2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 6-11-2009 

# Anthon y Ja s p e r v . B exar C ty Adult D et e P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-4036

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2009 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " Anthon y J aspe r v . Bex ar C ty Adult D e t e " (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1191. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1191CL D- 1 5 0 NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

___________ N o. 08- 4036

___________ ANTHON Y SAL VAD OR J ASP ER, A ppel l ant v . B EXAR CO UN TYAD ULT D ET EN TI ONCEN TE R; SHERIFF RALPH L OPEZ ; SAN ANTONI O CI TY MANAGERS OFFI CE;

CI TY OF SAN ANTON I O MAYOR' S OFF I CE

____________________________________ O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt

fort he D i s t r i ctof N ew J er s ey ( D . C . C i vi l N o. 07- cv- 03044) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e Pet erG . Sher i dan

____________________________________ S u b mi t t e d f

o rP o s s i b l e Di s mi s s a l P u r s u a n tt o 2 8 U. S . C. § 1 9 1 5 ( e ) ( 2 ) ( B) o r S u m m a ry A c tio n P u rs u a n t to T h ir d C ir c u it L A R 2 7 .4 a n d I.O .P . 1 0 .6 A pr i l 2, 2009 B efor e: R E N D E L L , H A R D I M A N A N D A L D I SE R T , C i r cui tJ udges

( O pi ni on fi l ed: J une 11, 2009)

_________ OP I NI ON

_________ P E R C UR I AM A n tho n yJasp er, a l it igan t pro ce ed ing p ro se , ap p ea ls an o rde r of the D istri ct C o u rt d ism iss in g h is c a se f

o r la c k o f

p e rso n a l ju risd ictio n p u rsu a n t to F e d e ra l R u le o f C iv il2

P rocedu re 12(b)( 2). W e hav e j uri sdi ct i on pu rs uan tt o 2 8 U . S . C . § 1 29 1, and w e exerci se pl enaryr evi ew overa di s t r i ctcour t ’ s j ur i s di ct i onal det erm i nat i ons . See U m l and v. P L A N C O F in. Se rvs., 5 4 2 F . 3 d 5 9 , 6 3 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 8 ). W e w il l vac ate the D istri ct C o u rt ’s O rderof S eptem ber 12, 2008 , and rem and for further proceedings. I I n J ul y2007, J as perfi l ed a c om pl ai nti n t he U ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctC our tfort he D i s t r i ctof N ew J er s ey , al l egi ng t hathe w as i l l egal l yi ncar cer at ed and s ubj ectt o uns afe c o n d i t i o n s a n d a s u b s t a n d a r d l e v e l o f me d i c a l c a r e d u r i n g h i s i n c a r c e r a t i o n . Att h e t i me h e f iled th e c o m p lain t, Ja sp e r w a s a re sid e n t o f N e w Je rse y . Ja sp e r n a m e d a s d e f e n d a n ts t he B exarC ount yA dul tD et ent i on C ent er , l ocat ed i n San A nt oni o, T exas ; R al ph L opez, Sher i ff of

San A nt oni o; t he San A nt oni o C i t yM anage r ’ s O ffi ce; and the C i t yof San An t o n i o M a y o r ’ s Of

f i c e . Al l d e f

e n d a n t s a r e r e s i d e n t s o f t h e S t a t e o f

T e x a s . No defe ndantfi l ed an a ns w erorm ot i on, and no def ens e couns el ent er ed an a ppear ance . A l ong w i t h hi s compl ai nt , J as perfi l ed a s i gned and not ar i zed “ A ffa davi t[s i c] of In a b ili tyto P a yC o sts ,” a s w e ll as a p ro p o se d “ O rd e r G ra n tin g ‘A f f a d a v it [s ic] o f

In a b ili ty t o PayforC os t s . ” J as perpai d no fee s t o t he D i s t r i ctC our t . H ow ever , t he C our tnever expl i ci t l ycons t rued the af fi davi tas an appl i cat i on t o pr ocee d i n for m a paupe r i s and, no t ably , nev er form al l ygrant ed Jasper i n fo rm a pau peri s st atus. I n J ul y2008, t he D i s t r i ctC our tdi s m i s s ed the ca s e forfai l ur e t o pr os ecut e. J as per fi l ed a mot i on t o r eopen the ca s e, fol l ow ed byt hr ee otherm ot i ons w hi ch ca l l ed fort heT he thr ee mot i ons fol l ow i ng J as per ’ s i ni t i al m ot i on t o r eopen w er e t i t l ed an “ amended 1 m ot i on fornew t r i al , ” D oc. N o. 7, a “s econd a m ended mot i on fornew t r i al , ” D oc. N o. 9, and a “ m ot i on t o amend/ corr ect , ” D oc. N o. 10. T he D i s t r i ctC our tcons t rued al l fourof thes e f il ing s as m o ti o n s fo r reli ef fro m jud g m en t pu rsua n t t o F ed . R . C iv. P. 60 (b).

3 reopen i ng of h i s case. In Sep t em ber 200 8, t he D i stri ctC ou rtgrant ed Jasper’ s fi rs t 1 m ot i on t o r eopen a nd di s m i s s ed the ca s e pur s uantt o Fed. R . 12( b) ( 2) . J as perfi l ed a tim e lyn o tice o f

a p p e a l. II I n di s m i s s i ng J as per ’ s cas e pur s uantt o R ul e 12( b) ( 2) , t he D i s t r i ctC our tr eas oned, s ua s pont e, t hati tcannotexer ci s e per s onal j ur i s di ct i on overt he def endant s beca us e they have not“purpos eful l yavai l [ed themsel ves ] of the pr i vi l ege of conduct i ng act i vi t i es w ith in th e f

o ru m S tate [ o f

N e w Je rse y ], th u s in v o k in g th e b e n e f its a n d p ro tec tio n s o f

its l aw s. ” B urger K i ng C orp. v. R ud zew i cz, 47 1 U . S . 46 2, 47 5 (198 5). H ow ever, “beca use per s onal j ur i s di ct i on m aybe conf err ed bycons entof the part i es . . . a courtm aynots ua s pont e di s m i s s forw antof per s onal j ur i s di ct i on. ” Zel s on v. T hom for de, 412 F. 2d 56, 59 (3 d C ir. 1 9 6 9 ). T h is is tru e e v e n if th e lit ig a n t h a s in f

o rm a p a u p e ris s tatu s. C f. S in w e ll v . S h a p p , 5 3 6 F .2 d 1 5 , 1 9 (3 d C ir. 1 9 7 6 ) (h o ld in g th a t a d istric t co u rt m a yn o t su a sp o n te di s m i s s t he compl ai ntof a l i t i gantpr ocee di ng i n form a paupe r i s s ol el ybeca us e of im p rop er v en u e). A ccor di ngl y , w e w i l l vaca t e the j udgm entof the D i s t r i ctC our tand r emand t he m at t erforfur t herpr ocee di ngs cons i s t entw i t h t hi s O pi ni on.