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Abbott v. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections ( 2011 )


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  •     GLD-174                                               NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
___________
No. 11-1098
___________
DOMINIC JOSEPH ABBOTT,
Appellant
v.
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS;
ATTORNEY FOR COMMONWEALTH; ATTORNEY ROBERT E. STEWART;
CLERK CAROL MOSS; ALLEGHENY COUNTY LAWYER AND PUBLIC
DEFENDERS OFFICE
____________________________________
On Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Pennsylvania
(D.C. Civil No. 2-10-cv-01285)
District Judge: Honorable Donetta W. Ambrose
____________________________________
Submitted for Possible Dismissal Pursuant to
    28 U.S.C. § 1915
    (e)(2)(B)
or Summary Action Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 27.4 and I.O.P. 10.6
April 28, 2011
Before: AMBRO, CHAGARES and GREENBERG, Circuit Judges
(Opinion filed: May 4, 2011)
_________
OPINION
_________
PER CURIAM
Pro se appellant Dominic Abbott, an inmate at SCI-Graterford, appeals the District
Court’s order dismissing his complaint under
    28 U.S.C. § 1915
    (e). We have jurisdiction
pursuant to
    28 U.S.C. § 1291
     and exercise plenary review over the District Court’s order.
See Allah v. Seiverling,
    229 F.3d 220
    , 223 (3d Cir. 2000). For the reasons detailed
below, we will summarily affirm the District Court’s judgment.
In a perfunctory complaint, Abbott alleged that the defendants (who will be treated
collectively in this opinion) miscalculated his criminal sentence. More specifically, he
claimed that the defendants improperly failed to credit the first 36 days that he served
against his sentence. He asserted his claim under
    42 U.S.C. § 1983
    , and requested money
damages.
A magistrate judge recommended that the District Court dismiss the complaint.
The magistrate judge concluded that, to the extent that Abbott sought damages, he could
prosecute his § 1983 action only after showing that his sentence had been called into
question, and to the extent that he sought an earlier release, the remedy was available
only through habeas corpus proceedings. See Heck v. Humphrey,
    512 U.S. 477
    , 486-87
(1994); Preiser v. Rodriguez,
    411 U.S. 475
    , 487 (1973). The District Court approved and
adopted the report and recommendation, and dismissed Abbott’s complaint. Abbott then
filed a timely notice of appeal.
We interpret Abbott’s complaint to seek only money damages, and not an
accelerated release from prison. We agree with the District Court that this claim is barred
by Heck. Under Heck, as relevant here, a civil-rights plaintiff cannot recover damages
for harm caused by actions that implicate the length of his confinement unless he can
2
prove that the erroneous calculation has been reversed, invalidated, or called into
question by a grant of federal habeas corpus relief. See Heck,
    512 U.S. at 486-87
    ; see
also Muhammad v. Close,
    540 U.S. 749
    , 751 (2004) (“where success in a prisoner’s
§ 1983 damages action would implicitly question the validity of conviction or duration of
sentence, the litigant must first achieve favorable termination of his available state, or
federal habeas, opportunities to challenge the underlying conviction or sentence”).
Abbott challenges the duration of his confinement, but has not shown that his sentence
has been reversed or questioned. His claim is therefore not cognizable under § 1983. See
Williams v. Consovoy,
    453 F.3d 173
    , 177 (3d Cir. 2006) (challenge to parole board’s
decision barred by Heck); Erlin v. United States,
    364 F.3d 1127
    , 1131 (9th Cir. 2004)
(Heck applies to “claim for damages . . . for the miscalculation of [plaintiff’s] required
term of imprisonment under his valid sentences”). 1
We further discern no error in the District Court’s conclusion that it would be
futile to permit Abbott to amend his complaint. See Phillips v. County of Allegheny,
    515 F.3d 224
    , 236 (3d Cir. 2008). Abbott’s claim fails as a matter of law, and he could not
cure its deficiencies with further pleading.
We will thus summarily affirm the District Court’s order dismissing Abbott’s
complaint. See 3d Cir. L.A.R. 27.4; I.O.P. 10.6.
1
It appears that Abbott may have now served this sentence in full. Even assuming
that this is true, the rule of Heck remains applicable. See Gilles v. Davis,
    427 F.3d 197
    , 210-11
(3d Cir. 2005).
3