WATTLETON v. HODGE (2020)

United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.

David Earl WATTLETON Plaintiff - Appellant v. Tanya HODGE, Trust Fund Administrator, Federal Medical Center Rochester Defendant - Appellee

No. 19-2437

Decided: March 23, 2020

Before GRUENDER, BEAM, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges. David Earl Wattleton, Pro Se Andrew Tweeten, Assistant United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, for Defendant - Appellee

[Unpublished]

David Wattleton appeals the district court's ¹ order dismissing his pro se civil rights complaint and denying him leave to amend his complaint. Upon careful de novo review, we conclude the district properly dismissed Wattleton's complaint for failure to state a claim. See Plymouth Cty. v. Merscorp, Inc., 774 F.3d 1155, 1158 (8th Cir. 2014) (standard of review). We also conclude the district court properly denied Wattleton leave to amend his complaint because his proposed new claims were meritless. See Popoalii v. Corr. Med. Servs., 512 F.3d 488, 497 (8th Cir. 2008) (explaining that a court may deny a motion to amend when amendment would be futile). Accordingly, we affirm. See 8th Cir. R. 47B.

FOOTNOTES

1.   The Honorable Eric C. Tostrud, United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota, adopting the report and recommendations of the Honorable Becky R. Thorson, United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Minnesota.

PER CURIAM.