Court Opinion

ID: 9381475
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-03-22 21:01:23.262701+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:17:32.695731
License: Public Domain

USCA4 Appeal: 22-7412      Doc: 11         Filed: 03/21/2023    Pg: 1 of 2

                                            UNPUBLISHED

                               UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                   FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

                                               No. 22-7412

        GEORGE ALLEN WARD,

                            Plaintiff - Appellant,

                     v.

        APRIL EDWARDS, Deputy (MS); MARK L. BARRICK, Sheriff, Mathews County
        Sheriff Department; MATHEWS COUNTY, VIRGINIA; LIEUTENANT
        WILLIAM “BILL” RILEY, Former; DEPUTY GILBERT COONS; MIKE ROWE,
        The County of Mathews Virginia Board of Supervisors Chairman; AMY DUBOIS,
        Member; MELISSA MASON, Member; PAUL HUDGINS, Member; JACKIE
        INGRAM, Member,

                            Defendants - Appellees.

        Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at
        Norfolk. Raymond A. Jackson, Senior District Judge. (2:19-cv-00526-RAJ-RJK)

        Submitted: March 16, 2023                                         Decided: March 21, 2023

        Before WILKINSON, AGEE, and HARRIS, Circuit Judges.

        Remanded by unpublished per curiam opinion.

        George Allen Ward, Appellant Pro Se.

        Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
USCA4 Appeal: 22-7412       Doc: 11          Filed: 03/21/2023      Pg: 2 of 2

        PER CURIAM:

               George Allen Ward seeks to appeal the district court’s order dismissing his

        42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint. The district court entered its order on October 18, 2022. 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).

               Because Ward is incarcerated, the notice of appeal is considered filed as of the date

        it was properly delivered to prison officials for mailing to the court. Fed. R. App. P. 4(c)(1);

        Houston v. Lack, 487 U.S. 266, 267 (1988). The record does not conclusively establish

        that Ward provided his notice of appeal to prison officials for mailing on or before

        November 17, 2022. Accordingly, we remand the case for the limited purpose of allowing

        the district court to determine whether Ward timely noted an appeal under Rule 4(c)(1) and

        Houston. The record, as supplemented, will then be returned to this court for further

        consideration.

                                                                                          REMANDED

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