Court Opinion

ID: 2963677
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-21 21:13:51.118138+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:10:24.740308
License: Public Domain

USCA1 Opinion

	

        November 9, 1995        [NOT FOR PUBLICATION]

                            UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT

                           

                                 ____________________

        No. 95-1761

                                  JEROME E. CASSELL,

                                Plaintiff, Appellant,

                                          v.

                             BARRY OSBORNE, ETC., ET AL.,

                                Defendants, Appellees.

                                 ____________________

                     APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

                          FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

                    [Hon. Paul J. Barbadoro, U.S. District Judge]
                                             ___________________

                                 ____________________

                                        Before

                                 Selya, Cyr and Stahl,
                                   Circuit Judges.
                                   ______________

                                 ____________________

            Jerome E. Cassell on Motion for Summary Disposition pro se.
            _________________

                                 ____________________

                                 ____________________

                      Per Curiam.  We  have before us appellant Cassell's
                      __________

            "Motion  to  Compel  Enforcement  and  Compliance," which  we

            construe as requesting relief from briefing requirements, and

            a summary disposition of the appeal.  

                      Cassell  was  convicted  in a  New  Hampshire state

            court  of  felonious  sexual  assault.   While  his  criminal

            conviction  was pending  on direct  appeal, he  filed several

            actions  in federal district  court under  42 U.S.C.    1983,

            challenging  the  validity  of  the  conviction  and  seeking

            equitable  relief and damages.   Three of the  suits were the

            subject  of an opinion issued  by this court  in April, 1994.

            Cassell v. Osborn, No. 93-1557, etc., Slip op. (1st Cir. Apr.
            _______    ______

            26, 1994).  There we affirmed the district court's  dismissal

            of  most of  Cassell's claims,  but vacated  those dismissals

            which  were  arguably  susceptible  of  being  raised  as  an

            estoppel in the  state proceedings.   The latter claims  were

            remanded  for reconsideration  as to  whether they  should be

            dismissed  or  stayed pending  the  conclusion  of the  state

            appeal.   Id. at 13.  The  district court decided to stay the
                      ___

            claims.

                      Pursuant   to   the  Supreme   Court's  intervening

            decision in Heck  v. Humphrey,  114 S. Ct.  2364 (1994),  the
                        ____     ________

            district  court  later  granted  a motion  by  defendants  to

            dismiss the claims.   In Heck, the Court resolved  a conflict
                                     ____

            among the circuits  by ruling that "a   1983  cause of action

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            for  damages attributable  to an  unconstitutional conviction

            does  not  accrue  until  the  conviction  .  .  .  has  been
                       ______

            invalidated."  Heck, 114 S. Ct. at 2373 (emphasis added); see
                           ____                                       ___

            also  Guzman-Rivera v.  Rivera-Cruz, 29 F.3d  3, 5  (1st Cir.
            ____  _____________     ___________

            1994).  

                      Appellant  is   mistaken  in  his  belief   that  a

            dismissal under  Heck violates this court's  earlier mandate.
                             ____

            This dismissal will not prejudice the resolution of any issue

            pending before  the state's appellate  court.  It  means only

            that  his    1983  suit is  premature.   As  we  explained in

            response to another, similar appeal by Cassell, the dismissal

            also "does not  prevent him  from later filing  a proper  and

            timely  complaint  for damages  should  he  first succeed  in

            having his conviction reversed on direct appeal, expunged, or

            otherwise declared  invalid by a tribunal  authorized to make

            such a determination."   Cassell v.  Ober, No. 94-1796,  slip
                                     _______     ____

            op. at 2 (1st  Cir. Oct. 5, 1994)  (citing  Guzman-Rivera, 29
                                                ______  _____________

            F.3d at 5).   

                      Accordingly, we grant appellant's motion insofar as
                                      _____

            it seeks relief  from the briefing schedule, deny  his motion
                                                         ____

            for "enforcement,"  and summarily affirm the  judgment below.
                                              ______

            See  Loc.  R. 27.1.    Cassell's  appellate motions  labelled
            ___

            "Petition for Habeas Corpus Ad Testificandum," and "Motion to

            Introduce  Evidence,"  are  dismissed  without  prejudice  to
                                        _________

            consideration of  the same  contentions and issues  raised in

                                         -3-

            his  separately  docketed appeal,  Cassell v.  New Hampshire,
                                               _______     _____________

            (Appeal no. 95-2158).

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