# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ No. 1 4- 13 04

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Samm y Pen dl et on
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el la nt

v.
Lin da San de rs , W ard en
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll ee

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Weste rn Dis tri ctof M is so ur i - Sp rin gf ie ld

__ __ __ __ __ __ Subm it te d: Ju ne 28 , 20 14 Fil ed : J ul y

31 , 20 14 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re LOKEN, SMITH, and KELLY , Cir cu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ PER CURI AM.

Samm y Lee Pen dl et o n ap pe al s th e di st ric t co ur t's pr es erv ic e di sm is sa l of hi s
co m pl ai nt

. Cu rren tl y be fo re th e co ur t is Pen dl et on 's m ot io n fo r l e a v e to pr oc eed in fo rm a pa up eri s. W e gr an t Pen dl et on 's m ot io n fo r le av e to pr oc eed in fo rm a pa up eri s
an d s umm ari ly affirm

th e d is tri ctco ur t. Se e 8t h C ir. R . 47 A(a).Pen dl et on is ci vi ll y co m m it te d at th e Uni te d St at es Med ic al Cen te r fo r Fed eral Pri so ne rs (USMC FP) in Sp rin gf ie ld , Mi ss ouri. Pe ndl et on sue d W ar de n L ind a Sa nders of th e USMC FP, as se rti ng th at San de rs ha d fail ed to pa y Pen dl et on $4 65 m il li on as
a res ul t of a no n- ex is te nt Supr em e Co ur t ru li ng

. The d i s t ric t co ur t di sm is se d Pen dl et on 's fri vo lo us co m pl ai nt pr es erv ic e un de r th e au th or it y of 28 U.S.C. § 19 15 A,

a pr ov is io n of th e Pri so n Lit ig at io n Refo rm Act (PLRA). Sect io n 19 15 A al lo ws a di st ric t co ur t to di sm is s "a co m pl ai nt i n a ci vi l act io n in whi ch a pr is on er se ek s red res s fro m a go ve rn m en ta l en ti ty or of fic er or em

pl oyee of a go ve rn m en ta l en ti ty" whe n t he pri so ne r as se rts a fri vo lo us cla im

.

W e ag ree wit h th e di st ric t co ur t's co nc lu si on th at Pen dl et on 's co m pl ai nt is fri vo lo us ; ho wev er, the di st ric t cou rt e rro ne ou sl y in vo ke d t he au th or it y

of § 19 15 A

as th e ve hi cl e fo r di sm is sa l. For pu rp os es of § 1 91 5A, " pr is on er" is de fin edas " an y pe rs on in carc e r a t e d or de ta in ed in an y faci li ty who is accu se d of , co nv ic te d of

, se nt en ced fo r, orad

jud ic at edde li nq ue nt for , vi ol at io ns of crim in al la w or th e te rm s
an d co nd it io ns of pa ro le , pr ob at io n, pr et ria l rel eas e, or d i v ers io na ry pr og ram ." 28 U.S.C. § 19 15 A(c). W e ha ve pr ev io us ly de te rm in ed th at a ci vi ll y co m m it te d pl ai nt iff do es no t qu al ify as a "p ris on er" un de r th e PLRA. Perk in s v. Hed ri cks , 34 0 F.3 d 58 2, 58 3 (8 th Ci r. 20 03 ) (p er cu ria m ) ("P erk in s ap pe ars to be ci vi ll y co m m it te d an d is th us
no t a pr is on er wit hi n th e m ean in g of th e PLRA."); Ko lo co tr on is v. Mor ga n , 24 7 F.3 d 72 6, 7 28 (8t h C ir. 2 00 1)

.

Non et he le ss , we affi rm th e di st ric t co ur t's de c i s i o n t o di sm is s Pen dl et on 's

co m pl ai nt pr es erv ic e be cau se a n y e r r o r in in vo ki ng th e au th or it y of § 19 15 A was ha rm le ss

. Se e Mic ha u v. Ch ar le st on Cn ty ., S.C

. , 43 4 F.3 d 72 5, 72 8 (4 t h C ir. 20 06 ) ( affi rm in g a di st ric t co ur t's de ci si on to di sm is s a ci vi ll y co m m it te d pl ai nt i f

f ' s
co m pl ai nt un de r § 19 15 A be cau se th e di st ric t co ur t al so in vo ke d th e au th or it y of 28 U.S.C. § 19 15 (e)( 2) (B), ren de rin g an y erro r "h arm le ss "). Sect io n 19 15 (e)( 2) (B) al lo ws th e di st ric t co ur t to di sm is s an in fo rm a pa up eri s p la in ti ff's co m pl ai nt at a ny ti m e if th e act io n is fri vo lo us

. P e n d l e to n pr oc eed ed in fo rm a pa up eri s be fo re th e

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-di st ric t co ur t, so th e di st ric t co ur t co ul d ha ve rel ie d al te rn at iv el y on § 19 15 (e)( 2) (B)

to di s miss Pen dl et on 's co m pl ai nt

. Bec au se th e di st ric t co ur t wou ld cert ai nl y do so imm ed ia te ly up o n rem an d, th e di st ric t co ur t's erro ne ou s rel ia nc e on § 19 15 A is ha rm le ss

.

Co ns eq ue nt ly, we affi rm

th e jud gm en t o f th e d is tri ctco ur t.

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