Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-akd-3_19-cv-00154/USCOURTS-akd-3_19-cv-00154-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ALASKA

MICHAEL L. McLAUGHLIN,

Plaintiff,

 vs.

CENTRAL PENINSULA GENERAL 

HOSPITAL, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 3:19-cv-00154-TMB-MMS

ORDER RE: AMENDED JUDGMENT

On May 30, 2019, self-represented prisoner Michael L. McLaughlin filed a 

“Complaint for Violation of Civil Rights and the False Claims Act” along with a Civil 

Cover Sheet, a Prisoner’s Application to Waive Prepayment of the Filing Fee, and 

a Declaration of a Timely Inmate Filing.1 On September 23, 2019, Mr. McLaughlin

filed a “Motion Seeking Acceptance of an Amended Complaint to Facilitate 

Permissive Joinder of Plaintiff United States” (“Motion to Amend”)2 and a Motion 

to Seal along with a 51-page “Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint for Violation of 

Civil Rights and the False Claims Act” (“First Amended Complaint”).

3 On 

November 25, 2019, the Court issued a Screening Order dismissing the case 

 1 Dockets 1–4.

2 Docket 6. 

3 Docket 7 & 7-1.

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3:19-cv-00154-TMB-MMS, McLaughlin v. Cent. Peninsula Gen. Hosp., et al.

Order Re: Amended Judgment

Page 2 of 3

without prejudice and entered a final judgment.4 The Screening Order and 

Judgment indicate that Mr. McLaughlin received a strike, because as a prisoner 

seeking leave to proceed in forma pauperis, he failed to state a claim as required 

by 28 U.S.C. § 1915.5

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(a) permits a Court to “correct a clerical 

mistake or a mistake arising from oversight or omission whenever one is found in 

a judgment, order or other part of the record.” The Court may take such action “on 

motion or on its own, with or without notice.”6 

28 U.S.C § 1915(g), also known as the “Three Strikes Provision” of the 

Prison Litigation Reform Act, requires that federal courts restrict the filings of in 

forma pauperis prisoners after three actions are dismissed for being frivolous, 

malicious, or failing to state a claim.7 A court “should look to the substance of the 

dismissed lawsuit in order to determine whether it can be counted as a ‘strike.’”8

 4 Dockets 8 (Screening Order) & 9 (Judgment).

5 Id.

6 Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(a).

7 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g) provides that a prisoner who files more than three actions or 

appeals in any federal court in the United States, that are dismissed as frivolous or 

malicious or for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, will be prohibited 

from bringing any other actions without prepayment of fees unless the prisoner can 

demonstrate that he or she is in “imminent danger of serious physical injury.”

8 El-Shaddai v. Zamora, 833 F.3d 1036, 1047 (9th Cir. 2016).

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3:19-cv-00154-TMB-MMS, McLaughlin v. Cent. Peninsula Gen. Hosp., et al.

Order Re: Amended Judgment

Page 3 of 3 

In this action, Mr. McLaughlin’s case was dismissed for failure to state a claim.

9 

However, the dismissal of this action was without prejudice, because Mr. 

McLaughlin’s claims were procedurally barred at this time.

10 The Court has not 

made a final determination on the merits of Mr. McLaughlin’s claims. 

Accordingly, the Court removes the strike against Mr. McLaughlin. The 

Clerk of Court is directed to amend Mr. McLaughlin’s judgment and remove the 

strike under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). Furthermore, the Clerk of Court is directed to 

send a copy of this Order with Mr. McLaughlin’s amended judgment. 

DATED at Anchorage, Alaska, this 31st day of December, 2019. 

/s/ 

TIMOTHY M. BURGESS 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

9 Docket 8. 

10 Id.

Timothy M. Burgess

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