Garner v. Collier ( 2003 )


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  •                                                                 United States Court of Appeals
    Fifth Circuit
    F I L E D
    IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    June 13, 2003
    FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
    Charles R. Fulbruge III
    Clerk
    No. 03-50064
    Summary Calendar
    CHRIS GARNER,
    Plaintiff-Appellant,
    versus
    BRIAN COLLIER, Director, Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles;
    GERALD GARRETT, Chairman, Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles,
    Defendants-Appellees.
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Western District of Texas
    (A-02-CV-492-JN)
    Before BARKSDALE, DeMOSS, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM:*
    Chris Garner, Texas prisoner # 716389, appeals, pro se, the
    dismissal of his 
    42 U.S.C. § 1983
     complaint pursuant to FED. R. CIV.
    P. 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim.                We review a Rule
    12(b)(6) dismissal de novo.       E.g., Cousin v. Small, 
    325 F.3d 627
    ,
    631 (5th Cir. 2003).
    Garner contends he was deprived of an opportunity to amend his
    complaint   to   state   a   claim.   Garner    has    failed    to    identify
    *
    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    this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except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.
    additional facts that could have been pleaded to state a civil
    rights claim, and he set forth his “best case” in the district
    court; thus, any error in not allowing amendment was harmless. See
    Bazrowx v. Scott, 
    136 F.3d 1053
    , 1054 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 
    525 U.S. 865
     (1998).
    Garner also contends the Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal was premature
    because there were ambiguities in the controlling substantive law
    that should have been resolved in his favor.          Cook v. Texas Dep’t
    of Criminal Justice Transitional Planning Dep’t, 
    37 F.3d 166
     (5th
    Cir. 1994), did not call into question the long-standing rule that
    Texas prisoners have no protected liberty interest in parole and,
    therefore,   cannot    challenge   the    constitutionality     of   review
    procedures   attendant    to   parole    decisions.      See   Johnson    v.
    Rodriguez, 
    110 F.3d 299
    , 308 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 
    522 U.S. 995
    (1997).
    As a Texas prisoner, Garner is precluded from complaining that
    the procedures used to determine his parole eligibility were
    unconstitutional.     See 
    id. at 308
    . Garner has therefore not stated
    a claim upon which relief can be granted.
    AFFIRMED
    2