Strothers v. Samford
Strothers v. Samford
Opinion
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 99-11156 Summary Calendar
PAULA STROTHERS,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
ELIZABETH SAMFORD, Disciplinary Hearing Officer; WENDY J. ROAL, Administrator National Inmate Appeals U.S. Bureau of Prisons; O. IVAN WHITE, JR., Regional Director; JOSEPH B. BOGAN, Warden Federal Medical Center Carswell; LISA AUSTIN, Unit Manager Administrative Unit Federal Medical Center Carswell,
Defendants-Appellees.
- - - - - - - - - - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 4:99-CV-797-A - - - - - - - - - - March 31, 2000
Before JOLLY, JONES, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Paula Strothers appeals the district court’s dismissal of
her civil rights complaint pursuant to Bivens v. Six Unknown
Named Agents of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics,
403 U.S. 388(1971),
for failure to state a claim. See
28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii).
* 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.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. No. 99-11156 -2-
Strothers alleges that her constitutional rights were violated
when she was deprived of her mattress for 12-15 hours a day as a
result of disciplinary proceedings against her and that she was
exposed to excessively cold temperatures of 40 degrees in her
cell. Strothers also seeks permission to file a supplemental
pleading containing new factual information, and she moves for
the appointment of counsel.
Strothers’ motion for permission to file a supplemental
pleading containing new evidence is DENIED. See Theriot v.
Parish of Jefferson,
185 F.3d 477, 491 n.26 (5th Cir. 1999)
(stating “[a]n appellate court may not consider new evidence
furnished for the first time on appeal and may not consider facts
which were not before the district court at the time of the
challenged ruling”), petition for cert. filed, (Jan. 18, 2000)
(No. 99-1203).
“To test whether the district court’s dismissal under § 1915
was proper, this Court must assume that all of the plaintiff’s
factual allegations are true.” Bradley v. Puckett,
157 F.3d 1022, 1025(5th Cir. 1998). “The district court’s dismissal may
be upheld, only if it appears that no relief could be granted
under any set of facts that could be proven consistent with the
allegations.”
Id.(internal quotation and citation omitted).
Although the district court correctly determined that Strothers
failed to state a claim for relief with regard to the deprivation
of her mattress during a portion of the day, it failed to
consider her assertion that the temperature in her cell posed a
serious risk to her health. "Prisoners have a right to No. 99-11156 -3-
protection from extreme cold." See Palmer v. Johnson,
193 F.3d 346, 353(5th Cir. 1999) (quoting Dixon v. Godinez,
114 F.3d 640, 642(7th Cir. 1997)). Strothers’ allegations that the
temperature in her cell was 40 degrees and that the defendants
deliberately failed to take action even after being informed of
this condition, are sufficient to allow her to further pursue
this claim. Therefore, that portion of the district court’s
judgment dismissing Strothers’ claim regarding the deprivation of
her mattress is AFFIRMED, and that portion of the district
court’s judgment dismissing her claim regarding exposure to
excessively cold temperatures is VACATED and REMANDED for further
proceedings.
Strothers’ motion for appointment of counsel and request to
file this motion and its supporting brief in present form are
DENIED as moot in light of the remand of these proceedings to the
district court.
AFFIRMED IN PART, VACATED IN PART; MOTIONS DENIED.
Reference
- Status
- Unpublished