DLD-349 NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
___________
No. 14-1507
___________
CHARLES MUHAMMAD,
Appellant
v.
UNITED STATES BOARD OF GOVERNORS POSTAL SYSTEM
____________________________________
On Appeal from the United States District Court
for the District of New Jersey
(D.C. Civil No. 2:14-cv-00200)
District Judge: Honorable Faith S. Hochberg
____________________________________
Submitted for Possible Dismissal Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)
or Summary Action Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 27.4 and I.O.P. 10.6
August 28, 2014
Before: SMITH, HARDIMAN and KRAUSE, Circuit Judges
(Opinion filed: September 11, 2014)
___________
OPINION
___________
PER CURIAM
On January 6, 2014, Charles Muhammad, of Newark, New Jersey, filed a pro se
complaint in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, naming the
United States Board of Governors Postal System as defendant. The District Court
granted Muhammad leave to proceed in forma pauperis but immediately dismissed his
complaint without leave to amend, citing its failure to state a federal claim as well as its
failure to conform to the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a).
Muhammad timely filed this appeal.
We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291. To the extent the District
Court dismissed the complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B), or under Fed. R.
Civ. P. 12(b)(6), we exercise plenary review over the District Court’s order. See Allah v.
Seiverling, 229 F.3d 220, 223 (3d Cir. 2000). To the extent the District Court dismissed
the complaint under Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a), we review the District Court’s order for abuse
of discretion. See In re Westinghouse Sec. Litig., 90 F.3d 696, 702 (3d Cir. 1996).
Upon review, we conclude that the District Court did not err in dismissing the
complaint. Rule 8(a) requires a pleading to contain “a short and plain statement of the
claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” A district court may sua sponte
dismiss a complaint for failure to comply with Rule 8; dismissal is appropriate in cases
where the “complaint is so confused, ambiguous, vague, or otherwise unintelligible that
its true substance, if any, is well disguised.” Simmons v. Abruzzo, 49 F.3d 83, 86 (2d
Cir. 1995). We agree with the District Court that this is such a case. Muhammad’s
complaint fails to reveal any factual or legal basis for a federal claim; thus, dismissal was
appropriate. However, to the extent the complaint attempts to raise claims regarding
events which occurred in New York, we construe the District Court’s dismissal to be
2
without prejudice to Muhammad’s filing a properly pled complaint in the appropriate
court. 1
For the foregoing reasons, no substantial question is presented and we will affirm
the judgment of the District Court. 3d Cir. L.A.R. 27.4: I.O.P. 10.6. The District Court’s
order did not specify whether its dismissal was with or without prejudice. Although we
will affirm, we modify the dismissal of Muhammad’s complaint to be without prejudice
to his filing a properly pled complaint in the appropriate court.
1
Muhammad’s arguments on appeal, as well as documents that he filed in the District
Court after he filed his appeal, suggest that he is attempting to sue the defendant, at
least in part, for events that took place at a Manhattanvile, New York post office
branch. To that extent, it does not appear that the District of New Jersey was the proper
venue for those claims. Rather, venue may lie in the United States District Court for
the Southern District of New York.
3