Blanton v. Fajardo

Blanton v. Fajardo · United States District Court for the Eastern District of California · October 16, 2025 · No. 1:25-cv-01083-EPG (PC)

Summary

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California screened Kenneth Wayne Blanton’s amended 42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint concerning a dentist’s alleged breaking of his tooth during a dental appointment. The court allowed the Fourteenth Amendment medical-care claim against Henry D. Fajardo to proceed and directed the Clerk to terminate former defendants Tyson Pogue and B. Mendoza from the docket.

Holdings

  1. Liberally construed for screening purposes, the amended complaint stated a claim that Defendant Fajardo violated Plaintiff's Fourteenth Amendment right to adequate medical care by breaking Plaintiff's tooth during a dental appointment.
  2. The amended complaint's sole claim against Fajardo should proceed past screening, and the court would authorize service of process in due course.

Questions Presented

  1. Whether the amended complaint plausibly stated a Fourteenth Amendment claim for inadequate medical care by a pretrial detainee against an individual defendant.
  2. Whether the amended complaint should proceed past statutory screening under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915 and 1915A.

Disposition

other

Cases Cited (9)

  • Gordon v. County of Orange, 888 F.3d 1118, 1125 n.4 (9th Cir. 2018)(followed)
  • Castro, 833 F.3d at 1070-71(followed)
  • Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678-79 (2009)(followed)
  • Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 570 (2007)(followed)
  • Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 572 F.3d 677, 681 (9th Cir. 2009)(followed)
  • Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 (9th Cir. 2010)(followed)
  • Kingsley, 135 S. Ct. at 2473(followed)
  • Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 396 (1989)(followed)
  • Daniels, 474 U.S. at 330-31(followed)

Cited In (0)

No citing cases on record yet.

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