Filed: May 09, 2001
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 00-60719 Summary Calendar ANTHONY CHESTER WHITE, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus COMMUNITY BANCSHARES OF MISSISSIPPI, INC., doing business as Community Bank of Mississippi; COMMUNITY BANK, of Indianola Inc., referred to collectively as “Community Bank” and formerly known as Peoples Bank of Mississippi; FREDDIE J. BAGLEY; THOMAS COLBERT, Defendants-Appellees. _ COMMUNITY BANCSHARES OF MISSISSIPPI, INC.; COMMUNITY BANK, Indianola, Mississ
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 00-60719 Summary Calendar ANTHONY CHESTER WHITE, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus COMMUNITY BANCSHARES OF MISSISSIPPI, INC., doing business as Community Bank of Mississippi; COMMUNITY BANK, of Indianola Inc., referred to collectively as “Community Bank” and formerly known as Peoples Bank of Mississippi; FREDDIE J. BAGLEY; THOMAS COLBERT, Defendants-Appellees. _ COMMUNITY BANCSHARES OF MISSISSIPPI, INC.; COMMUNITY BANK, Indianola, Mississi..
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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 00-60719
Summary Calendar
ANTHONY CHESTER WHITE,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
COMMUNITY BANCSHARES OF MISSISSIPPI, INC., doing business as
Community Bank of Mississippi; COMMUNITY BANK, of Indianola
Inc., referred to collectively as “Community Bank” and formerly
known as Peoples Bank of Mississippi; FREDDIE J. BAGLEY;
THOMAS COLBERT,
Defendants-Appellees.
_____________________________________________________________
COMMUNITY BANCSHARES OF MISSISSIPPI, INC.; COMMUNITY BANK,
Indianola, Mississippi; COMMUNITY BANK OF MISSISSIPPI;
FREDDIE J. BAGLEY; THOMAS COLBERT,
Plaintiffs-Appellees,
versus
ANTHONY CHESTER WHITE,
Defendant-Appellant.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Mississippi
USDC No. 3:98-CV-798-WS c/w
USDC No. 3:98-CV-799-WS
--------------------
May 9, 2001
Before DAVIS, JONES and DeMOSS, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
*
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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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. 00-60719
-2-
Community Bancshares of Mississippi, Inc. (the Bank) filed a
civil action in the chancery court of Rankin County, Mississippi,
against Anthony Chester White. White removed this action to
federal court. White also filed a separate complaint against the
Bank in federal court alleging jurisdiction under 42 U.S.C.
§ 1985 and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
(ERISA). The district court consolidated the two actions.
The district court remanded the Bank’s complaint to state
court for lack of federal-question jurisdiction. We are without
jurisdiction to review the remand. 28 U.S.C. § 1447(d);
Albarado v. S. Pac. Transp. Co.,
199 F.3d 762, 764 (5th Cir.
1999).
In accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) the district
court dismissed White’s complaint for failure to state a claim.
We review the Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal de novo. Barrientos v.
Reliance Standard Life Ins. Co.,
911 F.2d 1115, 1116 (5th Cir.
1990). We construe all of the allegations in the complaint
favorably to White and accept as true all well-pleaded facts in
the complaint. See Kaiser Aluminum & Chem. Sales, Inc. v.
Avondale Shipyards, Inc.,
677 F.2d 1045, 1050 (5th Cir. 1982).
White has failed to allege a cause of action under § 1985
because he has not alleged a private conspiracy to deprive him of
rights protected by the Equal Protection Clause and the Due
Process Clause. See Mississippi Women's Med. Clinic v. McMillan,
866 F.2d 788, 793 (5th Cir. 1989). Section 1985(3) "was designed
to prevent deprivation of equal protection of the laws and equal
privileges and immunities, not to serve as a general federal tort
No. 00-60719
-3-
law that would permit a suit for fraud or breach of contract."
Jackson v. Cox,
540 F.2d 209, 210 (5th Cir. 1976).
White argues that he has stated a claim on which relief can
be granted under ERISA, 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a). "[A] denial of
benefits challenged under §1132(a)(1)(B) is to be reviewed under
a de novo standard unless the benefit plan gives the
administrator or fiduciary discretionary authority to determine
eligibility for benefits or to construe the terms of the plan."
Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Bruch,
489 U.S. 101, 115 (1989).
White has not alleged that he has requested benefits as specified
under the various benefit plans. "An ERISA cause of action
accrues when a request for benefits is denied." Hogan v. Kraft
Foods,
969 F.2d 142, 145 (5th Cir. 1992). The district court did
not err in dismissing this claim.
White’s appeal from the district court's dismissal of his
complaint and the remand to the state court of the Bank’s suit is
without merit and is thus frivolous. IT IS DISMISSED. See
Howard v. King,
707 F.2d 215, 219-20 (5th Cir. 1983); 5th Cir.
R. 42.2.
The Bank’s motion to dismiss the remand portion of the
appeal is DENIED AS UNNECESSARY.
APPEAL DISMISSED; MOTION DENIED AS UNNECESSARY.