GANT
v.
MANATEE COUNTY CENTRAL JAIL
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
A jail is not a legal entity amenable to suit under Florida law, and a complaint naming only the jail as a defendant fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
Plaintiff, a prisoner, filed a civil rights complaint alleging he was beaten by officers at the Manatee County Jail and that the jail violated his Fou…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Legal Entity Status cases and more on FLexlaw
Plaintiff, a prisoner in the custody of the Manatee County Jail, initiated this action by filing a civil rights complaint (Doc. 1), and a motion to proceed in forma pauperis (Doc. 2). In his complaint Plaintiff alleges that on March 10, 2023, he was beaten by four officers at Manatee County Jail (MCJ). He contends MCJ violated his rights under the Fourteenth Amendment and seeks $50.5 million in damages and unspecified injunctive relief. After examining the complaint in accord with 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)1, the
1A prisoner who is allowed to proceed in forma pauperis in this Court will have his complaint screened in accordance with the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). This screening procedure requires the Court to dismiss a prisoner’s civil action prior to service of process if it determines that the complaint is frivolous, malicious, fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary damages from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(i)-(iii).
Court concludes that the complaint must be dismissed because it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. MCJ, the only named defendant (see Doc. 1 at 6), is not a legal entity amenable to suit. See Brannon v. Thomas County Jail, 280 F. App’x 930, 934 n.1 (11th Cir. 2008) (“County Jail is not an entity capable of being sued under Georgia law”); Maldonado v. Baker Cnty. Sheriff's Off, 513 F. Supp. 3d 1339, 1348 (M.D. Fla. 2021) (“[A] sheriff's office, jail, or detention center is not an entity subject to suit under Florida law.”). Accordingly, because Plaintiff seeks relief from a party that cannot be sued under Florida law, he fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, and the complaint must be dismissed. See Reyle v. Clay Cnty. Jail, 2018 WL 2197782, at *1 (M.D. Fla. May 14, 2018) (dismissal without prejudice warranted when only named defendant was the jail). Plaintiffs civil rights complaint (Doc. 1) is DISMISSED without prejudice for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Plaintiff may file a new lawsuit, with a new case number, against a defendant amenable to suit. The Clerk is directed to terminate any pending motions as moot, and close this case. ORDERED in Tampa, Florida, on July 18, 2023.
Chaene Cdhwardsa Mo TDA pl yell Charlene Edwards Honeywell United States District Judge
Copy to: Plaintiff, pro se
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
Ricketts v. Baker Cnty. Sheriff (M.D. Fla. 2025)…hether a party has the capacity to be sued. Dean v. Barber, 951 F.2d 1210, 1214 (11th Cir. 1992). Florida law has not established jail facilities as entities that are amenable to suit under § 1983. See, e.g., Maldonado v. Baker Cnty. Sheriff's Off., 513 F. Supp. 3d 1339, 1348 (M.D. Fla. 2021) (“[A] sheriff's office, jail, or detention center is not an entity subject to suit under Florida law.”). Therefore, Ricketts fails to state a claim against the Baker County Sheriff Facility. ---PAGE 5--- ³ The Court does not…
-
Cabrera v. Pasco Cnty. Jail (M.D. Fla. 2025)…1214 (11th Cir. 1992). The capacity to sue or be sued is determined by the law of the state in which the district court sits. Fed. R. Civ. P. 17(b). Under Florida law, a jail lacks the capacity to be sued. Maldonado v. Baker Cnty. Sheriff's Office, 513 F. Supp. 3d 1339, 1348 (M.D. Fla. 2021). Therefore, because the Pasco County Jail is not a legal entity amenable to suit, Mr. Cabrera cannot bring a § 1983 claim against it. Second, Mr. Cabrera fails to state a claim against NaphCare, a medical provider at the Pasc…
-
Dziadik v. Pinellas Cnty. Sheriff's Dep't (M.D. Fla. 2025)…a “county jail" or a "sheriff's department" is not a legal entity subject to suit. See, e.g., id. (“Sheriff's departments and police departments are not usually considered legal entities subject to suit[.]"); Maldonado v. Baker Cnty. Sheriff's Off., 513 F. Supp. 3d 1339, 1348 (M.D. Fla. 2021) (“[A] sheriff's office, jail, or detention center is not an entity subject to suit under Florida law."); Mann v. Hillsborough Cnty. Sheriff's Off., 946 F. Supp. 962, 970–71 (M.D. Fla. 1996); Bain v. Manatee Cnty. Jail, No. 8:2…
Previewing 3 of 4 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence