Court Opinion

ID: 9913860
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-28 21:00:54.427202+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:09:07.794275
License: Public Domain

USCA4 Appeal: 23-6900      Doc: 11         Filed: 12/27/2023     Pg: 1 of 2

                                             UNPUBLISHED

                               UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                   FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

                                               No. 23-6900

        DEMARCUS D. MORRIS,

                             Plaintiff - Appellant,

                      v.

        UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

                             Defendant - Appellee.

        Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, at
        Martinsburg. Gina M. Groh, District Judge. (3:21-cv-00183-GMG-RWT)

        Submitted: December 19, 2023                                Decided: December 27, 2023

        Before HARRIS, QUATTLEBAUM, and BENJAMIN, Circuit Judges.

        Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

        Demarcus D. Morris, Appellant Pro Se. Erin K. Reisenweber, Assistant United States
        Attorney, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Martinsburg, West
        Virginia, for Appellee.

        Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
USCA4 Appeal: 23-6900         Doc: 11      Filed: 12/27/2023      Pg: 2 of 2

        PER CURIAM:

               Demarcus D. Morris seeks to appeal the district court’s order dismissing without

        prejudice his civil complaint for failure to prosecute. We dismiss the appeal for lack of

        jurisdiction because the notice of appeal was not timely filed.

               When the United States or its officer or agency is a party in a civil case, the notice

        of appeal must be filed no more than 60 days after the entry of the district court’s final

        judgment or order, Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(B), unless the district court extends the appeal

        period under Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(5) or reopens the appeal period under Fed. R. App. P.

        4(a)(6). “[T]he timely filing of a notice of appeal in a civil case is a jurisdictional

        requirement.” Bowles v. Russell, 551 U.S. 205, 214 (2007).

               The district court entered its order on September 19, 2022. Morris filed the notice

        of appeal at the earliest on September 5, 2023. * Because Morris failed to file a timely

        notice of appeal or to obtain an extension or reopening of the appeal period, we dismiss the

        appeal.

               We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are

        adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the

        decisional process.

                                                                                       DISMISSED

               *
                For the purpose of this appeal, we assume that the date appearing on the notice of
        appeal is the earliest date Morris could have delivered the notice to prison officials for
        mailing to the court. Fed. R. App. P. 4(c)(1); Houston v. Lack, 487 U.S. 266, 276 (1988).

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