Source: http://ga.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20140703_0000707.SGA.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2017-06-27 07:02:01
Document Index: 723813151

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1983', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1915', '§ 1983', '§ 1983']

| Clarington v. Prison
Clarington v. Prison
SGT. MORRIS J. CLARINGTON, III, Plaintiff,v.JOHNSON STATE PRISON; GAIL POWEL, Medical Administrator; DEANN MORRIS, Director of Nursing; MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION DEPT., Defendants.[1]
Plaintiff, an inmate presently incarcerated at Georgia State Prison in Reidsville, Georgia, seeks to proceed in forma pauperis ("IFP") in this action filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 concerning events alleged to have occurred at Johnson State Prison in Wrightsville, Georgia.[2] For the reasons set forth below, the Court REPORTS and RECOMMENDS that Plaintiff's request to proceed IFP be DENIED (doc. no. 2) and this action be DISMISSED without prejudice.
The Eleventh Circuit noted that "[t]his provision of the PLRA, commonly known as the three strikes provision, requires frequent filer prisoners to prepay the entire filing fee before federal courts may consider their lawsuits and appeals." Rivera v. Allin , 144 F.3d 719, 723 (11th Cir. 1998) (internal citations omitted), abrogated on other grounds by Jones v. Bock , 549 U.S. 199 (2007). Section 1915(g) is constitutional because it does not violate an inmate's right to access to the courts, the doctrine of separation of powers, an inmate's right to due process of law, or an inmate's right to equal protection. Id . at 721-27.
A. Prior Filing History
A review of Plaintiff's history of filings reveals that he has brought at least five cases that were dismissed for being frivolous or malicious or for failing to state a claim upon which relief may be granted: (1) Clarington v. Wilcox State Prison, 5:13-cv-00012 (M.D. Ga. Apr. 24, -) (dismissed for abuse of judicial process and failure to comply with a court order); (2) Clarington v. Chatman, 5:12-cv-00035 (M.D. Ga. Apr. 20, 2012) (dismissed for failure to comply with a court order); (3) Clarington v. Walker, 5:12-cv-00037 (M.D. Ga. Apr. 20, 2012) (dismissed for failure to comply with a court order); (4) Clarington v. Walker, 5:12-cv-00038 (M.D. Ga. Mar. 8, 2012) (dismissed for failure to comply with a court order); (5) Clarington v. Hayes, 5:07-cv-00388 (M.D. Ga. Aug. 14, 2008) (dismissed for failure to comply with a court order).
A dismissal for failure to comply with a court order qualifies as a strike under § 1915(g). See Rivera , 144 F.3d at 731 (a case dismissed as an "abuse of the judicial process" counts as a strike under § 1915(g)); Malautea v. Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd. , 987 F.2d 1536, 1544 (11th Cir. 1993) (holding that failure to comply with court orders is an "abuse of the judicial process"). Because he has at least three strikes under § 1915(g), Plaintiff cannot proceed IFP in the present case unless he can demonstrate that he qualifies for the "imminent danger of serious physical injury" exception to § 1915(g).
B. Plaintiff Does Not Qualify for the "Imminent Danger" Exception
In order to come within the imminent danger exception, a prisoner must be in imminent danger at the time he files suit in district court, not at the time of the alleged incident that serves as the basis for the complaint. Medberry v. Butler , 185 F.3d 1189, 1193 (11th Cir. 1999). Nothing in Plaintiff's complaint supports a finding of imminent danger of serious physical injury at the time he commenced this case. Plaintiff alleges that, while he was incarcerated at Johnson State Prison, he was denied his medication. (See doc. no. 1, p. 5.) Plaintiff vaguely asserts that his immune system is weak, but does not describe any specific, imminent threat to his health. (Id.) Indeed, Plaintiff appears to be more concerned that the prison doctor supposedly lied to him about prescribing the medication. (Id.) Because Plaintiff does not assert that he was in any imminent danger of serious physical injury at the time he filed this lawsuit, he fails to demonstrate that he should be excused from paying the full filing fee under the "imminent danger" exception to § 1915(g)'s three strike rule. Medberrry, 185 F.3d at 1193.
C. Dishonesty in Complaint
The form complaint that Plaintiff used to commence this case, "Questionnaire for the Prisoners Proceeding Pro Se Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, " requires that prisoner plaintiffs disclose: (1) whether they have brought other federal lawsuits while incarcerated, (2) whether they were allowed to proceed IFP in any such lawsuits, and (3) whether any such suit was dismissed on the ground that it was frivolous, malicious, or failed to state a claim. (Doc. no. 1, pp. 2-3.) Here, Plaintiff indicated he had filed only one previous lawsuit in federal court. (Id.) However, in addition to the case Plaintiff listed and the five cases discussed above, the Court is aware of at least nine other § 1983 cases that Plaintiff previously filed in federal court. See Clarington v. Food Service, 5:12-cv-00086 (S.D. Ga. Oct. 24, 2012); Clarington v. Burnette, 5:12-cv-00008 (S.D. Ga. Oct. 22, 2012); Clarington v. Coffee Correctional Facility, 5:12-cv-02824 (N.D.Ga. Apr. 11, 2012); Clarington v. Chatman, 6:12-cv-00013 (S.D. Ga. Mar. 22, 2012); Clarington v. Chatman, 6:11-cv-00068 ...