Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca7-15-01036/USCOURTS-ca7-15-01036-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 560
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Civil Detainee - Conditions of Confinement
Cause of Action: 

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NONPRECEDENTIAL DISPOSITION

To be cited only in accordance with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1

United States Court of Appeals

For the Seventh Circuit

Chicago, Illinois 60604

Argued January 21, 2016

Decided September 14, 2016

Before

RICHARD A. POSNER, Circuit Judge

FRANK H. EASTERBROOK, Circuit Judge

MICHAEL S. KANNE, Circuit Judge

No. 15-1036

TIMOTHY BELL,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.

EUGENE MCADORY, et al.,

Defendants-Appellees.

Appeal from the United 

States District Court for 

the Central District of 

Illinois.

No. 12-3138-CSB-DGB

Colin S. Bruce, Judge.

Order

Our opinion of last April directed the district court to treat post-judgment 

papers that Timothy Bell had filed there as a motion under Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(5) 

for additional time to appeal. The district judge now has done so and, in an order 

dated September 6, has found that Bell lacks excusable neglect or good cause for 

not filing a timely appeal.

Case: 15-1036 Document: 58 Filed: 09/14/2016 Pages: 2
No. 15-1036 Page 2

Our review of such a decision is deferential, see Pioneer Investment Services 

Co. v. Brunswick Associates LP, 507 U.S. 380 (1993), and we do not see any problem 

in the district court’s disposition. The judge stressed that his order on the merits 

had itself informed Bell that he must appeal within 30 days of “the entry of 

judgment”, so that even if imprisoned litigants are apt to misunderstand the 

Appellate Rules, Bell knew the deadline. His contention that another inmate had 

told him that time is calculated from a decision’s receipt in the prison, rather 

than its entry in the district court, cannot justify disregarding information 

provided directly by the court. Bell’s delay therefore lacks a good cause and 

cannot be attributed “excusable” neglect. Accordingly, we dismiss Bell’s appeal 

for lack of appellate jurisdiction.

Case: 15-1036 Document: 58 Filed: 09/14/2016 Pages: 2