Filed: May 11, 2018
Latest Update: Mar. 03, 2020
Summary: Case: 17-20602 Document: 00514468804 Page: 1 Date Filed: 05/11/2018 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED No. 17-20602 May 11, 2018 Summary Calendar Lyle W. Cayce Clerk MICHAEL OJEGBA AGBONIFO, Plaintiff-Appellant v. MATTHEW S. BOYDEN, United States Postal Inspector, Defendant-Appellee Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 4:17-CV-1872 Before HIGGINBOTHAM, JONES, and SMITH,
Summary: Case: 17-20602 Document: 00514468804 Page: 1 Date Filed: 05/11/2018 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED No. 17-20602 May 11, 2018 Summary Calendar Lyle W. Cayce Clerk MICHAEL OJEGBA AGBONIFO, Plaintiff-Appellant v. MATTHEW S. BOYDEN, United States Postal Inspector, Defendant-Appellee Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 4:17-CV-1872 Before HIGGINBOTHAM, JONES, and SMITH, ..
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Case: 17-20602 Document: 00514468804 Page: 1 Date Filed: 05/11/2018
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
FILED
No. 17-20602 May 11, 2018
Summary Calendar
Lyle W. Cayce
Clerk
MICHAEL OJEGBA AGBONIFO,
Plaintiff-Appellant
v.
MATTHEW S. BOYDEN, United States Postal Inspector,
Defendant-Appellee
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No. 4:17-CV-1872
Before HIGGINBOTHAM, JONES, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM: *
A federal grand jury indicted Michael Ojegba Agbonifo for several
violations of federal law. After pleading not guilty, he was found to be
incompetent to stand trial and was committed to the custody of the Attorney
General. His trial has not commenced. Proceeding pro se and in forma
pauperis, Agbonifo filed a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights complaint against
Matthew S. Boyden, a United States Postal Inspector. He alleged that Boyden
* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not
be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH
CIR. R. 47.5.4.
Case: 17-20602 Document: 00514468804 Page: 2 Date Filed: 05/11/2018
No. 17-20602
violated his Fourth Amendment rights when Boyden searched his house and
seized certain of his property. The district court found that Agbonifo’s claims
of an illegal search and seizure would, if true, implicate the validity of the
criminal charges against him and any potential conviction. See Heck v.
Humphrey,
512 U.S. 477, 486-87 (1994). As such, the district court concluded
that, because Agbonifo’s criminal case was still pending, his § 1983 suit was
premature, and the district court ordered that it be stayed and closed for
administrative purposes. See Mackey v. Dickson,
47 F.3d 744, 745 (5th Cir.
1995). Agbonifo now appeals that decision.
This court has a duty, sua sponte, to determine whether it has appellate
jurisdiction. Mosley v. Cozby,
813 F.2d 659, 660 (5th Cir. 1987). Federal
appellate courts only have jurisdiction over appeals from (1) final orders
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291; (2) orders that are deemed final due to a
jurisprudential exception, such as the collateral order doctrine;
(3) interlocutory orders specified in 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a); and (4) interlocutory
orders that are properly certified for appeal by the district court pursuant to
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b) or § 1292(b). Dardar v. Lafourche Realty
Co.,
849 F.2d 955, 957 (5th Cir. 1988); Save the Bay, Inc. v. United States Army,
639 F.2d 1100, 1102 & n.3 (5th Cir. Feb. 1981).
In the present case, the district court has not entered a final judgment,
has not made an interlocutory order specified in § 1292(a), and has not certified
an interlocutory order for appeal. See Martin v. Halliburton,
618 F.3d 476, 481
(5th Cir. 2010); § 1292(a), (b). Furthermore, the district court’s stay order is
not a collaterally appealable order. See Mohawk Indus., Inc. v. Carpenter,
558 U.S. 100, 106-07 (2009). Accordingly, the appeal is DISMISSED for lack
of jurisdiction. See Grace v. Vannoy,
826 F.3d 813, 815-22 (5th Cir. 2016).
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