Marcus Moore v. R. Schlichting

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MAY 26 2022 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT MARCUS J. MOORE, No. 21-16229 Plaintiff-Appellant, D.C. No. 1:20-cv-01672-DAD-EPG v. R. SCHLICHTING, C/O at Sierra MEMORANDUM* Conservation Center, Defendant-Appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California Dale A. Drozd, District Judge, Presiding Submitted May 17, 2022** Before: CANBY, TASHIMA, and NGUYEN, Circuit Judges. California state prisoner Marcus J. Moore appeals pro se from the district court’s judgment dismissing his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleging sexual assault, sexual harassment, and violation of his right to due process by prison officials. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We review de novo the district court's * This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3. ** The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). dismissal under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A. Resnick v. Hayes, 213 F.3d 443, 447 (9th Cir. 2000). We affirm. The district court properly dismissed Moore’s Eighth Amendment claims because Moore failed to allege facts sufficient to state a plausible claim. See Bearchild v. Cobban, 947 F.3d 1130, 1144-45 (9th Cir. 2020) (setting forth the elements for a claim of sexual assault by a correctional officer); Austin v. Terhune, 367 F.3d 1167, 1172 (9th Cir. 2004) (concluding that sexual gesturing from a control booth was not sufficiently serious to constitute an Eighth Amendment violation); see also Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 341-42 (9th Cir. 2010) (although pro se pleadings are liberally construed, a plaintiff must allege facts sufficient to state a plausible claim). The district court properly dismissed Moore’s due process claim arising from a prison disciplinary hearing where his good-time credits were forfeited because it is not cognizable as a § 1983 claim. See Edwards v. Balisok, 520 U.S. 641, 646-48 (1997) (holding that a claim for monetary and declaratory relief challenging the validity of procedures used to deprive a prisoner of good-time credits is not cognizable under § 1983). Moore’s motion for appointment of counsel (Docket Entry No. 5) is denied. AFFIRMED. 2 21-16229