Bonilla v. Carter

Background

Steven Wayne Bonilla filed multiple civil-rights complaints under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 while representing himself. The opinion describes him as a condemned state prisoner. The defendants included various federal judges, state judges, counties, and federal agencies. The complaints presented very similar claims seeking relief concerning Bonilla's underlying conviction and the handling of his other petitions and cases in state and federal court.

The opinion also states that Bonilla had a pending federal petition concerning his conviction in the same court with appointed counsel and was represented by counsel in state-court proceedings.

Court's Reasoning

The court addressed Bonilla's request, to the extent he sought to proceed without paying the filing fee. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g), a prisoner who has been disqualified from that status may proceed without paying only if he shows that he faced imminent danger of serious physical injury when he filed the complaint. The court found that the allegations did not show imminent danger at the time of filing.

The court further stated that, even if Bonilla's applications to proceed without paying the filing fee were granted, the lawsuits would be barred under the legal rules identified in the opinion, including rules concerning challenges to criminal convictions, interference with ongoing state proceedings, and certain claims against federal judicial or bankruptcy-related defendants.

Disposition

The court dismissed the cases with prejudice. It ordered the clerk to terminate all pending motions and close the cases, and to return without filing any further documents Bonilla submitted in the closed cases. The order was signed by Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton.