Goyer v. Ashe "Camp Admin" United States of America

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Tennessee
DecidedJanuary 16, 2024
Docket2:21-cv-02059
StatusUnknown

This text of Goyer v. Ashe "Camp Admin" United States of America (Goyer v. Ashe "Camp Admin" United States of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Goyer v. Ashe "Camp Admin" United States of America, (W.D. Tenn. 2024).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE WESTERN DIVISION

BRYAN GOYER, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) vs. ) No. 21-cv-2059-JTF-atc ) B. ASHE “CAMP ADMIN” and THE UNITED ) STATES OF AMERICA, ) ) Defendants. )

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME TO AMEND (ECF NO. 7) DENYING MOTION FOR LEAVE TO APPEAL IN FORMA PAUPERIS (ECF NO. 7); DISMISSING THE AMENDED COMPLAINT (ECF NO. 8) WITH PREJUDICE; CERTIFYING AN APPEAL WOULD NOT BE TAKEN IN GOOD FAITH; NOTIFYING GOYER OF THE APPELLATE FILING FEE; AND NOTIFYING GOYER OF THE COURT’S STRIKE RECOMMENDATION PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g)

Before the Court are pro se Plaintiff Bryan Goyer’s: (1) “Motion To File Timely Appeal And Motion For Extension Of Time … To Amend”, which he filed on May 1, 2023 (ECF No. 7 (“May 1 Motion”)); and (2) “Motion To Amend Claims”, which he filed on May 5, 2023. (ECF No. 8 (“May 5 Motion”).) For the reasons explained below: (1) the May 1 Motion (ECF No. 7) is DENIED to the extent Goyer seeks leave to appeal in forma pauperis the Court’s April 4, 2023 “Order Dismissing The Complaint With Prejudice In Part And Without Prejudice In Part And Granting Leave To Amend The Claims Dismissed Without Prejudice” (ECF No. 6 (“Screening Order”)); (2) the May 1 Motion (ECF No. 7) is GRANTED to the extent Goyer seeks an extension of time to amend the complaint’s claims that the Court dismissed without prejudice in the Screening Order; (3) the May 5 Motion, which is construed as an amended complaint (ECF No. 8 “Amended Complaint”), is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE for failure to allege facts stating a claim to relief; and (4) leave to amend the Amended Complaint is DENIED. I. BACKGROUND The factual and procedural background of the case is set forth in the Screening Order,

which dismissed the complaint (ECF No. 1) with prejudice in part and without prejudice in part. (See ECF No. 6 at PageID 26-27.) In the Screening Order, the Court granted leave to amend, within twenty-one (21) days, Goyer’s claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. § 261, et seq. (“FTCA”) against Defendant United States of America (“USA”) arising (1) from the Incident1 and (2) from alleged malpractice during the period January 20, 2018 through January 19, 2021 (referred to as the “Claim Dismissed Without Prejudice”). (Id. at PageID 39.) Pursuant to the Screening Order, Goyer’s deadline to amend the Claim Dismissed Without Prejudice was Tuesday, April 25, 2023. On April 4, 2023, the Clerk of Court mailed the Screening Order to Goyer at the Federal Correctional Institute in Milan, Michigan (“FCI-Milan”).2

II. THE MAY 1 MOTION A. Request For Extension Of Time To Amend In the May 1 Motion, Goyer “asks the Court for an extension of time to amend his complaint due to late notification of … [the] Court’s [Screening Order] decision.” (ECF No. 7 at PageID 42.) Goyer alleges that he received the Screening Order on April 21, 2023. (Id. at PageID 41.)

1 See ECF No. 6 at PageID 26.

2 See ECF No. 5 (Goyer’s January 4, 2023 letter notifying the Court of Goyer’s facility transfer to the FCI-Milan). For good cause shown, the Court GRANTS the May 1 Motion (ECF No. 7) to the extent Goyer seeks an extension of time to amend the Claim Dismissed Without Prejudice. The May 5 Motion (ECF 8) is construed as Goyer’s amendment of the Claim Dismissed Without Prejudice. The instant Order will screen the Amended Complaint (ECF No. 8) pursuant to the Prison Litigation Reform Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915, et seq. (“PLRA”).

B. Request For Leave To Appeal The Screening Order In the May 1 Motion, Goyer also seeks to “file timely appeal with prejudice in part [sic].” (ECF No. 7 at PageID 41.) Goyer’s request is construed as an application seeking leave to appeal in forma pauperis the Screening Order’s dismissal of the Claims Dismissed With Prejudice. For two reasons, Goyer’s request is not well taken. First, the Screening Order’s dismissal of the complaint with leave to amend is neither an appealable final order nor an appealable interlocutory or collateral order. The dismissal of an action without prejudice may be appealable. See 28 U.S.C. § 1291 (“The court of appeals shall have jurisdiction of appeals from all final decisions of the district

courts of the United States”). The appealability inquiry turns on whether a dismissal without prejudice constitutes a final order under § 1291. Azar v. Conley, 480 F.2d 220, 222-23 (6th Cir. 1973) (internal citations omitted). “For a dismissal without prejudice to be inherently final, it must, as a practical matter, prevent the parties from further litigating the merits of the case in federal court.” Robert N. Clemens Tr. v. Morgan Stanley DW, Inc., 485 F.3d 840, 845 (6th Cir. 2007) (internal citation omitted). “Courts of appeals have uniformly held that an order dismissing a complaint is not a final order when it is possible for a plaintiff to file an amended complaint resurrecting the lawsuit.” Network Commc'n v. Mich. Bell Tel. Co., 906 F.2d 237, 238 (6th Cir. 1990) (citing cases). The Screening Order is not an appealable final decision because the Court “dismiss[ed] [the] complaint, as opposed to [the] action.” See Thompson v. Mich. Dep’t of Corr., 23 F. App’x 486, 487-88 (6th Cir. 2001). The Screening Order did not, “as a practical matter, prevent the parties from further litigating the merits of the case in federal court.” See United States v. Yeager, 303 F.3d 661, 664 (6th Cir. 2002). The Screening Order is a non-appealable nonfinal order because the Court granted leave to amend the complaint (ECF No. 6 at PageID 39-40) and

did “not ... enter[ ] a final judgment.” See Clemens, 485 F.3d at 845. Second, the May 1 Motion would not, in any event, satisfy the requirements of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal. To ensure access to the courts, 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) permits an indigent plaintiff to avoid payment of filing fees by filing an in forma pauperis affidavit. Under that section: any court of the United States may authorize the commencement, prosecution or defense of any suit, action or proceeding, civil or criminal, or appeal therein, without prepayment of fees or security therefor, by a person who submits an affidavit that includes a statement of all assets such prisoner possesses that the person is unable to pay such fees or give security therefor. Such affidavit shall state the nature of the action, defense or appeal and affiant's belief that the person is entitled to redress.

28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). The Court must conduct a satisfactory inquiry into a plaintiff’s ability to pay the filing fee and prosecute the lawsuit. Id. A plaintiff seeking in forma pauperis standing must respond fully to the questions on the Court’s in forma pauperis form3 and execute the affidavit in compliance with the certification requirements in 28 U.S.C.

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Goyer v. Ashe "Camp Admin" United States of America, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goyer-v-ashe-camp-admin-united-states-of-america-tnwd-2024.