Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-15-40704/USCOURTS-ca5-15-40704-0/pdf.json

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

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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 15-40704

Summary Calendar

JEROLD WILLIAMS,

Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA; SANTOS MONTEZ,

Defendants-Appellees

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ALEJANDRO AVILA

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

ANGEL DAVILA; TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL - JUSTICE 

CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS DIVISION,

 Defendants-Appellees

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United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

May 24, 2016

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

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No. 15-40704

2

JOSHUA MAZIQUE BURTON

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; SANTOS O. MONTEZ; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

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XAVIER COOPER

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

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JULIUS TIMOTHY DAWSON

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

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No. 15-40704

3

JEROME DEGREE

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

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NICHOLAS D. GRAVES; JOSHUA BURTON,

 Plaintiffs-Appellants

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 

 Defendants-Appellees

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LEON HARPER

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

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No. 15-40704

4

BENJAMIN D. MARTIN

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

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BILLY WAYNE MORGAN

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TROY D. RECTOR

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

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No. 15-40704

5

ELIAZAR M. RINCON

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

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JAMES EARL SADBERRY

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

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ANTONIO SHELVIN

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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No. 15-40704

6

BENJAMIN VALLIE

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

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JOSEPH A. WHITFIELD

 Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CORRECTIONAL 

INSTITUTIONS DIVISION; ANGEL DAVILA,

 Defendants-Appellees

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. 3:11-CV-313

USDC No. 3:11-CV-316

USDC No. 3:11-CV-317

USDC No. 3:11-CV-318

USDC No. 3:11-CV-320

USDC No. 3:11-CV-321

USDC No. 3:11-CV-322

USDC No. 3:11-CV-325

USDC No. 3:11-CV-327

USDC No. 3:11-CV-328

USDC No. 3:11-CV-329

USDC No. 3:11-CV-339

USDC No. 3:11-CV-342

USDC No. 3:11-CV-346

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No. 15-40704

7

USDC No. 3:11-CV-347

USDC No. 3:11-CV-348

Before STEWART, Chief Judge, and DAVIS and GRAVES, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Sixteen Texas state prisoners filed separate civil rights complaints in 

state court against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional 

Institutions Divisions (TDCJ) and Correctional Officers Santos Montez and 

Angel Davila. The cases were removed to federal court and consolidated by the 

district court for pretrial and, if needed, trial purposes. The district court 

granted the defendants’ motions for summary judgment in part, dismissing the 

claims against Officer Montez and the TDCJ. The court also dismissed the 

claims as moot of ten plaintiffs no longer housed at the Terrell Unit. The 

plaintiffs whose claims were dismissed as moot were identified in the court’s 

memorandum opinion as Jerold Williams, Alejandro Avila, Joshua Mazique 

Burton, Xavier Cooper, Benjamin Martin, Benjamin Vallie, Jr., Billy Wayne 

Morgan, Jerome Degree, Leon Harper, and Eliazar M. Rincon. Another 

plaintiff, Troy D. Rector, was dismissed based on information that he had been 

killed. However, the district court denied the defendants’ motion for summary 

judgment as to claims concerning Officer Davila, finding that the claims 

against Davila were redressable in the event that the plaintiffs prevailed at 

trial. 

On the same date as its memorandum opinion granting in part and 

denying in part the motion for summary judgment, the district court entered a 

“final judgment” dismissing the case with prejudice as moot based on its

 

* 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.

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No. 15-40704

8

memorandum opinions and orders. In the memorandum opinions and orders, 

the district court did not dismiss the claims of plaintiffs Julius Timothy 

Dawson, Nicholas D. Graves, James Earl Sadberry, Antonio Shelvin, and 

Joseph A. Whitfield.

“This Court must examine the basis of its jurisdiction, on its own motion, 

if necessary.” Mosley v. Cozby, 813 F.2d 659, 660 (5th Cir. 1987). Because the 

claims of five plaintiffs remain pending in the district court, we lack 

jurisdiction over this appeal. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1291, 1292(a),(b); FED. R. CIV. 

P. 54(b); Martin v. Halliburton, 618 F.3d 476, 481 (5th Cir. 2010); Briargrove 

Shopping Ctr. Joint Venture v. Pilgrim Enters., Inc., 170 F.3d 536, 538-41 (5th 

Cir. 1999).

Accordingly, the appeal is DISMISSED for lack of jurisdiction.

 Case: 15-40704 Document: 00513518735 Page: 8 Date Filed: 05/24/2016