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Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 

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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 14-30941

Summary Calendar

ALFRED TREADWELL,

Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

ST. TAMMANY PARISH JAIL; GREGORY LONGINO, Major; RODNEY J. 

STRAIN, JR., Sheriff; R. DEMAREE INGLESE, Doctor,

Defendants-Appellees

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Eastern District of Louisiana

USDC No. 2:13-CV-5889

Before REAVLEY, DENNIS, and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Alfred Treadwell, Louisiana prisoner # 94339, appeals the district court’s 

determination that his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint, in which he alleged that 

the defendants exhibited deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs 

and subjected him to unnecessary and wanton pain, was frivolous and failed to 

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

April 8, 2015

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 

Case: 14-30941 Document: 00512997383 Page: 1 Date Filed: 04/08/2015
No. 14-30941

state a claim for which relief may be granted. The district court concluded that 

the claims raised in the complaint were time barred.

Treadwell contends that the district court erred in concluding that his 

complaint was untimely. He suggests that the district court should not have 

applied the one-year statute of limitations that Louisiana applies to personal 

injuries but rather the three-year statute of limitations that applies to acts of 

malpractice involving cases of fraud. Treadwell further indicates that he was 

impeded from accessing the court to file his complaint. Our review is de novo. 

Geiger v. Jowers, 404 F.3d 371, 373 (5th Cir. 2005).

There is no federal statute of limitations for actions brought pursuant to 

§ 1983, and, thus, the applicable limitations period is determined by reference 

to the forum state’s statute regarding personal injury claims. See Wallace v. 

Kato, 549 U.S. 384, 387 (2007); Owens v. Okure, 488 U.S. 235, 249-50 (1989). 

In Louisiana, the applicable statute is Louisiana Civil Code article 3492, which 

provides for a one-year prescriptive period from the date of injury or damage; 

Louisiana has no other prescriptive period for personal injury claims. Elzy v. 

Roberson, 868 F.2d 793, 794-95 (5th Cir. 1989). Thus, Treadwell’s claim lacks 

merit. 

Treadwell’s assertion that he was unable to file a timely § 1983 complaint 

because he could not access the courts is also unavailing. His contention is 

conclusory; he does not explain the basis for his claim or identify any error in 

the district court’s determination that his various pleadings indicate that he, 

in fact, could access the courts. Thus, Treadwell has not briefed this claim with 

the requisite specificity or otherwise identified a basis for relief. See Yohey v. 

Collins, 985 F.2d 222, 224-25 (5th Cir. 1993); FED. R. APP. P. 28(a). 

Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.

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Case: 14-30941 Document: 00512997383 Page: 2 Date Filed: 04/08/2015