Angela Eslinger v. Sons of Silence, et al.

Summary

The United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois screened Angela Eslinger's amended pro se prisoner complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A. The court held that the complaint failed to identify a responsible individual state actor or otherwise state a plausible constitutional claim, and found that further amendment would be futile. The amended complaint was dismissed with prejudice, terminating the case.

Holdings

1. The amended complaint failed to state a claim and was subject to dismissal under the Prison Litigation Reform Act screening provision.
2. A § 1983 plaintiff must identify an individual defendant who caused or participated in the alleged constitutional deprivation, or who acquiesced in it in a demonstrable way; Eslinger failed to do so.
3. The complaint did not plausibly allege that the Sons of Silence or Mastery of Masons were state actors subject to § 1983 liability.
4. Further amendment was futile, so the amended complaint was properly dismissed with prejudice.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the amended complaint stated a plausible claim subject to screening under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A.
2. Whether the complaint stated a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 where it failed to identify an individual defendant who caused or participated in an alleged constitutional deprivation.
3. Whether the Sons of Silence and Mastery of Masons could plausibly be treated as state actors for purposes of § 1983 liability.
4. Whether further amendment would be futile after the plaintiff failed to cure the defects identified in the prior order.

Disposition

dismissed