The opinion
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN
NATHAN WOHLRABE,
Plaintiff,
v. Case No. 24-cv-1407-bhl
CHARLES BROWN,
Defendant.
SCREENING ORDER
Plaintiff Nathan Wohlrabe, who is currently confined at the Mendota Mental Health
Institute and representing himself, filed a complaint alleging that his civil rights were violated. On
November 8, 2024, Wohlrabe paid the $405 civil case filing fee. This matter comes before the
Court for screening of the complaint.
SCREENING OF THE COMPLAINT
The Court has a duty to review any complaint in which a prisoner seeks redress from a
governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity and must dismiss any
complaint or portion thereof if the prisoner has raised any claims that are legally “frivolous or
malicious,” that fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or that seek monetary relief
from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. §1915A(b). In screening a
complaint, the Court must determine whether the complaint complies with the Federal Rules of
Civil Procedure and states at least plausible claims for which relief may be granted. To state a
cognizable claim under the federal notice pleading system, a plaintiff is required to provide a “short
and plain statement of the claim showing that [he] is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). It
must be at least sufficient to provide notice to each defendant of what he or she is accused of doing,
as well as when and where the alleged actions or inactions occurred, and the nature and extent of
any damage or injury the actions or inactions caused.
“The pleading standard Rule 8 announces does not require ‘detailed factual allegations,’
but it demands more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.”
Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544,
555 (2007)). “The tenet that a court must accept as true all of the allegations contained in a
complaint is inapplicable to legal conclusions. Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of
action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Id. A complaint must contain
sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to “state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.”
Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570. “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content
that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct
alleged.” Id. at 556. “[T]he complaint’s allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above
the speculative level.” Id. at 555 (internal quotations omitted).
ALLEGATIONS OF THE COMPLAINT
Wohlrabe seeks “relief from the personal injury of libel[.]” According to Wohlrabe,
Defendant Charles Brown, who works at the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
submitted a victim impact statement in Wisconsin v. Wohlrabe, Case No. 2022CF003428, stating
that he felt that “the honor of the US Military Veteran had been tarnished by Mr. Wohlrabe’s
actions . . . .” Dkt. No. 1.
THE COURT’S ANALYSIS
“To state a claim for relief under 42 U.S.C. §1983, a plaintiff must allege that he or she
was deprived of a right secured by the Constitution or the laws of the United States, and that this
deprivation occurred at the hands of a person or persons acting under the color of state law.” D.S.
v. E. Porter Cty. Sch. Corp., 799 F.3d 793, 798 (7th Cir. 2015) (citing Buchanan–Moore v. Cty. of
Milwaukee, 570 F.3d 824, 827 (7th Cir. 2009)). Wohlrabe asserts that he is “suing for violation
of federal law under 28 U.S.C. §1331,” but it is well settled that, “[a] claim of ‘libel’ is a sub-
species of defamation,” which is a “state-law claim,” not a federal-law claim. Green v. Noble, No.
21-cv-615-pp, 2022 WL 656877, at *8 (E.D. Wis. March 4, 2022) (emphasis in the original). “The
Constitution does not forbid libel, and no species of defamation deprives a person of h[is] liberty
protected under the Due Process Clause.” Id. (citations omitted); see Siegert v. Gilley, 500 U.S.
226, 233-34 (1991).
Given that established precedent forecloses a federal claim for libel, this action must be
dismissed. See United States v. Bey, 748 F.3d 774, 776 (7th Cir. 2014). And although courts
generally permit civil plaintiffs at least one opportunity to amend their pleadings, the Court need
not do so where the amendment would be futile. Runnion ex rel. Runnion v. Girl Scouts of Greater
Chi. & Nw. Ind., 786 F.3d 510, 520 (7th Cir. 2015). No set of facts would give the Court
jurisdiction over the claim for which Wohlrabe seeks relief, so it would be futile to allow him an
opportunity to file an amended complaint.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that this action is DISMISSED for failure to state an
actionable federal claim.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of Court enter judgment accordingly.
Dated at Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 18, 2024.
s/ Brett H. Ludwig
BRETT H. LUDWIG
United States District Judge
This order and the judgment to follow are final. Plaintiff may appeal this Court’s decision to the Court
of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit by filing in this Court a notice of appeal within 30 days of the entry
of judgment. See Fed. R. App. P. 3, 4. This Court may extend this deadline if a party timely requests
an extension and shows good cause or excusable neglect for not being able to meet the 30-day deadline.
See Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(5)(A). If Plaintiff appeals, he will be liable for the $605.00 appellate filing fee
regardless of the appeal’s outcome. If Plaintiff seeks leave to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal, he
must file a motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis with this Court. See Fed. R. App. P. 24(a)(1).
Plaintiff may be assessed another “strike” by the Court of Appeals if his appeal is found to be non-
meritorious. See 28 U.S.C. §1915(g). If Plaintiff accumulates three strikes, he will not be able to file
an action in federal court (except as a petition for habeas corpus relief) without prepaying the filing fee
unless he demonstrates that he is in imminent danger of serious physical injury. Id.
Under certain circumstances, a party may ask this Court to alter or amend its judgment under Federal
Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e) or ask for relief from judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure
60(b). Any motion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e) must be filed within 28 days of the
entry of judgment. Any motion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b) must be filed within a
reasonable time, generally no more than one year after the entry of judgment. The Court cannot extend
these deadlines. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(b)(2).
A party is expected to closely review all applicable rules and determine, what, if any, further action is
appropriate in a case.