Court Opinion

ID: 9941811
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-17 01:02:03.384414+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:47:04.754796
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-20538           Document: 52-1        Page: 1      Date Filed: 02/16/2024

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

                                  ____________                                    FILED
                                                                           February 16, 2024
                                   No. 23-20538                              Lyle W. Cayce
                                 Summary Calendar                                 Clerk
                                 ____________

Steven E. Greer,

                                                                 Plaintiff—Appellant,

                                         versus

The Lancet; Dan Erkes; Elsevier; RELX plc,

                                           Defendants—Appellees.
                  ______________________________

                  Appeal from the United States District Court
                      for the Southern District of Texas
                           USDC No. 4:23-CV-3761
                  ______________________________

Before Smith, Higginson, and Engelhardt, Circuit Judges.
Per Curiam: *
      Steven Greer appeals from the district court’s dismissal with
prejudice of his action against The Lancet, Dan Erkes, Elsevier, and RELX
PLC (“Defendants”).           Greer filed his complaint on October 5, 2023.
Fourteen days later—before Defendants filed either an answer or a motion
for summary judgment, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i)—Greer filed a

      _____________________
      *
          This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-20538            Document: 52-1       Page: 2   Date Filed: 02/16/2024

                                     No. 23-20538

notice of voluntary dismissal, “giv[ing] notice that the [] action is voluntarily
dismissed without prejudice against the defendants.”
         The following day, the district court purported to dismiss the case
“with prejudice as to all Defendants pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil
Procedure 41(a)(1)(A)(i).” The court’s order provided no further reasoning.
Under Rule 41(a)(1)(B), however, “dismissal is without prejudice,” unless
“the plaintiff previously dismissed any federal- or state-court action based on
or including the same claim.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(1)(B) (emphasis
added); see Welsh v. Correct Care, L.L.C., 915 F.3d 341, 342-44 (5th Cir.
2019).
         Accordingly, we VACATE and REMAND to the district court to
explain whether Greer has previously dismissed any action based on the same
claim or, in the alternative, to DISMISS WITHOUT PREJUDICE
Greer’s action. 1

         _____________________
         1
             Greer’s motion to supplement the record on appeal is DENIED AS MOOT.

                                           2