Richardson v. Hite , 53 F. App'x 291 ( 2002 )


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  •                           UNPUBLISHED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
    BERNARD RAY RICHARDSON,               
    Plaintiff-Appellant,
    v.
                No. 02-7058
    HEATHER S. HITE, Health Services
    Nurse; L. THOMPSON, Doctor,
    Defendants-Appellees.
    
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Alexandria.
    James C. Cacheris, Senior District Judge.
    (CA-01-1431-AM)
    Submitted: December 3, 2002
    Decided: December 23, 2002
    Before WILKINS and TRAXLER, Circuit Judges, and
    HAMILTON, Senior Circuit Judge.
    Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
    COUNSEL
    Bernard Ray Richardson, Appellant Pro Se.
    Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See
    Local Rule 36(c).
    2                        RICHARDSON v. HITE
    OPINION
    PER CURIAM:
    Bernard Ray Richardson, a Virginia inmate, appeals the district
    court’s dismissal without prejudice of his complaint against prison
    officials under 
    42 U.S.C. § 1983
     (2000) for failure to pay the entire
    filing fee in accordance with 
    28 U.S.C. § 1915
    (g) (2000). Richardson,
    whom this court has previously found to be disqualified from pro-
    ceeding in forma pauperis, renews on appeal his contention that he
    should be excused from paying the full filing fee because his com-
    plaint alleged "an imminent danger of serious physical injury." See
    § 1915(g). The district court found Richardson’s complaint did not
    state such a danger, however, and we agree.
    Reviewing Richardson’s complaint, only his allegation that prison
    officials denied him medication for his elevated cholesterol levels
    could possibly satisfy the imminent danger exception to § 1915(g).
    Although § 1915(g) should not be read to interfere with inmates’ abil-
    ity "to complain about ‘unsafe, life-threatening condition[s] in their
    prison’ without waiting for something to happen to them," Gibbs v.
    Cross, 
    160 F.3d 962
    , 966 (3d Cir. 1998) (quoting Helling v. McKin-
    ney, 
    509 U.S. 25
    , 34 (1993)), Richardson failed to demonstrate his
    elevated cholesterol levels were necessarily dangerous or that medica-
    tion was a medical necessity.
    Accordingly, we affirm the dismissal of Richardson’s complaint
    without prejudice because he failed to pay the full filing fee or dem-
    onstrate an imminent danger of serious physical injury. We dispense
    with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are ade-
    quately presented in the materials before the court and argument
    would not aid the decisional process.
    AFFIRMED
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 02-7058

Citation Numbers: 53 F. App'x 291

Judges: Wilkins, Traxler, Hamilton

Filed Date: 12/23/2002

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 11/6/2024