Kendrick v. CNN Inc. and CNN Corporation

Summary

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana dismissed DeAndre L. Kendrick’s prisoner complaint against CNN Inc. and CNN Corporation under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A. The court held that the complaint’s allegations were factually frivolous and denied leave to amend as futile.

Holdings

1. A district court may dismiss a prisoner complaint at the screening stage as factually frivolous when its factual allegations are clearly baseless, irrational, fanciful, fantastic, or wholly incredible. Kendrick's allegations were not credible and therefore warranted dismissal.
2. Leave to amend may be denied when amendment would be futile, and amendment would be futile here because the complaint's factual basis was not credible.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the prisoner's complaint should be dismissed at the screening stage under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A because its factual allegations were clearly baseless and factually frivolous.
2. Whether the plaintiff should be granted leave to amend the complaint.

Disposition

dismissed