IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

_____________________

No. 96-31312 _____________________

LARRY D. CROWE; SUE ELLEN SILMAN CROWE, Administratrix, on behalf of Reba Coody Crowe Succession,

Plaintiffs-Appellants,

versus

JAMES W. SMITH, ET AL.,

Defendants,

DEUTSCH KERRIGAN & STILES; JUDY L. BURNTHORN; WILLIAM WRIGHT; JAMES BERRY; DAVID C. TREEN; WILLIAM W. MESSERSMITH, III; CHARLES K. REASONOVER; DAVID L. CAMPBELL; CHARLES F. SEEMANN, JR.; BERTRAND M. CASS, JR.; HARRY S. ANDERSON; FRANCIS J. BARRY, JR.; PATRICK J. BERRIGAN; ALLEN F. CAMPBELL; MATT J. FARLEY; G. ALEX WELLER; DANIEL A. SMITH; ETHEL H. COHEN; TERRENCE L. BRENNAN; MARC J. YELLIN; HOWARD L. MURPHY; DARRELL K. CHERRY; RICHARD B. MONTGOMERY; PAUL S. HUGHES; NANCY J. MARSHALL; JAMES G. WILEY, III; D. REX ENGLISH; ELLIS B. MUROV; JOSEPH L. McREYNOLDS; JOSEPH L. SPILMAN, III; DURIS L. HOLMES; WILLIAM LEE KOHLER; ATTORNEYS LIABILITY ASSURANCE SOCIETY, INC.,

Defendants-Appellees. _________________________________________________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Monroe (92-CV-2163) _________________________________________________________________

April 10, 1998 Before GIBSON,* JOLLY, and EMILIO M. GARZA, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:**

The only question before us in this appeal is whether the

district court abused its discretion in dismissing this case with

prejudice under Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b). We have reviewed and

considered fully the circumstances and context in which this

judgment was entered, including the related matter of the Crowes’

purported prior notice of voluntary dismissal under Fed. R. Civ. P.

41(a)(1). Additionally, we have had the benefit of full briefing

and argument by counsel. We finally conclude that when all the

circumstances and authorities have been considered, we cannot say

that the district court abused its discretion. Accordingly, the

judgment of the district court is

A F F I R M E D.

* Circuit Judge of the Eighth Circuit, sitting by designation. ** Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4.

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