Smith v. Lovely
Smith v. Lovely
Opinion
Le’Roy Antonio Smith appeals the district court’s order dismissing without prejudice his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2000) complaint for failure to comply with a court order. * In his informal appellate brief, Smith fails to address the district court’s basis for dismissing his case. Therefore, Smith has waived appellate review of that issue. See 4th Cir. R. 34(b) (“The Court will limit its review to the issues raised in the informal brief.”). Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s order. Smith v. Lovely, No. 3:07-cv-00533-REP (E.D.Va. Jan. 17, 2008). We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED.
Generally, dismissals without prejudice are interlocutory and not appealable. Domino Sugar Corp. v. Sugar Workers Local Union 392, 10 F.3d 1064, 1066 (4th Cir. 1993). However, a dismissal without prejudice could be final if no amendment to the complaint would cure the defect in the plaintiff's case. Id. at 1066-67. We conclude that the defect in this case (the failure to comply with a court order) can only be cured by something more than an amendment to the complaint and that the order is therefore appealable.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.