In Re: Julian Rochester
Filing
UNPUBLISHED PER CURIAM OPINION filed. Motion disposition in opinion--denying Motion leave to proceed plra [998679864-2] in 11-1931, denying Motion leave to proceed plra [998666607-2] in 11-7088; denying Motion for writ of prohibition (FRAP 21) [998759268-2]; denying Motion for extraordinary writ under FRAP 21 [998669852-2] in 11-1931; denying Motion to waive [998682963-2] in 11-1931 Originating case number: 2:97-cv-03924-HMH,2:98-cv-00146-WBT,2:08-cv-03488-HMH-RSC,2:08-cv-03577-HMH-RSC Copies to all parties and the district court/agency. [998807572]. Mailed to: Rochester. [11-1931, 11-7088]
Appeal: 11-1931
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Date Filed: 03/12/2012
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 11-1931
In Re:
JULIAN E. ROCHESTER, a/k/a Julian Edward Rochester,
Petitioner.
On Petition for Writ of Mandamus.
(2:97-cv-03924-HMH; 2:08-cv-03488-HMH-RSC; 2:98-cv-00146WBT; 2:08-cv-03577-HMH-RSC)
No. 11-7088
JULIAN E. ROCHESTER,
Plaintiff – Appellant,
v.
PAPERMATE PAPER CORP; MARLBORO HOSPITAL; SCDC; ASBESTOS
SUPER
FUND;
GEORGIA-PACIFIC
PAPER
CORPORATION,
a/k/a
Georgia-Pacific Paper Corp,
Defendants - Appellees.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
South Carolina, at Anderson.
J. Michelle Childs, District
Judge. (8:11-cv-01782-JMC)
Submitted:
February 29, 2012
Decided:
March 12, 2012
Appeal: 11-1931
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Before NIEMEYER, MOTZ, and GREGORY, Circuit Judges.
Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Julian Edward Rochester, Petitioner/Appellant Pro Se.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
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PER CURIAM:
In
No.
11-1931,
frequent
litigant
Julian
Rochester
petitions for a writ of mandamus seeking to set aside two state
criminal
judgments.
In
No.
11-7088,
Rochester
appeals
the
district court’s order dismissing his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2006)
action.
For the reasons that follow, we dismiss both actions as
frivolous.
Additionally,
Rochester
has
persisted
in
filing
frivolous appeals, motions, and petitions in this court.
He
failed to respond to our order to show cause why he should not
be sanctioned for such abusive behavior.
Accordingly, we now
impose sanctions on Rochester for this conduct.
I
In
his
mandamus
petition,
Rochester
seeks
an
order
setting aside two state criminal judgments on the ground that
the state court was without jurisdiction to enter the judgments.
Mandamus is a drastic remedy to be used only in extraordinary
situations.
Kerr v. United States Dist. Court, 426 U.S. 394,
402 (1976); In re Beard, 811 F.2d 818, 826 (4th Cir. 1987).
party
seeking
mandamus
relief
carries
the
heavy
burden
The
of
showing that he has no other adequate means to attain the relief
he desires and that his entitlement to such relief is clear and
indisputable.
Allied Chem. Corp. v. Daiflon, Inc., 449 U.S. 33,
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35
Document: 17
(1980).
Date Filed: 03/12/2012
Federal
courts
action by state officials.
have
Page: 4 of 6
no
general
power
to
compel
Davis v. Lansing, 851 F.2d 72, 74
(2d Cir. 1988); Gurley v. Superior Court of Mecklenburg Cnty.,
411 F.2d 586, 587 (4th Cir. 1969).
requisite showing.
Rochester has not made the
Accordingly, we deny leave to proceed in
forma pauperis and dismiss his petition for a writ of mandamus
as frivolous.
In No. 11-7088, Rochester appeals the district court’s
order denying relief on his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint.
reviewed the record and find no reversible error.
that
the
district
court
correctly
determined
We have
We conclude
that
Rochester
failed to state a claim with respect to any of the conditions of
confinement about which he complained.
511 U.S. 825, 832 (1994).
See Farmer v. Brennan,
We note that the corporate defendants
are not state actors amenable to suit under § 1983, see West v.
Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988), and that certain of Rochester’s
claims
are
barred
by
the
applicable
three-year
statute
of
limitations, see S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(5); Wilson v. Garcia,
471 U.S. 261, 276 (1985).
Accordingly, we deny leave to proceed
in forma pauperis and dismiss the appeal as frivolous.
II
Rochester has filed at least twenty-nine cases in this
court -- both original actions and appeals from district court
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orders -- and has been granted relief in none of them.
cases
typically
share
recurring
themes:
for
instance,
The
he
contends that he is on “kidnapped status;” he has been held
beyond his release date; and he is being “tortured” in a variety
of ways.
In In re Rochester, 292 F. App’x 226, 227 (2008), we
warned Rochester that, if he continued his practice of raising
repetitive claims, we would issue “an order to show cause why a
prefiling injunction should not be entered against him.”
On
Rochester’s
fees
and
December
pending
directed
20,
motions
him
to
2011,
we
to
proceed
show
cause
deferred
without
why
he
action
prepayment
should
not
on
of
be
sanctioned for filing frivolous appeals, petitions, and motions
and why he should not be enjoined from filing further appeals,
petitions and motions in this court until such sanctions are
paid and a district court judge or this court finds that the
appeal, petition, or motion is not frivolous.
See Fed. R. App.
P. 38 (permitting sanctions after notice and an opportunity to
respond).
Rochester did not respond to our order.
In
light
of
Rochester’s
utter
disregard
for
the
limited resources of this court, we order him to pay sanctions
in the amount of $500, payable to the clerk of this court, as we
have done in similar cases.
945 (4th Cir. 1997).
See In re Vincent, 105 F.3d 943,
We also enjoin Rochester from filing any
civil appeal, petition, or motion in this court unless: (i) the
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sanctions are fully paid; and (ii) a district or circuit judge
has
certified
frivolous.
that
the
appeal,
petition,
or
motion
is
not
Any filing that does not meet these requirements
will not be placed on the court’s docket.
III
We dispense with oral argument because the facts and
legal
before
contentions
the
court
are
adequately
and
argument
presented
would
not
in
aid
the
the
materials
decisional
process.
DISMISSED
6
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