Ray Riley v. Anthony Wills, Tonya Kenner, and Joe Loera

Summary

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois conducted preliminary screening of Ray Riley’s Second Amended Complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A. The court allowed an Eighth Amendment failure-to-protect claim to proceed against Joe Loera in his individual capacity, while dismissing without prejudice the claims concerning prison conditions and disciplinary proceedings and terminating the other named defendants.

Holdings

1. Riley stated a viable Eighth Amendment failure-to-protect claim against Officer Loera because he alleged that he identified a specific and impending threat, Loera disregarded the warnings, and the assault occurred moments later.
2. Riley failed to state a conditions-of-confinement claim because the alleged responsible officers were unidentified and were not named as defendants in the Second Amended Complaint.
3. Riley failed to state a Fourteenth Amendment due-process claim based on 14 days in segregation because he did not allege a protected liberty interest or identify the process he was denied.
4. Claims against individuals not identified as defendants in the caption were dismissed without prejudice, and Anthony Wills was dismissed because the complaint alleged no wrongdoing by him.

Questions Presented

1. Whether Riley stated an Eighth Amendment failure-to-protect claim against Officer Loera.
2. Whether Riley stated an Eighth Amendment conditions-of-confinement claim against the defendants.
3. Whether Riley stated a Fourteenth Amendment due-process claim based on 14 days of disciplinary segregation.
4. Whether claims against individuals not named as defendants in the caption, and against Anthony Wills, who was not alleged to have committed misconduct, could proceed.

Disposition

other