Unpublished Disposition, 923 F.2d 862 (9th Cir. 1991)

Annotate this Case
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit - 923 F.2d 862 (9th Cir. 1991)

James William MORRIS, Plaintiff-Appellant,v.FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 90-55813.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Submitted Jan. 23, 1991.* Decided Jan. 25, 1991.

Before ALARCON, CYNTHIA HOLCOMB HALL and RYMER, Circuit Judges.


MEMORANDUM** 

James William Morris appeals pro se and in forma pauperis the district court's order dismissing his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action as frivolous pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d). We review de novo, Jackson v. Arizona, 885 F.2d 639, 640 (9th Cir. 1989), and affirm.

Frivolous in forma pauperis complaints may be dismissed sua sponte under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d). Nietzke v. Williams, 109 S. Ct. 1827, 1831 (1989). A complaint is frivolous "where it lacks an arguable basis in law or in fact." Id. In civil rights cases where the plaintiff appears pro se, we liberally construe pleadings and afford the plaintiff the benefit of any doubt. Karim-Panahi v. Los Angeles Police Dept., 839 F.2d 621, 623 (9th Cir. 1988).

In his complaint, Morris contends that his civil rights have been violated by the government. Morris states he has been the target of a government experiment or project involving the use of various harmful gasses on him for several years. He believes that the Federal Bureau of Investigations is principally involved. Morris claims that the " [g]asing [sic] occurs every day, 24 hours a day," even in his sleep. Appellant's Opening Brief at 1. He claims that gas has been dispensed into his apartment, into his truck, on buses, supermarkets, malls, beaches, etc. Morris further states that the use of these gasses are part of a collective effort to make it appear that he has homosexual desires or impulses. We find that Morris's claim lacks an arguable basis in law and fact. See Nietzke, 109 S. Ct. at 1831. Accordingly, the district court did not err in dismissing his claim. Id.

AFFIRMED.

 *

The panel unanimously finds this case suitable for disposition without oral argument. Fed. R. App. P. 34(a); 9th Cir.R. 34-4

 **

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and may not be cited to or by the courts of this circuit except as provided by 9th Cir.R. 36-3

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.