Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-04-01346/USCOURTS-ca8-04-01346-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 540
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Mandamus and Other
Cause of Action: 

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United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 04-1346

___________

Kenneth L. Taylor, *

*

Appellant, *

*

Bobby W. Hunt, *

*

Plaintiff, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Eastern District of Arkansas.

Jeannie L. Denniston, Conway County; *

Ray Coffman, Conway County Sheriff's * [UNPUBLISHED]

Department; Jack Cupp, Conway *

County Sheriff's Department; Carolyn *

Gadberry, Conway County Court *

House; Joe Kelly Hardin; Jerry Don *

Ramey; Conway County; Conway *

County Sheriff Department, *

*

Appellees. *

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Submitted: November 5, 2004 

Filed: November 10, 2004

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Before RILEY, FAGG, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Appellate Case: 04-1346 Page: 1 Date Filed: 11/10/2004 Entry ID: 1832502 
1

The Honorable G. Thomas Eisele, United States District Judge for the Eastern

District of Arkansas.

-2-

Arkansas prisoner Kenneth Taylor (Taylor) appeals the district court’s1

dismissal of his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action arising out of defendants’ alleged denial of

his Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and forgery of his name on

documents. Taylor claimed violations of his civil rights. Taylor seeks to proceed on

appeal in forma pauperis (IFP).

After careful review of the record, we conclude Taylor’s FOIA claim is not

cognizable under section 1983 because it implicates only state law. See Walker v.

Reed, 104 F.3d 156, 157 (8th Cir. 1997) (to state cognizable claim under § 1983,

plaintiff must allege defendant, acting under color of state law, deprived plaintiff of

right, privilege, or immunity secured by constitution or laws of United States). As to

the forgery, to the extent Taylor is advancing more than a state-law claim of forgery

per se and is claiming his conviction was obtained fraudulently through forgery, such

a claim is barred by Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477, 483, 486-87 (1994) (claims for

monetary damages that call into question lawfulness of conviction or confinement are

not cognizable under § 1983 unless conviction or sentence is overturned).

Accordingly, we grant IFP status on appeal and affirm, but we modify the

dismissal to be without prejudice so Taylor may pursue whatever remedies may be

available to him in state court.

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Appellate Case: 04-1346 Page: 2 Date Filed: 11/10/2004 Entry ID: 1832502