Watson v. P.O. John Doe #1
- Laura Swain
- 1:24-cv-09765
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Mark Watson v. P.O. John Doe #1, Judge Carter ordered officials to identify two unnamed officers before the case proceeds.
Mark Watson; the unidentified correctional officers he seeks to sue; the New York City Department of Correction; and the New York City Law Department.
What happened
Mark Watson, who is incarcerated and represents himself, sued three unidentified correctional defendants under a federal civil-rights law. He alleges that he was injured in a September 23, 2024, vehicle accident while two New York City correctional officers transported him to court.
The court directed the New York City Department of Correction and the New York City Law Department to identify the two officers, provide their badge numbers and service addresses, and give that information to Watson and the court within 60 days. Watson must then file an amended complaint naming the identified individuals within 30 days after receiving the information.
The order did not decide whether Watson’s claims are valid. Judge Carter directed the Clerk to notify the agencies and mail Watson an information package; the court will screen any amended complaint after it is filed.
The detailed version
- Watson v. P.O. John Doe #1 · No. 1:24-cv-09765
- Laura Swain
- Oct. 27, 2025
Background
Mark Watson, who is incarcerated at Elmira Correctional Facility, is proceeding without a lawyer and without paying the filing fee. He brought the action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a federal law that allows claims for violations of constitutional rights by state or local officials. Watson alleges that he was injured in a motor-vehicle accident in Bronx County on September 23, 2024, while two unidentified New York City Department of Correction officers were transporting him from Elmira to a court proceeding in Queens County.
The complaint names P.O. John Doe #1, C.O. John Doe #2, and Captain John Doe. The opinion states that the complaint appears to provide enough information for the Department of Correction to identify the two officers involved in the incident.
Court’s action
Relying on a Second Circuit procedure that assists self-represented litigants in identifying unnamed defendants, the court directed the Clerk to notify the Department of Correction and the New York City Law Department. The court directed the Law Department, described in the opinion as the Department of Correction’s attorney and agent, to determine the identity, badge number, and service address of each unidentified defendant Watson seeks to sue. The Law Department must provide that information to Watson and the court within 60 days of the order.
Watson must file an amended complaint naming the identified individuals within 30 days after receiving the information. The amended complaint will replace, rather than supplement, the original complaint. The court stated that it will screen the amended complaint and, if necessary, issue an order asking the newly identified defendants to waive service.
Disposition and significance
The order does not decide the merits of Watson’s claims and does not state that any defendant is liable. It directs agency notification and assistance in identifying defendants and sets deadlines for further filings. The Clerk was also directed to mail Watson an information package.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.