Bonilla v. Thompson

Background

Steven Wayne Bonilla, identified in the order as a state prisoner and a condemned prisoner, filed multiple civil-rights complaints without a lawyer under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The order covers the multiple case numbers listed in the caption. The complaints presented nearly identical claims against numerous state courts and state judges. Bonilla sought relief concerning his underlying conviction and the way other cases had been handled by state and federal courts. The order also states that he had a pending federal petition challenging his custody and was represented by counsel in state-court proceedings challenging his custody.

Filing-fee status

To the extent Bonilla sought permission to proceed without paying the filing fee, the court held that 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g) disqualified him from doing so unless he showed that he was in immediate danger of serious physical injury when he filed his complaints. The court found that the allegations did not show such danger. The court therefore ruled that Bonilla could not proceed without paying the filing fee.

Other bars and disposition

The court further stated that, even if a request to proceed without paying the filing fee were granted, the lawsuits would be barred under the legal rules and decisions cited in the order, including Heck v. Humphrey, Younger v. Harris, Demos v. U.S. District Court, and Mullis v. U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The order did not reach the underlying merits of Bonilla's claims. It dismissed the cases with prejudice, directed the clerk to terminate all pending motions and close the cases, and directed the clerk to return without filing any further documents Bonilla submitted in the closed cases. Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton signed the order on September 26, 2022.