Case 2:20-cv-11053-MAG-RSW ECF No. 27 filed 05/12/20 PageID.1218 Page 1 of 53 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN SOUTHERN DIVISION ELLIOTT ABRAMS, CRAIG SEEGMILLER, VINCENT GLASS, ROBERT REEVES, and LAMONT HEARD, individually, and on No. 2:20-cv-11053 behalf of all others similarly situated, HON. MARK A. GOLDSMITH Plaintiffs, MAG. R. STEVEN WHALEN v DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE WILLIS CHAPMAN, NOAH BRIEF IN OPPOSITION TO NAGY, MELINDA BRAMAN, PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR BRYAN MORRISON, and HEIDI TEMPORARY RESTRAINING WASHINGTON, ORDER & INJUNCTIVE RELIEF Defendants. Daniel Manville (P39731) Kevin J. O’Dowd (P39383) Attorney for Plaintiffs Kristin M. Heyse (P64353) Civil Rights Clinic, Scott A. Mertens (P60069) MSU College of Law Sara E. Trudgeon (P82155) P.O. Box 1570 Cori E. Barkman (P61470) East Lansing, MI 48823 Allan J. Soros (P43702) (517) 432-6866 Assistants Attorney General [email protected] Attorneys for MDOC Defendants MDOC Division P. O. Box 30217 Lansing, MI 48909 (517) 335-3055 [email protected] Case 2:20-cv-11053-MAG-RSW ECF No. 27 filed 05/12/20 PageID.1219 Page 2 of 53 Kevin Ernst (P44223) Attorney for Plaintiffs Ernst Charara & Lovell, PLC 645 Griswold, Ste 4100 Detroit, MI 48226 313-965-5555 [email protected] / DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE BRIEF IN OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER & INJUNCTIVE RELIEF Dana Nessel Attorney General Kevin J. O’Dowd Assistant Attorney General Attorneys for MDOC Defendants MDOC Division P.O. Box 30217 Lansing, MI 48909 (517) 335-3055 [email protected] P39383 Dated: May 12, 2020 Case 2:20-cv-11053-MAG-RSW ECF No. 27 filed 05/12/20 PageID.1220 Page 3 of 53 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Table of Contents ....................................................................................... i Index of Authorities ................................................................................. iii Concise Statement of Issue Presented ..................................................... vi Controlling or Most Appropriate Authority ............................................. vi INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 Statement of Facts .................................................................................... 4 Argument ................................................................................................. 19 I. Plaintiffs fail to establish a basis for this Court to grant the extraordinary remedy they seek of a temporary restraining order and/or injunctive relief. ........................................................ 19 A. Plaintiffs are not likely to succeed on the merits of their Eighth Amendment deliberate indifference claim. ..... 21 1. The Eleventh Amendment prohibits this Court from granting the injunctive relief Plaintiffs seek here—forcing MDOC to follow its already existing COVID-19 policies. ....................................................... 22 2. Plaintiffs cannot maintain an action where they have failed to exhaust their administrative remedies. ...................................................................... 24 3. Plaintiffs’ Eighth Amendment claim fails given the MDOC’s swift and robust efforts to prevent and contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. .......... 30 4. Plaintiffs’ request for early release fails because such relief is not available in a § 1983 claim, it violates the PLRA, and the MDOC does not have authority to release prisoners. ..................................... 36 i Case 2:20-cv-11053-MAG-RSW ECF No. 27 filed 05/12/20 PageID.1221 Page 4 of 53 B. Given the breadth of MDOC’s COVID-19 response efforts, Plaintiffs cannot show that they will suffer irreparable injury absent this Court’s intervention. ............ 39 C. Both the public interest and that of the MDOC strongly weigh against a TRO or injunction. ...................................... 40 Conclusion and Relief Requested ............................................................ 43 ii Case 2:20-cv-11053-MAG-RSW ECF No. 27 filed 05/12/20 PageID.1222 Page 5 of 53 INDEX OF AUTHORITIES Page Cases Abney v. Amgen, Inc., 443 F.3d 540 (6th Cir. 2006) ............................... 38 Am. Civil Liberties Union Fund of Michigan v. Livingston Cty., 796 F.3d 636 (6th Cir. 2015) ................................................................ 18 Amos v. Taylor, Case No. 4:20-CV-7, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 72532, *28 (N.D. Miss. Apr. 24, 2020) ............................................................. 35 Baxley v. Jividen, No. 3:18-1526, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61894 (S.D. W.Va. Apr. 8, 2020) ..................................................................... 35 Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520 (1979) ........................................................ 20 Burnett v. Howard, No. 2:09-cv-37, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30499, at *3 (W.D. Mich. Mar. 30, 2010) ......................................................... 25 Essroc Cement Corp. v. CPRIN, Inc., 593 F. Supp. 2d 962 (W.D. Mich. 2008) ........................................................................................... 38 Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825 (1994) .............................. 25, 29, 30, 32 Farnsworth v. Nationstar Mortgage, LLC, 569 Fed. Appx. 421 (6th Cir. 2014) .............................................................................................. 19 Foster v. Gueory, 655 F.2d 1319 (D.C. Cir. 1981) ................................... 28 FTC v. Dean Foods Co., 384 U.S. 597 (1966) .......................................... 27 Glover v. Johnson, 855 F.2d 277 (6th Cir. 1988) .................................... 41 Gonzales v. National Bd. of Med. Exam’rs, 225 F.3d 620 (6th Cir. 2000) ..................................................................................................... 20 Gulley v. Ogondo, Case No. 3:19-cv-612, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64193 (D. Conn. Apr. 13, 2020) ............................................................ 36 iii Case 2:20-cv-11053-MAG-RSW ECF No. 27 filed 05/12/20 PageID.1223 Page 6 of 53 Hanna v. Toner, 630 F.2d 442 (6th Cir. 1980) ........................................ 40 Helling v. McKinney, 509 U.S. 25 (1993) ................................................ 30 Jackson v. D.C., 254 F.3d 262 (D.C. Cir. 2001) ...................................... 28 Jones v. Bock, 549 U.S. 199 (2007) ......................................................... 25 Jones v. North Carolina Prisoners’ Labor Union, 433 U.S. 119 (1977) .................................................................................................... 40 Kendrick v. Bland, 740 F.2d 432 (6th Cir. 1984) .................................... 20 Marlowe v. LeBlanc, Case No. 20-30276, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 14063 (5th Cir. Apr. 27, 2020) ....................................................... 23, 28 Maryland v. King, ___ U.S. ___; 133 S. Ct. 1, 3 (2012) ........................... 40 McNeilly v. Land, 684 F.3d 611 (6th Cir. 2012) ..................................... 19 Michigan State AFL-CIO v. Miller, 103 F.3d 1240 (6th Cir. 1997) ........ 20 Money v. Pritzker, 20-cv-2094, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63599, *61 (ND. Ill. Apr. 10, 2020) ............................................................. 35, 37, 41 Nellson v. Barnhart, 20-cv-00756, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66971 (D. Colo. Apr. 16, 2020) ............................................................ 32, 34, 39 Northeast Ohio Coal. For Homeless and Serv. Emps. Intern. Union, Local 1199 v. Blackwell, 467 F.3d 999 (6th Cir. 2006) ............ 20 Overstreet v. Lexington–Fayette Urban County Gov't, 305 F.3d 566 (6th Cir. 2002) ...................................................................................... 19 Patio Enclosures, Inc. v. Herbst, 39 Fed. Appx. 964 (6th Cir. 2002) ...... 39 Pennhurst State School & Hospital v. Halderman, 465 U.S. 89 (1984) .............................................................................................. 22, 23 Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475 (1973) ............................................... 36 Ross v. Blake, 136 S. Ct. 1850 (2016) ...................................................... 24 iv Case 2:20-cv-11053-MAG-RSW ECF No. 27 filed 05/12/20 PageID.1224 Page 7 of 53 Surles v. Andison, 678 F.3d 452 (6th Cir. 2012) ..................................... 25 Swain v. Junior, Case No. 20-11622-C, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 14301 (11th Cir. May 5, 2020) ....................................................... 32, 41 Valentine, et al. v. Collier, et al., Case No. 20-20207, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 12941 (5th Cir. Apr. 22, 2020) ............................ 23, 39, 41 Wagner v. Taylor, 836 F.2d 566 (D.C. Cir. 1987) .................................... 27 Williams v. Mehra, 186 F.3d 685 (6th Cir. 1999) ................................... 30 Statutes 18 U.S.C. § 3626(a)(1)-(2) ........................................................................ 37 18 U.S.C. § 3626(a)(2) .............................................................................. 24 18 U.S.C. § 3626(a)(3) .............................................................................. 37 18 U.S.C. § 3626(a)(3)(E)(i)-(ii) ............................................................... 37 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) ................................................................................ 24 Mich. Comp. Laws 791.233(1)(a) and 791.234 ........................................ 38 v Case 2:20-cv-11053-MAG-RSW ECF No. 27 filed 05/12/20 PageID.1225 Page 8 of 53 CONCISE STATEMENT OF ISSUE PRESENTED Where the MDOC has taken swift and comprehensive action to prevent