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JOHNNY L. BUTLER,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et
al.,
Defendants-Appellees.
No. 01-6447
53 Fed. Appx. 748
December 11, 2002, Filed
NOTICE:
NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FULL-TEXT PUBLICATION. SIXTH CIRCUIT RULE 28(g) LIMITS
CITATION TO SPECIFIC SITUATIONS. PLEASE SEE RULE 28(g) BEFORE CITING IN A
PROCEEDING IN A COURT IN THE SIXTH CIRCUIT. IF CITED, A COPY MUST BE SERVED ON
OTHER PARTIES AND THE COURT. THIS NOTICE IS TO BE PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED IF THIS
DECISION IS REPRODUCED.
Before: NORRIS and GILMAN, Circuit Judges; MCKEAGUE, District
Judge. *
Johnny L.
Butler, a pro se federal prisoner, appeals a district court judgment dismissing
his civil rights complaint filed pursuant to Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents
of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388, 29 L. Ed. 2d 619, 91 S. Ct. 1999
(1971) and the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2671. This case has been
referred to a panel of the court pursuant to Rule 34(j)(1), Rules of the Sixth
Circuit. Upon examination, this panel unanimously agrees that oral argument is
not needed. Fed. R. App. P. 34(a).
Seeking
monetary relief, Butler sued the United States of America and multiple prison
officials contending that his constitutional rights were violated because he was asked by a prison
guard, in front of other inmates, for the names of inmates who were selling
drugs at the facility. Butler also stated that the defendants conspired to
cover-up this constitutional violation. The district court dismissed the case
as Butler had not paid the required filing fee. The district court noted that
Butler's complaint had violated its prior sanction order and that the complaint
did not satisfy the imminent danger exception of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g).
In his timely appeal, Butler contends that the district court
should not have dismissed the complaint
without first addressing its merits.
The
district court's judgment is reviewed for an abuse of discretion. See Gibson v.
R.G. Smith, Co., 915 F.2d 260, 261 (6th Cir. 1990). The "three
strikes" provision of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g) provides:
In no event shall a prisoner bring a civil action or
appeal a judgment in a civil action or proceeding under this section if the
prisoner has, on 3 or more prior occasions, while incarcerated or detained in
any facility, brought an action or appeal in a court of the United States that
was dismissed on the grounds that it is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state
a claim upon which relief may be granted, unless a prisoner is under imminent
danger of serious physical injury.
Butler does not contest the fact that he had three prior frivolous dismissals. Rather, he argues that the district court erred in not addressing the merits of his complaint. What Butler fails to realize is that because he satisfies § 1915(g), he may not seek pauper status in the district court. Instead, he must pay the required filing fee before his action may proceed. The statute forbids almost all attempts by indigent prisoners to gain access to the federal courts in civil actions if they have had three prior dismissals as described in § 1915(g). Wilson v. Yaklich, 148 F.3d 596, 602 (6th Cir. 1998). Thus, the district court could not address the merits of Butler's complaint.
Further,
Butler has not alleged any facts to establish that he is in imminent danger of
serious physical injury. Therefore, he does not fit within the exception to the
statutory mandate that prohibits him from proceeding in forma pauperis in light
of his three prior frivolous dismissals.
[*750] Accordingly, we affirm
the district court's judgment. Rule 34(j)(2)(C), Rules of the Sixth
Circuit.
* The
Honorable David W. McKeague, United States District Judge for the Western
District of Michigan, sitting by designation.
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