Christopher John MARTIN v. Mark W. SIAS
96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 5017, 96 Daily Journal D.A.R. 8047 Christopher John Martin v. Mark W. Sias
Opinion
ORDER Federal prisoner Christopher John Martin appeals pro se the district court’s dismissal, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915 (d), of his Bivens 1
action for damages alleging that United States Probation Officer Mark W. Sias acted outside his authority in supervising Martin’s parole. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 , and we affirm.
We review a district court’s dismissal pursuant to section 1915(d) for abuse of discretion.
Denton v. Hernandez, 504 U.S. 25, 33 , 112 S.Ct. 1728, 1733-34 , 118 L.Ed.2d 340 (1992);
Trimble v. City of Santa Rosa, 49 F.3d 583, 584 (9th Cir.1995).
If a complaint filed by a prisoner proceeding in forma pauperis is frivolous, a federal district court may dismiss the action pursuant to section 1915(d). A complaint “is frivolous where it lacks an arguable basis in either law or in fact.”
Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 325 , 109 S.Ct. 1827, 1831-32 , 104 L.Ed.2d 338 (1989);
Cato v. United States, 70 F.3d 1103, 1106 (9th Cir.1995).
In Heck v. Humphrey, — U.S. -, 114 S.Ct. 2364 , 129 L.Ed.2d 383 (1994), the Supreme Court held “that, in order to recover damages for allegedly unconstitutional conviction or imprisonment, or for other harm caused by actions whose unlawfulness would render a conviction or sentence invalid, a § 1983 plaintiff must prove that the conviction or sentence has been” previously invalidated.
Id.
at -, 114 S.Ct. at 2372 (footnote omitted). Although Heck involved a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 , and Martin brought a Bivens action, this court has stated that “[ajctions under § 1983 and those under Bivens are identical save for the replacement of a state actor under § 1983 by a federal actor under Bivens.”
Van Strum v. Lawn, 940 F.2d 406, 409 (9th Cir.1991).
We join the other federal circuits that have addressed this issue, and hold that the rationale of Heck applies to Bivens actions.
Cf. Williams v. Hill, 74 F.3d 1339, 1340 (D.C.Cir.1996) (per curiam);
Abella v. Rubina, 63 F.3d 1063, 1065 (11th Cir.1995) (per curiam);
Tavarez v. Reno, 54 F.3d 109, 110 (2d Cir.1995) (per curiam);
Stephenson v. Reno, 28 F.3d 26, 27 (5th Cir.1994) (per curiam). Accordingly, because a judgment in favor of Martin would necessarily imply the invalidity of his sentence, and because Martin did not show that his sentence has been invalidated, the district court properly dismissed this action.
AFFIRMED.
1
.
Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents, 403 U.S. 388 , 91 S.Ct. 1999 , 29 L.Ed.2d 619 (1971).
How later courts describe this case
Explanatory parentheticals written by citing courts — 30 in all; the most informative distinct ones are shown.
-
(stating that § 1983 and Bivens actions identical except for the requirement of a state actor under § 1983 and federal actor under Bivens)
-
(holding Heck barred pro se Plaintiff’s claims based on actions Plaintiff’s federal probation officer took allegedly outside of the probation officer’s authority in supervising Plaintiff)
-
(holding that Heck’s 8 rationale applies to Bivens actions)
-
(extending the favorable termination rule of Heck v. Humphrey to federal civil rights claims)
-
("[B]ecause a judgment 5 in favor of [the plaintiff] would necessarily imply the invalidity of his sentence, and because [the 6 plaintiff] did not show that his sentence has been invalidated, the district court properly dismissed this 7 action.")
-
(“Actions under § 1983 and those under Bivens are identical save for the replacement of a state actor under § 1983 by a federal actor under Bivens.” (quoting Van Strum v. Lawn, 940 F.2d 406, 409 (9th Cir. 1991)))
-
(affirming 14 || dismissal of the complaint as frivolous)
Cited by 97 cases
View all citing references →Relies on it most ⓘ
Most recent
- Abraham Ramon Sosa Montoya v. CoreCivic of America Incorporated
- James Earl Lindsey v. Jason Jucutan
- Barry Daniel Blair v. City of Modesto
- Emmanuel Adeyinka v. City of Portland, PBOT Towing Officials, Unknown Officers 1-5, Officer T. Savage, and Portland Bureau of Transportation
- Aaron Wider v. Eric Myrene, in his individual and official capacities; and the United States of America
- Emmanuel Adeyinka v. City of Portland, PBOT Towing Officials, and Unknown Officers 1-5
Citing references are not a citator: they show that a later opinion cites this case, not whether it followed, distinguished, or overruled it. Check negative history before relying on this case.