Filed: Feb. 22, 2002
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 01-50786 Summary Calendar JOSE MELENDREZ, JR., Plaintiff-Appellant, versus FRANCIS E. SEIB, Drug Enforcement Administration, head DEA Agent in charge of Eagle Pass, Texas, in his official capacity; MOSES PENA, Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA Agent in Eagle Pass, Texas, in his official capacity; LARRY LEON, Drug Enforcement Administration, former DEA Agent in Eagle Pass, Texas, not in San Antonio, Texas, in his official capacity
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 01-50786 Summary Calendar JOSE MELENDREZ, JR., Plaintiff-Appellant, versus FRANCIS E. SEIB, Drug Enforcement Administration, head DEA Agent in charge of Eagle Pass, Texas, in his official capacity; MOSES PENA, Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA Agent in Eagle Pass, Texas, in his official capacity; LARRY LEON, Drug Enforcement Administration, former DEA Agent in Eagle Pass, Texas, not in San Antonio, Texas, in his official capacity;..
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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 01-50786
Summary Calendar
JOSE MELENDREZ, JR.,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
FRANCIS E. SEIB, Drug Enforcement Administration, head DEA Agent
in charge of Eagle Pass, Texas, in his official capacity; MOSES
PENA, Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA Agent in Eagle Pass,
Texas, in his official capacity; LARRY LEON, Drug Enforcement
Administration, former DEA Agent in Eagle Pass, Texas, not in San
Antonio, Texas, in his official capacity; TONY QUINTANILLA,
Former County Investigator of Zapata County, now a U.S. Border
Patrol Agent in Fort Hancock, Texas, in his official capacity;
ARNOLDO RAMOS, Sergeant/Investigative Department of Public Safety
in Del Rio, Texas, in his official capacity; UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA,
Defendants-Appellees.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Texas
USDC No. DR-01-CV-1
--------------------
February 20, 2002
Before KING, Chief Judge, and JOLLY and DeMOSS, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Jose Melendrez, Jr., federal prisoner # 06688-059, appeals
the dismissal of his claims brought against state and federal
law-enforcement defendants under the Federal Tort Claims Act
(“FTCA”), 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and Bivens v. Six Unknown Named
*
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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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. 01-50786
-2-
Agents,
403 U.S. 388 (1971). Melendrez pleaded guilty to a drug-
trafficking conspiracy charge and was sentenced to prison in
1996. He now seeks damages under the FTCA on grounds that the
defendants committed torts of abuse of process and negligent
misrepresentation by recommending his prosecution on the
conspiracy charges while he was a confidential informant.
The district court correctly substituted the United States
for the individual federal defendants with respect to FTCA
claims. 28 U.S.C. § 2679(d); Rodriguez v. Sarabyn,
129 F.3d 760,
764 (5th Cir. 1997). The district court also correctly dismissed
the FTCA claims as time barred. Melendrez failed to show that he
had provided the defendants with adequate notice of his claim
within two years of its accrual as required by the FTCA. 28
U.S.C. § 2401(b); Montoya v. United States,
841 F.2d 102, 104
(5th Cir. 1988). Melendrez also failed to show any trickery or
inducement by the defendants that caused him to delay filing his
FTCA claim, and he therefore is not entitled to equitable tolling
of the limitation period. See Perez v. United States,
167 F.3d
913, 914 (5th Cir. 1999).
The district court correctly determined that Melendrez’s
§ 1983 claims were barred by Heck v. Humphrey,
512 U.S. 477
(1994). Melendrez’s damages all arise from his alleged wrongful
prosecution and imprisonment, so that his present action
necessarily implies that his conviction is invalid. Wells v.
Bonner,
45 F.3d 90, 94 (5th Cir. 1995). Accordingly, Melendrez
was required to show that his conviction had been set aside or
overturned in order for his civil rights action to accrue.
No. 01-50786
-3-
Wells, 45 F.3d at 94. The district court also correctly applied
Heck to any Bivens claims that might remain against the federal
defendants. Stephenson v. Reno,
28 F.3d 26, 27 (5th Cir. 1994).
The Bivens and § 1983 claims were correctly dismissed. Their
dismissal is “with prejudice to their being asserted again until
the Heck conditions are met.” Johnson v. McElveen,
101 F.3d 423,
424 (5th Cir. 1996).
We decline to consider Melendrez’s arguments that the
district judge should have recused himself, because Melendrez did
not properly seek recusal in the district court. See United
States v. Sanford,
157 F.3d 987, 988-89 (5th Cir. 1998). The
district court’s judgment is AFFIRMED.
Melendrez has also filed a motion to supplement the record.
However, the items he offers in supplementation are already in
the record. His motion to supplement is DENIED.
In his brief, appellee Tony Quintanilla has asked for an
award of costs for a frivolous appeal. Because he did not file a
separate motion as required by Fed. R. App. P. 38, we refuse to
consider the request.
DISMISSAL AFFIRMED; MOTION DENIED