Hinkle v. Parsons ( 2001 )


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  •                IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
    No. 01-40381
    Conference Calendar
    ERIC R. HINKLE,
    Plaintiff-Appellant,
    versus
    JAMES N. PARSONS, Presiding Judge - 349th Judicial
    District Court; TOM B. RAMEY, JR., Chief Justice -
    12th Court of Appeals; ROBY HADDEN, Justice - 12th
    Court of Appeals; JIM WORTHEN, Justice - 12th Court
    of Appeals; THOMAS R. PHILLIPS, Chief Justice, Texas
    Supreme Court; NATHAN L. HECHT, Justice - Texas
    Supreme Court; CRAIG T. ENOCH, Justice - Texas Supreme
    Court; PRISCILLA R. OWENS, Justice - Texas Supreme
    Court; JAMES A. BARKER, Justice - Texas Supreme Court;
    GREG ABBOTT, Justice - Texas Supreme Court; DEBORAH G.
    HANKINSON, Justice - Texas Supreme Court; HARRIET
    O’NEILL, Justice - Texas Supreme Court; ALBERTO R.
    GONZALEZ, Justice - Texas Supreme Court,
    Defendants-Appellees.
    - - - - - - - - - -
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Eastern District of Texas
    USDC No. 9:00-CV-311
    - - - - - - - - - -
    October 26, 2001
    Before WIENER, BENAVIDES, and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM:*
    Eric R. Hinkle, a Texas prisoner (# 849430), appeals from
    the district court’s sua sponte dismissal of his 
    42 U.S.C. § 1983
    civil rights complaint as frivolous and for failure to state a
    *
    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    that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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. 01-40381
    -2-
    claim upon which relief may be granted, pursuant to 
    28 U.S.C. § 1915
    (e)(2)(B)(i) and (ii).
    The district court concluded that the judicial defendants
    were entitled to absolute judicial immunity and that, to the
    extent that Hinkle sought injunctive relief, he was seeking
    review of adverse state-court decisions, a remedy barred by the
    “Rooker/Feldman” doctrine.     See Davis v. Bayless, 
    70 F.3d 367
    ,
    376 (5th Cir. 1995); Rooker v. Fidelity Trust Co., 
    263 U.S. 413
    (1923); District of Columbia Court of Appeals v. Feldman, 
    460 U.S. 462
     (1983).    The district court did not abuse its discretion
    in concluding that, based on these grounds, Hinkle’s complaint
    was frivolous.     See Harper v. Showers, 
    174 F.3d 716
    , 718 (5th
    Cir. 1998).
    Because Hinkle’s appeal is without arguable merit, the
    appeal is DISMISSED as frivolous.    5TH CIR. R. 42.2; see Howard v.
    King, 
    707 F.2d 215
    , 219-20 (5th Cir. 1983).    The dismissal of the
    instant appeal as frivolous and the district court’s dismissal of
    his § 1983 complaint as frivolous each count as a “strike” under
    the three-strikes provision of 
    28 U.S.C. § 1915
    (g).     See Adepegba
    v. Hammons, 
    103 F.3d 383
    , 387 (5th Cir. 1996).    Hinkle is
    cautioned that, once he accumulates three strikes, he may not
    proceed IFP in any civil action or appeal filed while he is
    incarcerated or detained in any facility unless he is under
    imminent danger of serious physical injury.     See 
    28 U.S.C. § 1915
    (g).
    APPEAL DISMISSED; SANCTION WARNING ISSUED.