Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-06-02648/USCOURTS-ca8-06-02648-0/pdf.json

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

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United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 06-2648

___________

John P. Ponder, *

*

Appellant, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Eastern District of Arkansas.

Leroy Brownlee, Arkansas Post Prison *

Transfer Board; Larry Zeno, Arkansas *

Post Prison Transfer Board; William * [UNPUBLISHED]

Walker, Arkansas Post Prison Transfer *

Board; John Felts, Arkansas Post Prison *

Transfer Board; Carolyn Robinson, *

Arkansas Post Prison Transfer Board; *

John Belken, Arkansas Post Prison *

Transfer Board; Erma Hendrix, *

Arkansas Post Prison Transfer Board; *

Michael D. Huckabee, Governor, *

State of Arkansas, *

*

Appellees. *

___________

Submitted: June 28, 2007

Filed: July 5, 2007

___________

Before BYE, COLLOTON, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Appellate Case: 06-2648 Page: 1 Date Filed: 07/05/2007 Entry ID: 3326195
-2-

John Ponder appeals the district court’s 28 U.S.C. § 1915A pre-service

dismissal without prejudice of his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action claiming that a change in

clemency guidelines constituted an ex post facto violation. We grant Ponder’s motion

to appeal in forma pauperis, and, upon de novo review, we reverse. See Cooper v.

Schriro, 189 F.3d 781, 783 (8th Cir. 1999) (per curiam) (standard of review). While

the district court found that Ponder’s claim should be brought in a habeas action, we

find that his claim was cognizable in a section 1983 action, as success on the claim

would not necessarily spell a speedier release, but would at most speed consideration

of his clemency application. See Wilkinson v. Dotson, 544 U.S. 74, 82 (2005).

Accordingly, we remand to the district court for consideration of Ponder’s claim on

the merits.

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Appellate Case: 06-2648 Page: 2 Date Filed: 07/05/2007 Entry ID: 3326195