Opinions of the United
2009 Decisions States Court of Appeals
for the Third Circuit
5-7-2009
In Re: John Futch
Precedential or Non-Precedential: Non-Precedential
Docket No. 09-1788
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Recommended Citation
"In Re: John Futch " (2009). 2009 Decisions. Paper 1390.
http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/thirdcircuit_2009/1390
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CLD-155 NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
NO. 09-1788
________________
IN RE:
JOHN RANDALL FUTCH,
Petitioner
____________________________________
On a Petition for Writ of Mandamus from the
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
(Related to D. N.J. Civ. No. 08-cv-04378)
_____________________________________
Submitted Pursuant to Rule 21, Fed. R. App. P.
April 9, 2009
Before: RENDELL, HARDIMAN and ALDISERT, Circuit Judges
(Opinion filed: May 7, 2009)
_________
OPINION
_________
PER CURIAM
In February 2009, John Futch, a prisoner at the Federal Correctional Institution at
Fort Dix, filed a petition for a writ of mandamus. For the reasons stated below, we will
deny the petition.
In his petition, Futch contends that the United States District Court for the District
of New Jersey failed to “process” a Bivens1 action he claims to have filed in December
2008. Futch attaches a version of his complaint, which is marked “Copy.” Futch also
states that he wrote a letter to the Honorable Robert B. Kugler, in which he referred to the
filing of his December Bivens action, and explained that he also sought injunctive relief.
Futch requests in his mandamus petition that this Court issue an order that “his Bivens
action be process in accordance to law” [sic].
We have original jurisdiction over a petition for a writ of mandamus that seeks to
“confine an inferior court to a lawful exercise of its prescribed jurisdiction or to compel it
to exercise its authority when it is its duty to do so.” Roche v. Evaporated Milk Ass’n,
319 U.S. 21, 26 (1943). The writ of mandamus is an extreme remedy that is granted only
when there is no other remedy available to the petitioner and the petitioner’s right to
mandamus relief is clear and indisputable. Kerr v. United States Dist. Court, 426 U.S.
394, 402 (1976); In re Pasquariello, 16 F.3d 525, 528 (3d Cir. 1994). Futch attached to
his petition a handwritten complaint which he claims he filed to initiate a Bivens action,
but provides no proof of filing, stamp, or civil action number.2 Furthermore, our search
of the docket for the District Court for District of New Jersey yields no record of a Bivens
1
Bivens v. Six Unknown Agents of the Fed. Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388
(1971).
2
It is unclear what Futch means by “process.” To the extent he is alleging merely that
he mailed his complaint and is complaining that the District Court has yet to docket it, his
petition fails because he provides no evidence that he mailed the complaint and/or that the
court received it
2
action filed by Futch in December 2008.3 Because Futch has provided no evidence that
he filed a Bivens complaint in December 2008, and because, even if he had, he filed this
mandamus petition a mere two months later, we cannot conclude that he has a “clear and
indisputable right” to the relief sought. See Madden v. Myers, 102 F.3d 74, 79 (3d Cir.
1996) (discussing delay). Therefore we will deny Futch’s mandamus petition.
3
A search for all cases involving Futch as a party reveals that he has filed several
matters in the District Court of New Jersey. See Futch v. Cemero, No. 08-cv-03545,
Futch v. McKinnon, et al, No. 08-cv-03469, Futch v. Grondolsky, No. 09-cv-00845,
Futch v. Grondolsky, No. 09-cv-00778. None of these dockets indicate that he filed a
Bivens complaint in December 2008.
3