Kenneth Spradley v. Todd Barrere

670 F. App'x 195 (5th Cir. 2016) · United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · October 19, 2016 · No. 16-30042

Summary

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the Middle District of Louisiana's dismissal without prejudice of Kenneth Spradley's 42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint for failure to pay the filing fee after being barred from proceeding in forma pauperis under the three-strikes provision of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). The court held that Spradley abandoned any challenge to the stated basis for dismissal by failing to brief it and denied all outstanding motions.

Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Writing for the Court
Per Curiam; Edith H. Jones; Wiener; Clement
Jurisdiction
Federal
Decision date
October 19, 2016
Docket number
16-30042
Procedural posture
Appeal from the district court's dismissal without prejudice of a prisoner’s 42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint for failure to comply with an order requiring payment of the filing fee.
Standard of review
Abuse of discretion review applies to a dismissal for failure to prosecute or failure to comply with a court order.
Precedential value
Unpublished and nonprecedential under 5th Cir. R. 47.5, except under limited circumstances described in Rule 47.5.4.
Parties
Kenneth Spradley v. Todd Barrere, Donald Johnson, Craig White
Disposition
affirmed

Topics

appellate procedurecivil procedurestandard of reviewsection 1983prisoners rights

Practice areas

Civil rightsAppellate procedurePrisoner litigation

Questions Presented

  1. Whether the district court abused its discretion by dismissing Spradley's § 1983 action without prejudice after he failed to comply with the order requiring payment of the filing fee.

Holdings

  1. The district court did not abuse its discretion by dismissing Spradley's action without prejudice after he failed to comply with the order requiring payment of the initial filing fee.

Key quotations

By failing to brief any argument challenging the district court’s reason for dismissal, Spradley has abandoned the issue. (670 F. App'x at 195)

Factual background

Kenneth Spradley, a Louisiana prisoner, filed a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint and sought to proceed in forma pauperis. The district court concluded that the three-strikes provision barred him from proceeding in forma pauperis and ordered him to pay the filing fee within 21 days. Spradley failed to pay and did not challenge that failure on appeal.

Procedural history

The Middle District of Louisiana determined that Spradley was barred from proceeding in forma pauperis under the three-strikes provision of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g) and ordered him to pay the filing fee within 21 days. Spradley did not comply, and the district court dismissed the action without prejudice. The Fifth Circuit affirmed.

Court Document

Open PDF
Loading document…