Joshua I. Martinez v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections

── Joshua I. Martinez v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections ── Case No.: 24-12000 Court: Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Date: March 31, 2026 Category: NEW USCA11 Case: 24-12000 Document: 62-1 Date Filed: 03/31/2026 Page: 1 of 6 NOT FOR PUBLICATION In the United States Court of Appeals For the Eleventh Circuit ____________________ No. 24-12000 Non-Argument Calendar ____________________ JOSHUA I. MARTINEZ, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus MAYO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, Defendant, SECRETARY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, Defendant-Appellee. ____________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida D.C. Docket No. 1:24-cv-00021-MW-MAF ____________________ Before JILL PRYOR, BRANCH, and TJOFLAT, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: USCA11 Case: 24-12000 Document: 62-1 Date Filed: 03/31/2026 Page: 2 of 6 2 Opinion of the Court 24-12000 Joshua Martinez, a prisoner at Mayo Correctional Institute (“MCI”), appeals the District Court’s dismissal of his complaint al- leging violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Reviewing the District Court’s order dismissing the com- plaint de novo, we find that Martinez failed to plead factual allega- tions sufficient to sustain a claim that is plausible on its face. Ac- cordingly, we affirm. I. On December 10, 2013, Martinez was found guilty of sexual battery on a person less than 12 years of age and sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment followed by 20 years of sex offender proba- tion. While serving his initial sentence, Martinez was found guilty of “preventing or obstructing extinguishment of fire” in violation of Fla. Stat. § 806.10(1) and damaging a sexually violent predator detention or commitment facility in violation of Fla. Stat. § 806.13(5). For these offenses, Martinez was sentenced to an addi- tional 8 years’ imprisonment, with a tentative release date of July 6, 2029. On January 23, 2024, Martinez filed an informal grievance with the MCI mental health division. In his informal grievance, Martinez stated that he was informed that he could not attend sex- offender therapy until he was within twelve months of release. He was especially concerned that his failure to participate in sex of- fender treatment would negatively affect his chance of early re- lease. USCA11 Case: 24-12000 Document: 62-1 Date Filed: 03/31/2026 Page: 3 of 6 24-12000 Opinion of the Court 3 In response, an MCI official informed Martinez that because he had approximately five years left on his sentence, he was not within the time period for the program, and therefore ineligible to participate. However, the official assured him that not participating in the program would not reflect negatively on him since he was not eligible to participate. Martinez brought this action in the Northern District of Florida seeking a declaration that, among other things, the prison’s policy to delay sex-offender treatment until twelve months from release is invidious discrimination in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The District Court dis