Perry v. Johnson

United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS May 19, 2003 FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 02-40665 Summary Calendar GERALD ALLEN PERRY Plaintiff - Appellant v. GARY L JOHNSON; DAWN GROUNDS, Assistant Warden; KATHY BROWN, Law Library Supervisor; LONA HOPKINS, Correctional Officer III; RICHARD SODERLING; TIA RANGE, Correctional Officer III Defendants - Appellees -------------------- Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas USDC No. 5:99-CV-267 -------------------- Before KING, Chief Judge, and BARKSDALE and STEWART, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Gerald Allen Perry, Texas inmate # 644896, appeals the district court’s dismissal of his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights complaint. Perry alleged in his complaint that various prison officials had denied him access to the courts in May 1997 by failing to provide him with legal assistance in litigating his * Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4. No. 02-40665 -2- federal petition for habeas corpus relief while he was housed in administrative segregation. One of the bases for the district court’s dismissal of Perry’s complaint was its untimeliness. Perry alleged that he had been denied access to the courts in May 1997 but his complaint was not filed until October 1999. His complaint was thus untimely. See Owens v. Okure, 488 U.S. 235, 250 (1989); Moore v. McDonald, 30 F.3d 616, 620-21 (5th Cir. 1994); TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN. § 16.003(a) (Vernon 1999). By failing to argue the issue of timeliness in his appellate brief, Perry has abandoned this issue. See Brinkmann v. Dallas County Deputy Sheriff Abner, 813 F.2d 744, 748 (5th Cir. 1987). Perry has not shown that the district court abused its discretion in refusing him leave to amend his complaint. See Briddle v. Scott, 63 F.3d 364, 379 (5th Cir. 1995). Because Perry did not file an additional or amended notice of appeal from the denial of his postjudgment motion, we do not have jurisdiction to entertain Perry’s challenge to that denial. FED. R. APP. P. 4(a)(4)(B)(ii); see Taylor v. Johnson, 257 F.3d 470, 475 (5th Cir. 2001). Perry has moved for the appointment of counsel on appeal. That motion is DENIED and the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.