Filed: Apr. 17, 2007
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 17, 2007 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 06-10695 Conference Calendar FRANCIS TEJANI KUNDRA, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus DERST K. AUSTIN; UNNAMED DALLAS POLICE OFFICER, Defendants-Appellees. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 3:06-CV-728 - Before HIGGINBOTHAM, BENAVIDES, and PRADO, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Francis T
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 17, 2007 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 06-10695 Conference Calendar FRANCIS TEJANI KUNDRA, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus DERST K. AUSTIN; UNNAMED DALLAS POLICE OFFICER, Defendants-Appellees. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 3:06-CV-728 - Before HIGGINBOTHAM, BENAVIDES, and PRADO, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Francis Te..
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United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 17, 2007
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 06-10695
Conference Calendar
FRANCIS TEJANI KUNDRA,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
DERST K. AUSTIN; UNNAMED DALLAS POLICE OFFICER,
Defendants-Appellees.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Texas
USDC No. 3:06-CV-728
--------------------
Before HIGGINBOTHAM, BENAVIDES, and PRADO, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Francis Tejani Kundra, immigration detainee # A20661647,
moves for leave to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP) on appeal and
has filed a brief in support of his appeal. Kundra seeks to
challenge the district court’s dismissal of his 42 U.S.C. § 1983
claim against Derst K. Austin as frivolous. The district court
also denied Kundra’s motion for leave to proceed IFP and
certified that an appeal would not be taken in good faith.
Kundra’s IFP motion is construed as a challenge to the
district court’s certification. See Baugh v. Taylor, 117 F.3d
*
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this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except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.
No. 06-10695
-2-
197, 202 (5th Cir. 1997). Kundra does not challenge the district
court’s determination that Austin was not a state actor and,
therefore, that issue is abandoned. See Brinkmann v. Dallas
County Deputy Sheriff Abner,
813 F.2d 744, 748 (5th Cir. 1987).
Nor did the district court err in determining that Kundra may not
bring an action against Austin pursuant to Bivens v. Six Unknown
Named Agents of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics,
403 U.S. 388 (1971), as
a Bivens action requires that the defendant be a federal officer
acting under color of federal law. See Dean v. Gladney,
621 F.2d
1331, 1336 (5th Cir. 1980).
For the first time on appeal, Kundra seeks permission to
name Cynthia Figueroa Calhoun as a defendant and to raise a claim
against her for her failure to file his state habeas application.
Kundra may not raise a claim for the first time on appeal. See
Leverette v. Louisville Ladder Co.,
183 F.3d 339, 342 (5th Cir.
1999).
Kundra has failed to show that his appeal involves “legal
points arguable on their merits (and therefore not frivolous).”
See Howard v. King,
707 F.2d 215, 220 (5th Cir. 1983) (internal
quotation marks omitted). Accordingly, the motion for leave to
proceed IFP on appeal is denied, and the appeal is dismissed as
frivolous. See
Baugh, 117 F.3d at 202 & n.24; 5TH CIR. R. 42.2.
Kundra is warned that the filing or prosecution of frivolous
appeals in the future may result in the imposition of sanctions.
No. 06-10695
-3-
See Woodson v. Surgitek, Inc.,
57 F.3d 1406, 1417 (5th Cir.
1995); Clark v. Green,
814 F.2d 221, 223 (5th Cir. 1987).
MOTION DENIED; APPEAL DISMISSED; SANCTION WARNING ISSUED.