Not for Publication in West's Federal Reporter
United States Court of Appeals
For the First Circuit
No. 06-2360
DAVID WATTLETON,
Plaintiff, Appellant,
v.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF PROBATION, ET AL.,
Defendants, Appellees.
APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
[Hon. F. Dennis Saylor, IV, U.S. District Judge]
Before
Torruella, Circuit Judge,
Selya, Senior Circuit Judge,
and Lynch, Circuit Judge.
David Wattleton on brief pro se.
Gregg Shapiro, Assistant United States Attorney, and Michael
J. Sullivan, United States Attorney, on brief for appellees.
May 15, 2007
Per Curiam. After carefully considering the briefs and
record on appeal, we affirm the judgment below.
District courts are empowered to dismiss suits when
plaintiffs defy court orders. Angulo-Alvarez v. Aponte de le
Torre, 170 F.3d 246 (1st Cir. 1999); HMG Prop. Investors, Inc. v.
Parque Indus. Rio Canas, Inc., 847 F.2d 908 (1st Cir. 1988). The
appellant makes no showing that the court abused its discretion in
dismissing his action.
The appellant's argument that civilly committed inmates
are not prisoners for certain purposes is beside the point.
Moreover, the appellant fails adequately to address the district
court's reasoning that § 1915(a)(1) has been held to require
everyone seeking in forma pauperis status to disclose their assets.
Affirmed. See 1st Cir. R. 27.0(c).
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