Court Opinion

ID: 9941806
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-17 01:01:01.184001+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:47:03.776077
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-30391         Document: 55-1         Page: 1     Date Filed: 02/16/2024

           United States Court of Appeals
                for the Fifth Circuit
                                 ____________                             United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                   Fifth Circuit

                                  No. 23-30391                                   FILED
                                Summary Calendar                          February 16, 2024
                                ____________                                Lyle W. Cayce
                                                                                 Clerk
Errol Victor, Sr., Reverend, L.S.,

                                                                Plaintiff—Appellant,

                                        versus

Louisiana State; Julie Cullen; Jeff Landry, Louisiana
Attorney General, in his individual and official capacity; Mike Tregre,
Sheriff, in his individual and official capacity; Honorable Dennis J.
Waldron,

                                          Defendants—Appellees.
                 ______________________________

                 Appeal from the United States District Court
                    for the Eastern District of Louisiana
                          USDC No. 2:22-CV-1539
                 ______________________________

Before Jones, Southwick, and Ho, Circuit Judges.
Per Curiam: *
       Errol Victor, Sr., Reverend, L.S., Louisiana prisoner # 613100, filed a
complaint seeking monetary damages, declaratory judgment, a preliminary
       _____________________
       *
           Pursuant to 5th Circuit Rule 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion
should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set
forth in 5th Circuit Rule 47.5.4.
Case: 23-30391        Document: 55-1       Page: 2    Date Filed: 02/16/2024

                                  No. 23-30391

injunction, and a temporary restraining order under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Victor
was found guilty of second degree murder by a non-unanimous jury, and the
United States Supreme Court subsequently vacated his conviction and
remanded in light of Ramos v. Louisiana, 140 S. Ct. 1390 (2020). Following a
new trial, a unanimous jury found Victor guilty of second-degree murder. In
his § 1983 complaint, Victor alleged violation of his constitutional rights,
including due process, equal protection, illegal seizure, double jeopardy,
speedy trial, and the State of Louisiana continuing to hold him “hostage
under the color of the law” based on the vacation of the non-unanimous jury
verdict and the retrial of his state murder conviction.
       The district court dismissed Victor’s § 1983 complaint as frivolous
and failure to state a claim in which any relief could be provided pursuant to
28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1). Victor’s conclusional argument in this court does
not show that the district court erred in determining that his complaint was
frivolous and failed to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. See
§ 1915A(b)(1); see also Carlucci v. Chapa, 884 F.3d 534, 537-38 (5th Cir.
2018); Morris v. McAllester, 702 F.3d 187, 189 (5th Cir. 2012). If the district
court were to award the relief Victor seeks, its actions would implicitly call
into question the validity of his conviction. See Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S.
477, 486-87 (1994). Because there is no evidence showing that Victor’s
conviction has been reversed or otherwise called into question, his claims are
barred under Heck. See id.; Magee v. Reed, 912 F.3d 820, 822 (5th Cir. 2019);
Clarke v. Stadler, 154 F.3d 186, 190-91 (5th Cir. 1998) (en banc).
       Victor’s motion for leave to supplement brief is GRANTED and the
judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.
       The district court’s dismissal of Victor’s complaint as frivolous and
for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted counts as a strike
for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). See Prescott v. UTMB Galveston Tex.,

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Case: 23-30391       Document: 55-1       Page: 3    Date Filed: 02/16/2024

                                 No. 23-30391

73 F.4th 315, 319 (5th Cir. 2023); Adepegba v. Hammons, 103 F.3d 383, 388
(5th Cir. 1996), abrogated in part on other grounds by Coleman v. Tollefson,
575 U.S. 532, 537 (2015). Victor previously accumulated a prior qualifying
dismissal under § 1915(g). See Victor v. Becnel, No. 2:13-cv-05930 (E.D. La.
Apr. 23, 2014) (unpublished). Victor is WARNED that if he accumulates
three strikes, he will not be permitted to proceed IFP in any civil action or
appeal filed while incarcerated or detained in any facility unless he is under
imminent danger of serious physical injury. See § 1915(g).

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