Jerry Daniel Ferguson v. Warden, Everglades Re-Entry Center ( 2018 )

Case: 16-17667 Date Filed: 03/01/2018 Page: 1 of 4
[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
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No. 16-17667
Non-Argument Calendar
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D.C. Docket No. 1:16-cv-23576-RNS
JERRY DANIEL FERGUSON,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
WARDEN, EVERGLADES RE-ENTRY CENTER,
WILLIE BOWENS,
Supervisor of Classification, Everglades Re-Entry Center,
Defendants-Appellees.
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Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Florida
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(March 1, 2018)
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Before TJOFLAT, JULIE CARNES and HULL, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Jerry Ferguson, a prisoner proceeding pro se, appeals the sua sponte
dismissal of his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action, filed in forma pauperis, alleging a
violation of his right to access the courts based on his inability to use the
Everglades Re-Entry Center’s law library. 1 He also appeals the District Court’s
denial of his Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e) motion to alter or amend the
Court’s order denying his § 1983 claim. However, Ferguson did not include the
order denying his Rule 59(e) motion in his notice of appeal, so we lack jurisdiction
to consider it. Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(4)(B)(ii). We turn to the order dismissing his
§ 1983 action.
A court “shall dismiss” a case filed in forma pauperis if the court determines
that the complaint “fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted.” 28
U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). We review de novo a district court’s dismissal for
failure to state a claim, using the same standards that govern Rule 12(b)(6)
dismissals. Mitchell v. Farcass, 112 F.3d 1483, 1490 (11th Cir. 1997). To prevail
in a § 1983 civil rights action, a plaintiff must prove that he was deprived of a
federal right by a person acting under color of state law. Griffin v. City of Opa–
Locka, 261 F.3d 1295, 1303 (11th Cir. 2001).
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The District Court’s dismissal of Ferguson’s § 1983 claim came in the form of an order
adopting the Magistrate Judge’s report and recommendation that the claim be dismissed.
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“[T]he fundamental constitutional right of access to the courts requires
prison authorities to assist inmates in the preparation and filing of meaningful legal
papers by providing prisoners with adequate law libraries or adequate legal
assistance from persons trained in the law.” Bounds v. Smith, 430 U.S. 817, 828,
97 S. Ct. 1491, 1498 (1977). But there is no freestanding right to a law library,
litigation tools, or legal assistance; a plaintiff must show “actual injury” in order to
state a viable claim for interference with access to the courts. Lewis v. Casey, 518
U.S. 343, 349, 351, 116 S. Ct. 2174, 2179–80 (1996). A plaintiff seeking to prove
an access to the courts claim must identify in his complaint a nonfrivolous,
arguable underlying claim for which he seeks relief. Barbour v. Haley, 471 F.3d
1222, 1226 (11th Cir. 2006). The injury requirement is satisfied when a plaintiff
shows he was prejudiced in a criminal appeal, postconviction motion, or civil
rights action in which he sought to “vindicate basic constitutional rights.” Lewis,
518 U.S. at 354, 116 S. Ct. at 2181–82 (quotation omitted).
Ferguson summarily argues that had he been granted access to the prison’s
law library, he could have objected to a Magistrate Judge’s report and
recommendation that a habeas corpus petition filed by Ferguson be dismissed as
time-barred and on the merits. But Ferguson failed to allege in his complaint here
that, had he been given access to the prison law library, he could have
nonfrivolously challenged the Magistrate’s report and recommendation. He
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therefore did not allege an actual injury. Accordingly, the District Court did not
err in dismissing Ferguson’s § 1983 claim.
AFFIRMED.
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