Bruce
Opinion of the Court
"This case is before the court, without oral argument, on defendant’s motion to dismiss the petition. In that petition, plaintiff alleges that he was called to active duty on March 11,1951, in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. In the summer of 1951, he was given a summary court-martial and a bad conduct discharge; however, approximately one month after the court-martial, he was returned to duty. Shortly thereafter, he says he went insane, and, on February 21, 1952, he was given a general medical discharge under honorable conditions.
"On December 22, 1964, plaintiff shot and killed his wife; he was convicted in 1965 and sentenced to life imprisonment. A series of protracted litigations through both state and federal courts resulted in findings that while plaintiff was sane at the time of the offense (see Bruce v. Estelle, 483 F.2d 1031, 1034 (5th Cir. 1973)), he was not sane and competent to understand the nature of the proceedings against him when he was tried, and is thus entitled to a new trial, see Bruce v. Estelle, 536 F.2d 1051 (5th Cir. 1976).
"It appears that plaintiff seeks to alter the nature of his discharge given in February, 1952; consequently, whatever the cause of action plaintiff may possess, it accrued on February 21, 1952. There was a time lapse of almost 25 years until the filing of his petition December 17, 1976. The Government contends that Plaintiffs claim is time barred by the six year limitation under 28 U.S.C. § 2501. While this statute does provide for a tolling of the running of the six year period while the plaintiff is suffering from mental incompetency, defendant argues that plaintiff has not pleaded sufficient facts to show the existence of the disability during the entire period of delay in filing his petition.
"We need not reach this more difficult issue since plaintiffs petition does not, in any event, state a claim which is within this court’s jurisdiction. The original
"it is therefore ordered and concluded that defendant’s motion is granted and plaintiffs petition is dismissed.”
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.