Smith v. Mitchell , 117 F. App'x 271 ( 2004 )

UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 04-7321
LEONARD A. SMITH,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
versus
JOSEPHINE MITCHELL; REBECCA SMITH; FRED PAUER;
BRENDA YOUNG; BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS TREATMENT
PROGRAM,
Defendants - Appellees.
No. 04-7322
LEONARD A. SMITH,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
and
LEW E. WALLACE, III; ALFRED OLIVER; MICHAEL
MALO; DELMER BURNETT; ERNEST A. LARCH; DONALD
RAY PERRY; JERRY MARCUS; FRANKIE MULLER;
CALVIN WILLIAMS; ROBERT W. WIDEMAN; ANTHONY
MCQUEEN; CALVIN GARY; MARION CAMPBELL; JOE H.
GALLOWAY; ALVIN CANTRELL; RAYMOND MAGAZINE;
KEVIN G. BELT,
Plaintiffs,
versus
WILLIAM D. CATOE, Director of the South
Carolina Department of Corrections,
Defendant - Appellee.
No. 04-7323
LEONARD A. SMITH,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
versus
LARRY MONTGOMERY, Doctor, individually and as
Program Coordinator of the Behavioral Disorder
Treatment Program of the South Carolina
Department of Mental Health; JOSEPHINE
MITCHELL; FRED PAUER; SOUTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH,
Defendants - Appellees.
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NELSON BOOTH; PAUL NEWMAN ALLEN; DONALD L.
MCCRACKEN,
Movants.
No. 04-7324
LEONARD A. SMITH,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
versus
LATOYA SPELL; JOSEPHINE MITCHELL; REBECCA
SMITH; FRED PAUER; RANKI PICKENS; BRENDA
YOUNG,
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Defendants - Appellees.
No. 04-7325
LEONARD A. SMITH,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
versus
RALPH S. BEARDSLEY, Warden of Turbeville
Correctional Institution; GEORGE MARTIN, III,
Warden, Regional Administrator; ARMSTRONG,
Retired Deputy Warden; SHERRI LOPEZ; DAVID
AREL,
Defendants - Appellees.
Appeals from the United States District Court for the District of
South Carolina, at Charleston. Matthew J. Perry, Senior District
Judge. (CA-00-1245-2; CA-99-1110-2; CA-00-400-2; CA-00-914-2; CA-
98-3715-2)
Submitted: December 16, 2004 Decided: December 22, 2004
Before MICHAEL, KING, and SHEDD, Circuit Judges.
Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Leonard A. Smith, Appellant Pro Se. Joseph Crouch Coleman,
Columbia, South Carolina; Vinton DeVane Lide, VINTON D. LIDE &
ASSOCIATES, Lexington, South Carolina; John Evans James III, LEE,
ERTER, WILSON, JAMES, HOLLER & SMITH, LLC, Sumter, South Carolina,
for Appellees.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
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PER CURIAM:
Leonard A. Smith filed notices of appeals in these five
consolidated appeals (appeal nos. 04-7321(L); 04-7322; 04-7323; 04-
7324; and 04-7325) in which the district court assessed against him
court filing fees under the Prisoner Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”)
and then ultimately dismissed the cases. We dismiss these appeals
for lack of jurisdiction because the notices of appeal were not
timely filed either as to the district court’s application of the
PLRA to Smith, or to its dismissal of the underlying actions.
Parties are accorded thirty days after the entry of the
district court’s final judgment or order to note an appeal, Fed. R.
App. P. 4(a)(1)(A), unless the district court extends the appeal
period under Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(6). This appeal period is
“mandatory and jurisdictional.” Browder v. Director, Dep’t of
Corr., 434 U.S. 257, 264 (1978) (quoting United States v. Robinson,
361 U.S. 220, 229 (1960)).
The district court’s orders dismissing the underlying
actions were entered on the docket on November 21, 2000, April 3,
2000, April 15, 2002, April 13, 2000, and May 17, 2001. The
notices of appeal collectively were filed on August 3, 2004.
Because Smith failed to file timely notices of appeal or to obtain
an extension or reopening of the appeal periods, we dismiss these
appeals. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and
legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials
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presented before the court and argument would not aid the
decisional process.
DISMISSED
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