Opinion

John Henry Brown v. Zollie Compton, Sheriff of Jefferson County

  • 466 F.2d 1384
  • 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 8247
Court
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Filed
Jul 25, 1972
Status
Published
On the bench
Wisdom, Godbold, Roney
Cited by
2 cases
Authority
More cited than 71.8%

The opinion

PER CURIAM:

The single issue this appeal presents is whether the district court erred in refusing to allow the appellant leave to file a Civil Rights complaint

in forma pauperis

on the basis of the doctrine of

res judicata.

Believing that the court was correct in its action, we affirm the judgment below.

In the complaint which Brown attempted to file

in forma pauperis

below, he sought $75,000 damages from the Sheriff of Jefferson County, Georgia, in connection with his arrest for bank robbery in 1968. As grounds therefor, he alleged that he was kept in solitary confinement for three hours after his apprehension despite the fact that he had been wounded, and the hospital was next door to the jail. He further alleged that the sheriff refused to permit him to make a telephone call; and photographed him, fingerprinted him, and

*1385

took him before witnesses without counsel present.

The district court summarily denied leave to file the petition

in forma pauperis

on the ground that the issues had already been litigated in a previous civil rights action, decided adversely to him in Brown v. Dye, Southern District of Georgia, Savannah Division, Civil Action No. 2593.

In our review of the ruling below, it is not appropriate for this Court to consider the soundness of the prior adjudication. Rather, the scope of our review is limited to the question of whether the district court was “clearly erroneous” in finding that the issues the appellant sought to litigate had been raised and decided in the previous action.

We have carefully examined the pleadings and records in both cases and conclude that the district court did not err in holding that the first judgment constitutes

res judicata

to this action, inasmuch as the parties to the actions, the subject matter, and the causes of action are substantially identical. Smith v. Lemon, 9th Cir. 1971, 442 F.2d 1195 ; Stewart v. Minnick, 9th Cir. 1969, 409 F.2d 826 .

The judgment appealed from is affirmed.

Affirmed.

ON PETITION FOR REHEARING AND PETITION FOR REHEARING EN BANC

PER CURIAM:

The Petition for Rehearing is denied and no member of this panel nor Judge in regular active service on the Court having requested that the Court be polled on rehearing en banc, (Rule 35 Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure; Local Fifth Circuit Rule 12) the Petition for Rehearing En Banc is denied.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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