United States Tenth Circuit

In a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 action alleging that, in two separate incidents, Kansas state authorities falsely arrested plaintiff and filed falsified pre-trial diversion agreements containing his forged signatures, dismissal of the action is reversed where: 1) there was no related underlying conviction that could be invalidated by plaintiff's section 1983 actions and thus the action was not barred by Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477 (1994), and 2) a district court may not sua sponte dismiss a prisoner's section 1983 action on the basis of the statute of limitations unless it is clear from the face of the complaint that there are no meritorious tolling issues, or the court has provided the plaintiff notice and an opportunity to be heard on the issue.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/16/2009
• Published 12/16/2009

Judges

• SEYMOUR, Circuit Judge., Before BRISCOE, SEYMOUR, and LUCERO, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Tenth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Jason M. Lynch of Reilly Pozner LLP, Denver, CO (Martin Vasquez, also filed a pro se brief), for Plaintiff-Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Mark Frame, Edwards County Attorney, Kinsley, KS, for Defendants-Appellees.