Opinion ID: 2998089
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: As an initial matter, the defendants question whether the district court’s dismissal of Mr. Barnes’ amended complaint constitutes a final and appealable judgment. See 28 U.S.C. § 1291. “Dismissal for failure to exhaust is without prejudice and so does not bar the reinstatement of the suit unless it is too late to exhaust.” Walker v. Thompson, 288 F.3d 1005, 1009 (7th Cir. 2002); see also Ford v. Johnson, 362 F.3d 395, 401 (7th Cir. 2004) (holding that “all dismissals under § 1997e(a) should be without prejudice” (emphasis in original)). The district court’s order did not indicate whether the dismissal was with or without prejudice, but we shall assume for present purposes that it was without prejudice. A dismissal without prejudice normally “does not qualify as an appealable final judgment because the plaintiff is free to re-file the case.” Larkin v. Galloway, 266 F.3d 718, 721 (7th Cir. 2001). Certain circumstances allow us, however, to consider such a dismissal as final. For instance, if the plaintiff “cannot cure the defects” in his complaint, the dismissal in effect was with prejudice and is final for purposes of appellate review. Strong v. David, 297 F.3d 646, 648 (7th Cir. 2002); see also Larkin, 266 F.3d at 721 (stating that, if the “plaintiff will not be able to amend her complaint, the dismissal is final” and appealable). In this case, Mr. Barnes “has no more remedies to exhaust, so the defect that the district judge identified is irrepara- ble—if it is a defect at all.” Strong, 297 F.3d at 648 (emphasis in original). Neither the record nor the defendants suggest any amendment that Mr. Barnes could make to his complaint that would remedy the district court’s concern that he failed to exhaust his administrative remedies before he filed his original complaint. We therefore are confident of our jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 to review the district 6 No. 04-3215 court’s dismissal of Mr. Barnes’ action.