GILMORE v. SILVA (2020)

MEMORANDUM **

California state prisoner C. Dwayne Gilmore appeals pro se from the district court's judgment dismissing his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleging First Amendment and Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”) claims. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We review de novo. Byrd v. Maricopa Cty. Bd. of Supervisors, 845 F.3d 919, 922 (9th Cir. 2017) (dismissal of an action under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A); Pouncil v. Tilton, 704 F.3d 568, 574 (9th Cir. 2012) (dismissal of an action as time-barred). We vacate and remand.

The district court concluded that Gilmore's action was untimely because he did not file it within the applicable four-year statute of limitations and he did not state a basis for equitable tolling. However, Gilmore alleges in his complaint that he was exhausting his administrative remedies under the Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”) during the limitations period, which is a basis for tolling the statute of limitations. See Soto v. Unknown Sweetman, 882 F.3d 865, 875 (9th Cir. 2018) (holding that a prisoner “is entitled to tolling [of the applicable statute of limitations] while he was actively exhausting his remedies” under the PLRA); see also Fuqua v. Ryan, 890 F.3d 838, 844 (9th Cir. 2018) (explaining that “RLUIPA incorporates the administrative exhaustion requirements of the ․ PLRA”). We vacate and remand for the district court to consider, in the first instance, whether Gilmore is entitled to toll the statute of limitations during the period of time he was exhausting his administrative remedies under the PLRA, and, if appropriate, to provide Gilmore with an opportunity to submit briefing on this issue.

Gilmore's motion for appointment of counsel on remand (Docket Entry No. 5) is denied without prejudice to renewing this motion before the district court.

VACATED and REMANDED.