Wiley v. State of California

Background

Jason Wesley Wiley filed a federal civil-rights action naming the State of California as the only defendant. He submitted an original complaint and an amended complaint, along with an application to proceed without paying the filing fee. The original complaint alleged that a state court violated case-management rules concerning service and included allegations about his military draft number. The one-page amended complaint discussed child-custody matters in a disorganized way and sought $200 trillion in damages from California.

Court’s analysis

The court reviewed the complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A and the in forma pauperis screening requirements. Those provisions require dismissal of claims that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim, or seek money from a defendant immune from that relief. The court found Wiley’s allegations non-actionable, nonsensical, and frivolous. It also held that California, as the sole defendant, was immune from suit under the Eleventh Amendment, which generally bars claims for damages or injunctive relief against a state and its agencies or instrumentalities.

The court noted that Wiley had filed more than 40 nonsensical motions and treated those filings as further evidence that the action was frivolous.

Disposition

The court dismissed the action as frivolous. It denied all pending motions except Wiley’s application to proceed without paying the filing fee, directed the clerk to terminate the pending motions other than that application, entered judgment in favor of California, and closed the file.

Name note

The caption identifies the plaintiff as Jason Wesley Wiley, while the opinion text refers to him once as John Wesley Wiley. This summary follows the caption.