[PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________ FILED
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
No. 02-14660 FEBRUARY 28, 2003
Non-Argument Calendar THOMAS K. KAHN
________________________ CLERK
D.C. Docket No. 01-02155-CV-BBM-1
ROBERT LOVETT,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
WALTER S. RAY, Chairman,
GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF PARDONS
AND PAROLES,
Defendants-Appellees.
__________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court for the
Northern District of Georgia
_________________________
(February 28, 2003)
Before DUBINA, CARNES and MARCUS, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Robert Lovett, a state prisoner, filed a
42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint, alleging
that the defendants violated his constitutional right against ex post facto laws by
changing the frequency of his parole consideration under a newly enacted law.
The district court dismissed his complaint as time barred, and he now appeals pro
se. We affirm.
“We independently review the district court’s ruling concerning the
applicable statute of limitations.” Uboh v. Reno,
141 F.3d 1000, 1002 (11th Cir.
1998). “Federal courts apply their forum state’s statute of limitations for personal
injury actions to actions brought pursuant to
42 U.S.C. § 1983.”
Id. Federal law
determines when the statute of limitations begins to run. Rozar v. Mullis,
85 F.3d
556, 561 (11th Cir. 1996). Generally, “the statute of limitations does not begin to
run until the facts which would support a cause of action are apparent or should be
apparent to a person with a reasonably prudent regard for his rights.”
Id. at 561-62
(internal marks omitted).
Georgia’s statute of limitations is two years. Thigpen v. Bibb County, Ga.,
Sheriff’s Dep’t,
223 F.3d 1231, 1243 (11th Cir. 2000). Lott was notified by the
defendants in September 1998 that he would not be reconsidered for parole until
2006. As of that time he knew, or should have known, all of the facts necessary to
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pursue a cause of action, but he did not file his complaint until August 10, 2001,
more than two years later. Therefore, his claim was untimely.
Lott contends his complaint should not be time barred under the continuing
violation doctrine. “The critical distinction in the continuing violation analysis . . .
is whether the plaintiff[] complain[s] of the present consequence of a one time
violation, which does not extend the limitations period, or the continuation of that
violation into the present, which does.” Knight v. Columbus, Ga.,
19 F.3d 579,
580-81 (11th Cir. 1994) (internal marks omitted). Here, the defendants’ act
(deciding not to consider Lovett for parole again until 2006) was a one time act
with continued consequences, and the limitations period is not extended.
Lovett’s final argument is that the untimeliness of his complaint should be
excused. He states that he filed his complaint in 2000 but that it was not docketed
until later because of delays in the processing of his in forma pauperis paperwork.
Because he raises that argument for the first time in his reply brief, it is not
properly before us. Walker v. Jones,
10 F.3d 1569, 1572 (11th Cir. 1994). Further,
the only evidence regarding Lovett’s alleged 2000 complaint is an exhibit to his
reply brief, which appears to be from a different case because it contains a
different docket number.
AFFIRMED.
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