Josiah English, III v. House ( 2021 )


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  •                            NOT FOR PUBLICATION                           FILED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                       APR 28 2021
    MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
    U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
    JOSIAH ENGLISH III,                             No. 20-15969
    Plaintiff-      D.C. No. 2:19-cv-01087-GMS-JZB
    Appellant,
    v.                                             MEMORANDUM*
    HOUSE, First Name Unknown; et al.,
    Defendants-
    Appellees,
    and
    HUGHES, First Name Unknown; et al.,
    Defendants.
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the District of Arizona
    G. Murray Snow, District Judge, Presiding
    Submitted April 20, 2021**
    Before: THOMAS, Chief Judge, TASHIMA and SILVERMAN, Circuit Judges.
    *
    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).
    Josiah English III appeals pro se from the district court’s judgment
    dismissing his 
    42 U.S.C. § 1983
     action alleging constitutional claims arising from
    the violation of his attorney-client privilege. We have jurisdiction under 
    28 U.S.C. § 1291
    . We review de novo 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 English’s action because English failed
    to allege facts sufficient to state a plausible claim. See Hebbe v. Pliler, 
    627 F.3d 338
    , 341-42 (9th Cir. 2010) (although pro se pleadings are construed liberally, a
    plaintiff must present factual allegations sufficient to state a plausible claim for
    relief); see also Polk County v. Dodson, 
    454 U.S. 312
    , 317-19, 325 (1981) (a
    private attorney or a public defender does not act under color of state law within
    the meaning of § 1983); Monell v. Dep’t of Soc. Servs., 
    436 U.S. 658
    , 694 (1978)
    (municipal liability under § 1983 requires execution of policy or custom that
    inflicts plaintiff’s constitutional injury); Partington v. Gedan, 
    961 F.2d 852
    , 863
    (9th Cir. 1992) (attorney-client privilege is not a constitutional right except in the
    criminal context under the Sixth Amendment; a plaintiff must show that he was
    “substantially prejudiced”).
    AFFIRMED.
    2                                     20-15969