Filed: Mar. 14, 2001
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 00-11219 Summary Calendar MITCHELL EARL WAITES, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus GARY JOHNSON, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice; CATHERINE G. ZILAHY, Assistant District Attorney, Defendants-Appellees. - - - - - - - - - - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 3:00-CV-2004-G - - - - - - - - - - March 14, 2001 Before DAVIS, JONES, and DeMOSS, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Mitch
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 00-11219 Summary Calendar MITCHELL EARL WAITES, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus GARY JOHNSON, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice; CATHERINE G. ZILAHY, Assistant District Attorney, Defendants-Appellees. - - - - - - - - - - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 3:00-CV-2004-G - - - - - - - - - - March 14, 2001 Before DAVIS, JONES, and DeMOSS, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Mitche..
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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 00-11219
Summary Calendar
MITCHELL EARL WAITES,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
GARY JOHNSON, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice;
CATHERINE G. ZILAHY, Assistant District Attorney,
Defendants-Appellees.
- - - - - - - - - -
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Texas
USDC No. 3:00-CV-2004-G
- - - - - - - - - -
March 14, 2001
Before DAVIS, JONES, and DeMOSS, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Mitchell Earl Waites, Texas prisoner # 930982, appeals from
the dismissal as frivolous of his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). Construed liberally, Waites
contends that his showing of state habeas relief is sufficient to
surmount the bar imposed to his claim by Heck v. Humphrey,
512
U.S. 477, 486-87 (1994). Waites does not challenge on appeal the
dismissal of his habeas claims as duplicative. Issues which are
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined
that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent
except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.
R. 47.5.4.
No. 00-11219
-2-
not briefed on appeal are waived. Brinkmann v. Dallas County
Deputy Sheriff Abner,
813 F.2d 744, 748 (5th Cir. 1987).
This court reviews a dismissal under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)
only for abuse of discretion. See Siglar v. Hightower,
112 F.3d
191, 193 (5th Cir. 1997). An in forma pauperis complaint is
properly dismissed under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) as frivolous “if
it lacks an arguable basis in law or fact.”
In Heck, the Supreme Court held that a § 1983 plaintiff may
not recover damages for an unlawful conviction or sentence unless
the plaintiff shows “that the conviction or sentence has been
reversed on direct appeal, expunged by executive order, declared
invalid by a state tribunal authorized to make such
determination, or called into question by a federal court’s
issuance of a writ of habeas
corpus.” 512 U.S. at 486-87. Heck
applies to challenges to the computation of a prisoner’s
sentence. See McGrew v. Texas Bd. of Pardons & Paroles,
47 F.3d
158, 160-61 (5th Cir. 1995).
In dismissing Waites’ complaint pursuant to Heck, the
district court did not explicitly consider evidence presented by
Waites regarding state habeas proceedings in which Waites
requested and obtained an additional 198 days’ credit to his
sentence. Because this additional evidence may have been
sufficient to surmount the Heck bar, the district court abused
its discretion in dismissing Waites’ complaint as frivolous.
Accordingly, we vacate the district court’s dismissal of Waites’
complaint as frivolous and remand with instructions that the
No. 00-11219
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district court further develop Waites’ complaint in light of the
state habeas proceedings and Heck.
VACATED AND REMANDED.