Court Opinion

ID: 9901561
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-22 01:00:33.351835+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:21:35.210531
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-10574        Document: 00516976196             Page: 1      Date Filed: 11/21/2023

             United States Court of Appeals
                  for the Fifth Circuit
                                     ____________
                                                                               United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                        Fifth Circuit
                                      No. 23-10574
                                    Summary Calendar                                  FILED
                                    ____________                              November 21, 2023
                                                                                 Lyle W. Cayce
   James Arthur Meeks, III,                                                           Clerk

                                                                    Plaintiff—Appellant,

                                            versus

   Alvin DeBouse, United States Probation Officer, Northern District of
   Texas, Arlington Division; FNU LNU, Chief Probation Officer/Supervisor
   United States Probation-Northern District of Texas, Ed Kinkeade’s Courtroom-
   Arlington Division; FNU LNU, Supervisor, John Doe Task Force; John
   Doe Task Force,

                                              Defendants—Appellees.
                     ______________________________

                     Appeal from the United States District Court
                         for the Northern District of Texas
                               USDC No. 4:23-CV-313
                     ______________________________

   Before Barksdale, Engelhardt, and Wilson, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *

         _____________________
         *
             This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-10574       Document: 00516976196          Page: 2    Date Filed: 11/21/2023

                                     No. 23-10574

          James Arthur Meeks, III, Texas prisoner # 00543366 and proceeding
   pro se, contests the district court’s dismissing his civil-rights claims for want
   of prosecution.
          Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b), a district court can
   dismiss sua sponte a plaintiff’s action for want of prosecution. E.g., McNeal v.
   Papasan, 842 F.2d 787, 789–90 (5th Cir. 1988). “Unless the dismissal order
   states otherwise, a dismissal under this subdivision (b) . . . operates as an
   adjudication on the merits.”       Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b) (“Involuntary
   Dismissal”). Review is for abuse of discretion. McNeal, 842 F.2d at 789–90.
          Because the judgment did not state the dismissal was without
   prejudice, it is presumed to have been with prejudice. See Fernandez-Montes
   v. Allied Pilots Ass’n, 987 F.2d 278, 284 n.8 (5th Cir. 1993) (“[I]t is well
   established that a dismissal is presumed to be with prejudice unless the order
   explicitly states otherwise”.). The court, however, clarified in its order
   denying Meeks’ Rule 59(e) motion to alter or amend judgment that “[t]he
   dismissal was without prejudice in any event”. Nevertheless, the court
   denied the motion and did not amend its earlier judgment.
          The judgment is VACATED; this matter is REMANDED for
   entry of judgment without prejudice.

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