Court Opinion

ID: 9930929
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-07 21:01:24.462181+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:12:28.982453
License: Public Domain

USCA4 Appeal: 23-6853      Doc: 17         Filed: 02/06/2024    Pg: 1 of 2

                                            UNPUBLISHED

                               UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                   FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

                                              No. 23-6853

        CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL GAINES,

                            Plaintiff - Appellant,

                     v.

        JAMES F. WHITLEY, Superintendent,

                            Defendant - Appellee.

        Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, at
        Roanoke. Jackson L. Kiser, Senior District Judge. (7:18-cv-00417-JLK-JCH)

        Submitted: January 30, 2024                                       Decided: February 6, 2024

        Before KING, AGEE, and THACKER, Circuit Judges.

        Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

        Christopher Michael Gaines, Appellant Pro Se.

        Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
USCA4 Appeal: 23-6853         Doc: 17      Filed: 02/06/2024     Pg: 2 of 2

        PER CURIAM:

               Christopher Gaines seeks to appeal the district court’s order granting his motion to

        voluntarily dismiss his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint. We dismiss the appeal for lack of

        jurisdiction because the notice of appeal was not timely filed.

               In civil cases, parties have 30 days after the entry of the district court’s final

        judgment or order to note an appeal, Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A), 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, 2018. Gaines filed the notice

        of appeal on Aug. 14, 2023. * Because Gaines 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 Gaines 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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