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Case Name
Ngo v. Woodford
PC-CA-0039
Docket / Court
5:01-cv-20674-JF ( N.D. Cal. )
State/Territory
California
Case Type(s)
Prison Conditions
Case Summary
On July 18, 2001, a California state inmate housed at San Quentin filed a § 1983 action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that challenged restrictions placed on his participation in special prison programs, including religious programs. The restrictions followed a ...
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On July 18, 2001, a California state inmate housed at San Quentin filed a § 1983 action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that challenged restrictions placed on his participation in special prison programs, including religious programs. The restrictions followed a period of administrative segregation for allegedly engaging in "inappropriate activity" in the prison chapel. The plaintiff initially filed a grievance with California prison officials, but it was rejected as untimely under state law, as it was filed eight months after the restrictions were placed into effect. His federal court suit followed. The plaintiff claimed that the restrictions violated his First Amendment rights to free speech and the free exercise of his religion. He also claimed that the restrictions lessened his chances for parole eligibility.
The defendants filed to dismiss the case on January 27, 2003. On May 5, the district court granted dismissal of the case for failure to exhaust all administrative remedies as required by the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). The plaintiff appealed.
On March 24, 2005, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed (Judges Pregerson, Kozinski, and Rhoades). The court held that the plaintiff had exhausted administrative remedies simply because no remedies remained available to him. Ngo v. Woodford, 403 F.3d 620 (9th Cir. 2005). The defendant's petition for rehearing en banc was denied. But, the defendants' filed a petition for certiorari to the Supreme Court, which was granted in November 2005.
The U.S. Supreme Court (Justice Samuel Alito) reversed and remanded the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, holding that the PLRA exhaustion requirement required "proper exhaustion" and that plaintiff's filing an untimely or otherwise procedurally defective administrative grievance did not satisfy the exhaustion requirement. Mere unavailability of remedies is insufficient to exhaust under the PLRA. Woodford v. Ngo, 126 S.Ct. 2378 (2006).
On remand, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Judges Pregerson, Kozinski, and Bybee) held that, because the plaintiff did not appeal his restriction within the fifteen-day statute of limitations, he had not exhausted the administrative remedies available to him. As a result, the plaintiff could not sue in federal court. The Ninth Circuit also rejected the plaintiff's argument that fifteen days did not provide him with a meaningful opportunity to to exhaust his administrative remedies, stating that, even if they were to "double or triple the 15-day period, [the plaintiff] would still come nowhere close to meeting the deadline."
The case is now closed.
Dan Dalton - 10/16/2007
Cianan Lesley - 02/25/2019
compress summary
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Issues and Causes of Action
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Issues
Constitutional Clause
Free Exercise Clause
Freedom of speech/association
Defendant-type
Corrections
General
Administrative segregation
Disciplinary procedures
Grievance Procedures
Rehabilitation
Religious programs / policies
Plaintiff Type
Private Plaintiff
Type of Facility
Government-run
Causes of Action
42 U.S.C. § 1983
Case Details
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Defendant(s)
California Department of Corrections
Plaintiff Description
California state prisoner challenging restrictions on his participation in special programs.
Class action status sought
No
Class action status granted
No
Filed Pro Se
Yes
Prevailing Party
Defendant
Public Int. Lawyer
No
Nature of Relief
None
Source of Relief
None
Filed
07/18/2001
Case Closing Year
2008
Case Ongoing
No
Additional Resources
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The Oyez Project, Woodford v. Ngo, 548 U.S. ___ (2006).
www.oyez.org
Date: Jun. 22, 2006
By: Oyez Project (IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law)
[ Detail ]
[ External Link ]
Documents
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Court
Docket(s)
U.S. Supreme Court
08/01/2006
05-416
PC-CA-0039-9002.pdf
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Detail
Source: Supreme Court website
U.S. Court of Appeals
09/12/2008
03-16042
PC-CA-0039-9001.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
N.D. Cal.
02/06/2009
5:01-cv-20674-JF
PC-CA-0039-9000.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
General Documents
U.S. Court of Appeals
03/24/2005
Appellate Opinion (Ninth Circuit)
(403 F.3d 620)
PC-CA-0039-0011.pdf
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WESTLAW
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LEXIS
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Detail
Source: Google Scholar
U.S. Supreme Court
11/14/2005
Petition for a Writ of Certiorari Granted
(546 U.S. 1015)
PC-CA-0039-0013.pdf
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WESTLAW
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LEXIS
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Detail
Source: Westlaw
U.S. Supreme Court
12/29/2005
Brief for Petitioners
PC-CA-0039-0001.pdf
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
12/29/2005
Brief of the States of New York, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, et al. as Amici Curiae in Support of the Petitioners
PC-CA-0039-0010.pdf
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
02/01/2006
Brief for the United States as Amicus Curiae Supporting Petitioners
PC-CA-0039-0004.pdf
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
02/01/2006
Brief for Amici Curiae Law Professors in Support of Respondent
PC-CA-0039-0005.pdf
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
02/01/2006
Brief of the American Bar Association as Amicus Curiae in Support of Respondent
PC-CA-0039-0007.pdf
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
02/02/2006
Brief for Respondent Viet Mike Ngo
PC-CA-0039-0002.pdf
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
02/02/2006
Brief for the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization of the Yale Law School as Amicus Curiae in Support of Respondent
PC-CA-0039-0006.pdf
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
02/02/2006
Brief of the ACLU, ACLU of Northern California, Legal Aid Society of the City of New York, Ohio Justice and Policy Center, Prison Law Office, Prisoners' Legal Services of New York, and the Uptown People's Law Center as Amici Curiae
PC-CA-0039-0008.pdf
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
02/21/2006
Order: Leave to Participate in Oral Argument Granted
(546 U.S. 1167)
PC-CA-0039-0012.pdf
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WESTLAW
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LEXIS
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
03/09/2006
Reply Brief for Petitioners
PC-CA-0039-0003.pdf
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
03/22/2006
Oral Argument Before the U.S. Supreme Court
PC-CA-0039-0009.pdf
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Detail
U.S. Supreme Court
06/22/2006
Supreme Court Opinion
(548 U.S. 81)
PC-CA-0039-0014.pdf
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WESTLAW
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LEXIS
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Detail
Source: Westlaw
N.D. Cal.
09/12/2008
Opinion [ECF# 35]
(539 F.3d 1108)
PC-CA-0039-0015.pdf
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WESTLAW
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LEXIS
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
People
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Judges
Alito, Samuel A. Jr.
(Third Circuit, SCOTUS)
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PC-CA-0039-0014
Breyer, Stephen Gerald
(First Circuit, SCOTUS)
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PC-CA-0039-0014
Bybee, Jay S
Court not on record
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0015
Fogel, Jeremy D.
(N.D. Cal.)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-9000
Ginsburg, Ruth Bader
(D.C. Circuit, SCOTUS)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0014
Kennedy, Anthony McLeod
(Ninth Circuit, SCOTUS)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0014
Kozinski, Alex
(Ninth Circuit)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0011 | PC-CA-0039-0015
Pregerson, Harry
(C.D. Cal., Ninth Circuit)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0011 | PC-CA-0039-0015
Rhoades, John Skylstead Sr.
(S.D. Cal.)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0011
Roberts, John Glover Jr.
(D.C. Circuit, SCOTUS)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0014
Scalia, Antonin
(D.C. Circuit, SCOTUS)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0014
Souter, David Hackett
(First Circuit, SCOTUS)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0014
Stevens, John Paul
(Seventh Circuit, SCOTUS)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0014
Thomas, Clarence
(D.C. Circuit, SCOTUS)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0014
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Ayer, Donald B.
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0002 | PC-CA-0039-0014
Bushman, Kate
(New York)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0002 | PC-CA-0039-0014
Davis, Thomas J.
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0002 | PC-CA-0039-0014
Feder, Meir
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0002 | PC-CA-0039-0009 | PC-CA-0039-0011 | PC-CA-0039-0014 | PC-CA-0039-9000 | PC-CA-0039-9001 | PC-CA-0039-9002
Morse, Charles R. A.
(New York)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0002 | PC-CA-0039-0014
Defendant's Lawyers
Grunder, Frances T.
(California)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0001 | PC-CA-0039-0003 | PC-CA-0039-0014
Humes, James M.
(California)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0001 | PC-CA-0039-0003 | PC-CA-0039-0014
Lockyer, Bill
(California)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0001 | PC-CA-0039-0003 | PC-CA-0039-0014
Madeiros, Manuel M.
(California)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0001 | PC-CA-0039-0003 | PC-CA-0039-0014
Patterson, Thomas S.
(California)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0001 | PC-CA-0039-0003 | PC-CA-0039-0014
Perkell, Jennifer G.
(California)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0001 | PC-CA-0039-0003 | PC-CA-0039-0009 | PC-CA-0039-0011 | PC-CA-0039-0014 | PC-CA-0039-9000 | PC-CA-0039-9001 | PC-CA-0039-9002
Roost, Kenneth
(California)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-9001
Other Lawyers
Alexander, Elizabeth R.
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0008
Banks, Steven
(New York)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0008
Clement, Paul D.
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0004 | PC-CA-0039-9002
Dearing, Richard
(New York)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0010
Easton, Robert H.
(New York)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0010
Fathi, David Cyrus
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0008
Garre, Gregory G.
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0004
Greco, Michael S.
(Illinois)
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PC-CA-0039-0007 | PC-CA-0039-9002
Halligan, Caitlin J.
(New York)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0010 | PC-CA-0039-9002
Herwig, Barbara L.
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0004
Himmelfarb, Dan
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0004 | PC-CA-0039-0009 | PC-CA-0039-0014 | PC-CA-0039-9002
Keisler, Peter D.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-CA-0039-0004
Lidsky, Isaac J.
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0004
Roosevelt, Kermit
(Pennsylvania)
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PC-CA-0039-0005 | PC-CA-0039-9002
Schlanger, Margo
(Missouri)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0008 | PC-CA-0039-9002
Shapiro, Steven R.
(New York)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0008
Shay, Giovanna
(District of Columbia)
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PC-CA-0039-0006 | PC-CA-0039-9002
Spitzer, Eliot
(New York)
show/hide docs
PC-CA-0039-0010
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