Federal Circuits, 11th Cir. (July 14, 2006)
Docket number: 03-01435
Not Published
05-14961 - Not Published
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http://vlex.com/vid/ben-burt-v-timothy-martin-20991921
Id. vLex: VLEX-20991921
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[D O NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS F O R THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT FILED U .S . COURT OF APPEALS E L E V E N T H CIRCUIT J u ly 14, 2006 N o . 05-14961 T H O M A S K. KAHN N o n - A r g u m e n t Calendar CLERK D . C. Docket No. 03-01435-CV-B-NWB E N BURT, JR., Plaintiff-Appellant, versusTIMOTHY MARTIN, SR.,MD,SHOALS FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC,JOHN L. ALDRIDGE,in his individual and official capacityas Sheriff of Colbert County,DWIGHT WILSON,in his individual and official capacityas a Deputy of Colbert County,GEORGE SHARP,in his individual and official capacityas a Deputy of Colbert County, et al., Defendants-Appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court fo r the Northern District of Alabama (July 14, 2006) B efo re MARCUS, WILSON and KRAVITCH, Circuit Judges. P E R CURIAM: B e n Burt, Jr., an Alabama prisoner proceeding pro se, appeals the dismissal o f his 42U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights action. His complaint alleged that the d efen d an ts, Timothy Martin, M.D., Shoal Family Medical Center, Sheriff John L. A ld rid g e, Sheriff's Deputies Dwight Wilson and George Sharp, Billy Blackwell, a n d several Colbert County Jail Commissioners, denied Burt adequate medical care in violation of his Eighth Amendment rights; used excessive force in medical tr ea tm e n t; unlawfully seized him; and failed to adequately train staff. The district co u rt dismissed the claim sua sponte, prior to service of process, for failure to state a claim under 28U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1), because the action was filed beyond the ap p licab le statute of limitations period. Burt now appeals. S ectio n 1915A(a) requires the district court to perform a screening review of an y civil complaint filed by a prisoner against a government official. Such a co m p lain t may be dismissed if it "fails to state a claim upon which relief may be g r a n te d ." 28U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1). Dismissal of a prisoner's complaint as tim e-b arred prior to service will also be appropriate if it "appear[s] beyond a doubt fro m the complaint itself that [the prisoner] can prove no set of facts which would a v o id a statute of limitations bar.'" Hughes v. Lott, 350 F.3d 1157, 1163 (11th Cir. 2 0 0 3 ) (citing Leal v. Ga. Dep't of Corrs., 254 F.3d 1276, 1280 (11th Cir. 2001)). W e review de novo a district court's sua sponte dismissal of a complaint for failu re to state a claim pursuant to 28U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1), viewing the alleg atio n s in the complaint as true. See Leal, 254 F.3d at 1278-79; Mitchell v. F arcass, 112 F.3d 1483, 1490 (11th Cir. 1997) (applying the same standards as a d ism issal under Fed. R. Civ. P 12(b)(6) to dismissal under § 1915A(b)(1)). In states where more than one statute of limitations exists, the forum state's g en eral or residual personal injury statute of limitations applies to all § 1983 actio n s filed in federal court in that state. Owens v. Okure, 488 U.S. 235, 236, 2 4 9 -5 0 , 109 S.Ct. 573, 574, 580-82, 102 L.Ed.2d 594 (1989). In Alabama, the resid u al personal injury limitation period is two years. Jones v. Preuit & Mauldin, 8 7Try vLex for FREE for 3 days
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