Filed: Sep. 19, 2012
Latest Update: Feb. 12, 2020
Summary: FILED United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS September 19, 2012 TENTH CIRCUIT Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court CYNTHIA PINKEY, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. No. 12-1299 (D.C. No. 1:12-CV-01533-LTB) ADAMS COUNTY SHERIFF DEPT.; (D. Colo.) TOM CLEMENTS, Executive Director of CDOC; WARDEN ZUPAN, Warden of LaVista; KELLY WASKO, Medical Director of LaVista, Defendants-Appellees. ORDER AND JUDGMENT* Before BRISCOE, Chief Judge, McKAY and HOLMES, Circuit Judges. After
Summary: FILED United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS September 19, 2012 TENTH CIRCUIT Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court CYNTHIA PINKEY, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. No. 12-1299 (D.C. No. 1:12-CV-01533-LTB) ADAMS COUNTY SHERIFF DEPT.; (D. Colo.) TOM CLEMENTS, Executive Director of CDOC; WARDEN ZUPAN, Warden of LaVista; KELLY WASKO, Medical Director of LaVista, Defendants-Appellees. ORDER AND JUDGMENT* Before BRISCOE, Chief Judge, McKAY and HOLMES, Circuit Judges. After e..
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FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
September 19, 2012
TENTH CIRCUIT
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
CYNTHIA PINKEY,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v. No. 12-1299
(D.C. No. 1:12-CV-01533-LTB)
ADAMS COUNTY SHERIFF DEPT.; (D. Colo.)
TOM CLEMENTS, Executive Director of
CDOC; WARDEN ZUPAN, Warden of
LaVista; KELLY WASKO, Medical
Director of LaVista,
Defendants-Appellees.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT*
Before BRISCOE, Chief Judge, McKAY and HOLMES, Circuit Judges.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist in the determination of this
appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is, therefore,
submitted without oral argument.
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of
law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may be cited, however, for its
persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1.
Plaintiff-appellant Cynthia Pinkey is a prisoner in the State of Colorado
proceeding pro se. In her complaint, Pinkey alleged that while she was held at a
correctional facility in Adams County, Colorado, she was sexually assaulted by a male
inmate. Pinkey brought this civil rights action against the employees at the correctional
facility, alleging that the sheriff, deputies and other staff members on duty had failed to
protect her. After Pinkey’s complaint was filed, the magistrate judge entered an order
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915 directing Pinkey to cure deficiencies. Specifically, Pinkey
was ordered to either pay $350 in filing fees, or to file a Prisoner’s Motion and Affidavit
for Leave to Proceed Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915 along with a certified copy of her
inmate trust fund account statement. Pinkey then submitted a current certified copy of
her inmate trust fund account statement, but she failed to cure all deficiencies because she
failed to file a Prisoner’s Motion and Affidavit for Leave to Proceed Pursuant to 28
U.S.C. § 1915. The district court dismissed the case without prejudice. The district court
also certified pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that any appeal from its order would not
be taken in good faith and therefore in forma pauperis (ifp) status would be denied for the
purpose of appeal. Pinkey appealed from the district’s order and filed a motion in this
court for leave to proceed ifp on appeal.
28 U.S.C. § 1915 authorizes “any court of the United States to allow indigent
persons to prosecute, defend or appeal suits without prepayment of costs.” Coppedge v.
United States,
369 U.S. 438, 441 (1962) (quotations omitted). Under 28 U.S.C. §
1915(a)(3), “[a]n appeal may not be taken in forma pauperis if the trial court certifies in
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writing that it is not taken in good faith.” The Supreme Court has held that good faith is
to be judged by an objective standard, for review of any issue “not frivolous.”
Id. at 445.
“An appeal is frivolous when the result is obvious, or the appellant’s arguments of error
are wholly without merit.” Braley v. Campbell,
832 F.2d 1504, 1510 (10th Cir. 1987).
We have held that “a party who seeks in forma pauperis status and is certified by the
district court as not appealing in good faith may nonetheless move this court for leave to
proceed on appeal in forma pauperis pursuant to the mechanism set forth in Rule
24(a)(5).” Rolland v. Primesource Staffing, L.L.C.,
497 F.3d 1077, 1079 (10th Cir.
2007).
Turning to Pinkey’s motion and appeal, we conclude that this appeal is not taken
in good faith and she has failed to present nonfrivolous arguments in support of her
appeal. Accordingly, we DENY Pinkey leave to proceed on appeal ifp, and DISMISS the
appeal. Pinkey is reminded that she remains obligated to make partial payments to this
court until the entire appellate filing fee is paid in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b).
Entered for the Court
Mary Beck Briscoe
Chief Judge
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