t

s!##ests that $! a%e&' tae th*s s!##est*& +e"$ se"*!s,$If ou

do not follow t#e court+s su""estion, it will pro(a(l dismiss our claim and

ou ma not (e a(le to complain a(out t#is on appeal (ecause ou failed to

tae ad!anta"e of t#e opportunit to amend. >oreo!er, under t#e '@&0, a

dismissal is liel to result in a /strie/ a"ainst ou and after /t#ree stries,/

ou will (e pre!ented from lin" lawsuits in forma pauperis.

P(*%ti%*$ i"s

-#e (est wa to a!oid dismissal eit#er under t#e '@&0 or a &ule 12($

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)$ motion is t#rou"# pre!ention 'lead our claim well at t#e (e"innin".

&ead and follow %ederal &ule of Ci!il 'rocedure 8a$, w#ic# tells ou w#at a

claim is. @earn t#e elements of t#e particular claims$ ou are trin" to raise

in our complaint, i.e., now t#e (asic t#in"s ou #a!e to s#ow if ou are

a(le to "et relief. If ou cannot meet t#ose elements, don+t (ot#er to mae

t#e claim as it will in all lieli#ood cost ou t#e lin" fees, as well as (e a

/strie/ a"ainst ou in future liti"ation.

If t#e defendants le a &ule 12($)$ motion, cite t#e law contained in

t#ese instructions as well as in t#e attac#ed Sample Brief, s#owin" #ow t#e

court #as to "i!e ou e!er reasona(le c#ance to state a !alid claim. 6plain

#ow our complaint co!ers t#e elements of t#e claim ou are trin" to mae.

0s for permission to amend if t#e court t#ins ou #a!e not stated a claim.

If ou are "i!en t#e opportunit to amend, "o (ac and mae sure t#at ou

#a!e included all t#e elements and re*t#in our claim. &ead t#e defendants+

(rief on t#e motion to dismiss to see w#at t#e claimed was lacin". It is

liel t#at ou will (e a(le in "ood fait# to state a stron"er case in our

amended complaint.

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federal 12b motion.rtf

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