Court Opinion

ID: 9941812
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-17 01:02:04.136299+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:47:03.900467
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-11005            Document: 26-1         Page: 1      Date Filed: 02/16/2024

           United States Court of Appeals
                for the Fifth Circuit
                                   ____________
                                                                             United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                      Fifth Circuit
                                     No. 23-11005
                                   ____________                                     FILED
                                                                             February 16, 2024
Donald Keith Dennis,                                                           Lyle W. Cayce
                                                                                    Clerk
                                                                  Plaintiff—Appellant,

                                          versus

Joseph Eastridge; Grace Francis; Marcia Odal; Kenyon
Page,

                                            Defendants—Appellees.
                   ______________________________

                   Appeal from the United States District Court
                       for the Northern District of Texas
                             USDC No. 7:21-CV-64
                   ______________________________

Before Stewart, Graves, and Oldham, Circuit Judges.
Per Curiam: *
       Donald Keith Dennis, Texas prisoner # 01093314, has filed a motion
to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP) in this appeal from the dismissal of his
civil rights complaint. Dennis’s IFP motion challenges the district court’s
determination that any appeal is not taken in good faith. See Baugh v. Taylor,
117 F.3d 197, 202 (5th Cir. 1997). This court’s inquiry into whether the

       _____________________
       *
           This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-11005         Document: 26-1      Page: 2     Date Filed: 02/16/2024

                                  No. 23-11005

appeal is taken in good faith “is limited to whether the appeal involves ‘legal
points arguable on their merits (and therefore not frivolous).’” Howard v.
King, 707 F.2d 215, 220 (5th Cir. 1983) (citation omitted).
       The district court concluded that Dennis’s allegations failed to state a
cognizable claim under the Eighth Amendment that the defendants denied
him medical care or were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs. See
Gobert v. Caldwell, 463 F.3d 339, 345-46 (5th Cir. 2006). Moreover, the
district court determined that the defendants could not be held liable in a
supervisory capacity or for their handling of his prison grievances. See Monell
v. Dep’t of Soc. Servs. 436 U.S. 658, 691-95 (1978); Geiger v. Jowers, 404 F.3d
371, 374 (5th Cir. 2005). Because Dennis fails to meaningfully brief any
challenge to the district court’s reasons for dismissing his civil rights action,
the issues are abandoned. See Yohey v. Collins, 985 F.2d 222, 225 (5th Cir.
1993); Brinkmann v. Dallas Cnty. Deputy Sheriff Abner, 813 F.2d 744, 748 (5th
Cir. 1987). Further, we do not consider Dennis’s implicit challenge to the
district court’s severance of his inadequate-medical-care claims from his
unrelated excessive-use-of-force claims, as Dennis raises that challenge for
the first time on appeal. See Leverette v. Louisville Ladder Co., 183 F.3d 339,
342 (5th Cir. 1999).
       Dennis does not make the requisite showing that he has a nonfrivolous
issue for appeal. See Howard, 707 F.2d at 220. Accordingly, his motion to
proceed IFP is DENIED, and his appeal is DISMISSED as frivolous. See
Baugh, 117 F.3d at 202 n.24; 5th Cir. R. 42.2.
       The district court’s dismissal of Dennis’s complaint for failure to state
a claim and this court’s dismissal of this appeal as frivolous count as strikes
under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). See Coleman v. Tollefson, 575 U.S. 532, 535-39
(2015). Dennis has previously received two strikes under § 1915(g). See
Dennis v. Blanchard, 591 F. App’x 300, 300-01 (5th Cir. 2015). Because

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Case: 23-11005        Document: 26-1       Page: 3     Date Filed: 02/16/2024

                                  No. 23-11005

Dennis now has at least three strikes, he is BARRED from proceeding IFP
in any civil action or appeal filed in a court of the United States while he is
incarcerated or detained in any facility unless he is under imminent danger of
serious physical injury. See § 1915(g). He is WARNED that any pending or
future frivolous or repetitive filings in this court or any court subject to this
court’s jurisdiction may subject him to additional sanctions, and he is
directed to review all pending matters and move to dismiss any that are
frivolous, repetitive, or otherwise abusive.

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