Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-arwd-2_06-cv-02037/USCOURTS-arwd-2_06-cv-02037-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

WESTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

FORT SMITH DIVISION

DUNCAN J. McNEIL, III PLAINTIFF

v. Civil No. 06-2037

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEFENDANT

O R D E R

Now on this 16th day of May, 2006, comes on for consideration

the Report And Recommendation Of The Magistrate Judge (document

#4), and plaintiff’s objections thereto (document #5), and from

said documents, the Court finds and orders as follows:

1. Plaintiff’s initial filing, which the Court will refer

to as a complaint, purports to be a collateral attack on various

orders denying him the right to file civil suits pursuant to 28

U.S.C. §1915. The Magistrate Judge reported that plaintiff is not

eligible for in forma pauperis status under that statute because

he has filed complaints in some seventy different judicial

districts and is a “seasoned vexatious litigant.” 

In the Report And Recommendation, the Magistrate Judge quoted

§1915(g), which provides in relevant part as follows:

In no event shall a prisoner bring a civil action . . .

under this section if the prisoner has, on 3 or more

prior occasions, while incarcerated or detained in any

facility, brought an action or appeal in a court of the

United States that was dismissed on the grounds that it

is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon

which relief may be granted, unless the prisoner is

under imminent danger of serious physical injury.

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2. Plaintiff objects that he should be allowed to go

forward with his case as a pauper because he is “presently under

imminent danger of serious physical injury, due to retaliation and

retribution for having exercised my constitutional rights. I am

in the ‘hole’ and my medications are being withheld in acts of

intentional indifference to my health, safety and welfare, in

violation of the 8th Amendment.” 

3. Plaintiff misperceives the loophole in §1915(g). If he

is in fact in imminent danger of serious physical injury because

of how his jailers in Spokane, Washington, are treating him,

§1915(g) will allow him the right, in spite of his “three strikes”

status, to file suit in forma pauperis for relief from the

endangering conditions. Higgins v. Carpenter, 258 F.3d 797 (8th

Cir. 2001)(§1915 “does not render frequent filer who cannot prepay

entire filing fee without means for asserting claims to prevent

grave bodily harm”). The statute does not, however, empower him

to continue to litigate the claims asserted before this Court in

forma pauperis. McAlphin v. Toney, 375 F.3d 753 (8th Cir. 2004).

This objection will, therefore, be overruled.

4. To the extent that plaintiff’s objection can be read as

an attempt to interject claims of imminent danger of serious

physical injury into the pending lawsuit, it must also be

rejected. Plaintiff is incarcerated in the Spokane County Jail,

Spokane, Washington, over which this Court has no jurisdiction.

5. Because plaintiff is precluded from filing any complaint

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in forma pauperis, the Court need not concern itself with his

other objections.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the Report And Recommendation Of

The Magistrate Judge is adopted in toto.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, for the reasons stated in the

Report And Recommendation Of The Magistrate Judge, plaintiff’s

application to proceed in forma pauperis in this matter is denied.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that plaintiff’s Complaint is

dismissed.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of Court collect the

$250.00 filing fee for this action pursuant to the Prison

Litigation Reform Act.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

 /s/ Jimm Larry Hendren 

JIMM LARRY HENDREN

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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