Merrifield v. Commonwealth

USCA1 Opinion












[NOT FOR PUBLICATION]

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT
____________________


No. 97-1346


MARK R. MERRIFIELD,

Plaintiff, Appellant,

v.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, ET AL.,

Defendants, Appellees.

____________________

APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

[Hon. Reginald C. Lindsay, U.S. District Judge] ___________________

____________________

Before

Torruella, Chief Judge ___________
Boudin and Stahl, Circuit Judges. ______________

____________________

Mark R. Merrifield on brief pro se. __________________
Scott Harshbarger, Attorney General, and William J. Meade, ___________________ __________________
Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Bureau, on Motion for Summary
Affirmance.



____________________

November 19, 1997
____________________
















Per Curiam. Appellant Mark Merrifield appeals from __________

the district court's dismissal of his in forma pauperis suit.

Under 28 U.S.C. 1915(e)(2)(B), a district court is

authorized to dismiss an in forma pauperis action "at any

time" if it is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim

for relief, or seeks money damages against immune defendants.

We affirm dismissal of the instant action, essentially for

the reasons given by the district court in its orders dated

January 23 and February 21, 1997, and by appellees in their

motion for summary affirmance.

Affirmed. See Loc. R. 27.1. ____________________________































-2-