Court Opinion

ID: 9474247
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 04:51:53.04555+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:43:58.967608
License: Public Domain

HARLINGTON WOOD, Jr., Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
Although I appreciate the concerns of my brethren, I respectfully dissent as I see insufficient justification to further pursue this prison disciplinary matter.
The screwdriver incident occurred in April, 1979. This civil rights suit was filed in July, 1979, but not by the plaintiff Ross who is serving a twenty-to sixty-year sentence for murder. It was filed by his cellmate, Williams, in his own behalf, but also purportedly in behalf of Ross. Ross did not sign the complaint, the in forma pauperis affidavit, or any of the other various pleadings filed by Williams. Later Williams was dismissed for failure to prosecute even though he was the only one who had done anything in the ease. Ross, however, for over two and a half years prior to that had done nothing.
After the departure of Williams from the case Ross attempted to pick up Williams’ suit and do something for himself. I do not believe that there was a viable lawsuit left for Ross to resuscitate for his own purposes. Williams not only failed to prosecute in his own behalf, but he had no standing to try to act in behalf of Ross, at least without some personal participation by Ross.
I would not sanction one prisoner purporting to sue in behalf of another prisoner. Pro se procedures are sufficiently lenient and forgiving without sanctioning this type of procedure which could lend itself to mischief. Now, over six years after the screwdriver was found in the cell door frame, and Ross had pled guilty in the administrative hearing, I would not send Williams’ defunct lawsuit back in the name of Ross for a constitutional inquiry into the practices of the Illinois Department of Corrections, or for any other relief. I would end it by affirming the magistrate.