Alexander v. City of New York

Background

Zion Alexander, who is incarcerated at George R. Vierno Center on Rikers Island, brought this lawsuit without a lawyer under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a federal law allowing claims against state or local officials for violating federal rights. He originally sued the City of New York and Rhodina Lynn Williams, M.D. The court construed his complaint as also asserting claims against correction officers Reynolds and Kowonda and Physician Affiliate Group of New York, P.C., which appeared to be Williams’s employer.

The City and correction officer Reynolds returned executed waivers of service. Kowonda’s waiver was returned unexecuted because no employee matching that name was employed by the agency. The court referred to the rule that a person representing himself in court is entitled to the court’s help identifying a defendant when the complaint provides enough information to do so.

Order

The court found that Alexander’s complaint supplied sufficient information for the New York City Department of Correction to identify the officer Alexander described as Kowonda. It ordered the New York City Law Department, identified as the attorney for and agent of the Department of Correction, to ascertain Kowonda’s identity and provide that information to Alexander and the court within 30 days of the order. Judge Arun Subramanian directed the Clerk of Court to notify the Department of Correction and the Law Department. The order did not decide the merits of Alexander’s civil-rights claims.