Ouellette v. Milahae et al, No. 7:2019cv00341 - Document 24 (W.D. Va. 2019)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Senior Judge Jackson L. Kiser on 6/6/2019. (tvt)
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,.CLERK' S OFFICEU.S. DIST.COURT , AT DAW I LLE,VA FILED IN TIIE U NITED STA TES DIST RICT C O UR T FO R TH E W ESTER N D ISTRIC T O F V IR G IN IA R O A N O K E D IVISIO N JUN C6 2212 JULA G.D LEY CLE nv:vMDEPUTYCLERK SCO TT M ITCH ELL O U ELLETTE, Plaintiff, C ASE N O .7:19C V 00341 V. M EM O M N D UM O PIN IO N JOE M ILAHAE,c & , By: H on.Jacltson L.K iser Senior U nited States D istrictJudge D efendants. Theplaintiff,Scot'tM itchellOuellette,aVirginiajailinmateproceedingproK ,fledthis civilrightsactiontmder42U.S.C.j 1983,complainingthathewasdeprivedofdueprocessrelated to ajaildisciplinary ingaction.l Now,Ouellettehasfiled amotion forinterlocutory injunctive relief,alleging thatunidentified individualsatthejailhave held him in Slkeeplock''forweeks without cause,purportedly in retaliation for his filing ofthis lawsuit and others aboutjail conditionsand events.Heasksthecourtto orderdefendantJoeM ilahaeand anunspecifedjail Gcrepresentative''toreleaseOuellettefrom ççkeeplock''ortotransferhim toajailinAbingdon,and nottoharassand assaulthim .Iconcludethatthe motion mustbe denied. First,thissubm ission attemptsto nmendthecomplaintto stateanew claim againsttheonly defendantsin this case- M ilahae and the tisouthwestRegionalJailAuthority,''which the court assllmesisacmallytheSouthwestVirginiaRegionalJailAuthority(CISW VRJA').Theallegations in the motion,however,referonly to llnnnmed jailofficers. Ouellette doesnotdescribehow Ouellette v. Milahae et al Doc. 24 M ilahae orthe SW VRJA oritspoliciesare responsible forhisassignmentto keeplock. Second, Ouellette assertsthathis detention in keeplock wasimposed to retaliate againsthim forfiling ' Inotethatone attachmentto Ouellette'smotion forpreliminary injunction isa declaration aboutthe malftmctioning sprinklersystem in a nearby cell. Asthis submission appears intended as additionalevidence in supportoftheamended complaint,Iwilldirecttheclerk toredocketitassuch. Dockets.Justia.com lawsuits,buthepresentsnofactsto supportthatassertion. Such m erely conclusory statem entsare notsuffcienttostateanactionablej 1983retaliationclaim.See.e.2.,Adamsv.Rice,40F.3d72 (4th Cir.1994)(findingthatconclusory allegationsofretaliatory motiveareinsufficientto state an actionable j1983 retaliation claim). Forthese reasons,Iconstrue Ouellette'smotion asa proposed nmendm enttothe com plaintthatIwilldeny asfm ile. Ialsoconcludethatthemotionmustalsobedeniedasoneseekinginterlocutoryinjtmctive relief.Preliminaryinjunctivereliefisanextraordinaryremedy.W interv.Nat.Res.Def.Council. Inc.,555U.S.7,24(2008).Accordingly,thepartyseekingsuchreliefmustmakeaclearshowing ttthatheislikely tosucceed onthem erits,thatheislikely to sufferirreparableharm in theabsence ofpreliminaryrelief,thatthebalanceofequitiestipsin hisfavor,andthataninjunctionisinthe y % publicinterest.'' Id.at20.A11fourfactorsm ustbemet.Id.BecauseIfind thatOuellettsm otion failsto dem onstratea likelihood ofsuccesson hisunderlying claim ofretaliatory confinem entin keeplock,hecarmotmeetthefotlrrequirementstmderW intertoshow thatinterlocutoryinjunctive reliefiswarranted.An appropriate orderwillbeentered herewith. TheClerk isdirectedto sendcopiesofthism emorandtlm opinion andaccom panyingorder to theparties. ENIXREDthisG-i'*xdayofJtme,2019. N SE O R U N ITED STA TES D ISTRICT JU D GE
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