Filed: Nov. 07, 2006
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: F I L E D United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES CO URT O F APPEALS November 7, 2006 FO R TH E TENTH CIRCUIT Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court CH IBU EZE C. AN AEM E, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. No. 05-2360 (D.C. No. CIV-04790-JP/DJS) RUSSELL PETERSON, Officer, (D . N.M .) individually and in his capacity as the Chief of Police, Truth or Consequences, New M exico Police Department; K. STOCKM AN, Officer, individually and in his capacity as an officer of the Truth or Consequenc
Summary: F I L E D United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES CO URT O F APPEALS November 7, 2006 FO R TH E TENTH CIRCUIT Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court CH IBU EZE C. AN AEM E, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. No. 05-2360 (D.C. No. CIV-04790-JP/DJS) RUSSELL PETERSON, Officer, (D . N.M .) individually and in his capacity as the Chief of Police, Truth or Consequences, New M exico Police Department; K. STOCKM AN, Officer, individually and in his capacity as an officer of the Truth or Consequence..
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F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES CO URT O F APPEALS
November 7, 2006
FO R TH E TENTH CIRCUIT Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
CH IBU EZE C. AN AEM E,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v. No. 05-2360
(D.C. No. CIV-04790-JP/DJS)
RUSSELL PETERSON, Officer, (D . N.M .)
individually and in his capacity as the
Chief of Police, Truth or
Consequences, New M exico Police
Department; K. STOCKM AN, Officer,
individually and in his capacity as an
officer of the Truth or Consequences,
New M exico Police Department,;
B.C.W . INC., d/b/a O ut W est A uto
Corral of Albuquerque, New M exico,
d/b/a Farr Better Car Rental of
Albuquerque, New M exico, d/b/a Rent
a W reck of Albuquerque, New
M exico; GLEN BANEK; ROBERT
V ELA SQ U EZ; JESU S B . LED ESM A,
individually and in their capacity as
employees of B.C.W . Inc. d/b/a R ent a
W reck of Albuquerque, New M exico,
Farr Better Car Rental of
Albuquerque, New M exico, Out West
Auto Corral of Albuquerque, New
M exico subsidiaries of B.C.W . Inc.;
B EST W ESTER N H O T SPR IN GS
INN , TRUTH O R CO NSEQUEN CES
(T O R C ), N EW M EX IC O; JO SHUA
FRANKEL, individually and in his
capacity as General
M anager/employee of Best W estern
Hot Springs Inn, Truth or
Consequences, New M exico; TRUTH
OR CONSEQUENCES (T OR C)
NEW M EXICO POLICE
DEPARTM ENT,
Defendants-Appellees.
OR D ER AND JUDGM ENT *
Before O’BRIEN, PO RFILIO, and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.
Proceeding pro se, plaintiff Chibueze C. Anaeme appeals the district
court’s dismissal of his civil rights complaint, brought under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983
and 1985. He also seeks to proceed in form a pauperis (IFP) on appeal. W e deny
the motion to proceed IFP, and dismiss the appeal.
In his complaint, M r. Anaeme recites that he rented a car from defendant
B.C.W . Inc., d/b/a Rent a W reck of Albuquerque, New M exico (“BCW ”). 1 The
rental car suffered a mechanical breakdown. After the breakdown, M r. Anaeme
*
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
therefore ordered 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. The court generally disfavors the citation of orders and
judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under the terms and
conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
1
He also names subsidiaries of BCW , including Farr Better Car Rental of
Albuquerque and Out W est Auto Corral of Albuquerque.
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checked into the defendant Best W estern Hot Springs Inn in Truth or
Consequences, New M exico (“Best W estern”).
The next morning, M r. Anaeme spoke to defendant Joshua Frankel, general
manager of the Best W estern. M r. Anaeme claims he assured M r. Frankel that the
charges for his room would be paid in full upon checkout, either by himself or by
BCW . BCW allegedly also provided assurance that his room charges would be
paid.
M r. Anaeme alleges that M r. Frankel thereafter telephoned the Truth or
Consequences police department (ToCPD) and lodged a complaint against
M r. Anaeme. Defendant Russell Peterson, a ToCPD officer, responded to the
scene, entered the lobby of the hotel, and ordered M r. Anaeme to pay the room
charge for an additional night (apparently because he had stayed past check-out
time). M r. Anaeme paid without hesitation but then told Officer Peterson that he
wanted to file a formal complaint with the ToCPD against all involved parties
immediately.
M r. Anaeme states that Officer Peterson responded rudely and abruptly,
stating that he could take M r. A naeme to the police station to file the complaint.
Officer Peterson, however, did not transport M r. A naeme to the police station.
Four months later, M r. Anaeme traveled to the ToCPD station, in an
attempt to file a formal complaint arising out of this incident against Officer
Peterson, M r. Frankel, BCW , and M r. Velasquez, and M r. Ledesma, employees of
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BC W . M r. Anaeme asserts that defendant Officer Stockman of the ToCPD
refused to process his complaint and rudely and sarcastically ordered him to leave
the police station.
Based on the foregoing conduct, M r. Anaeme’s complaint charges that the
defendants “harassed, intimidated, and assaulted” him, and that they deprived him
of his liberty without due process of law. R., doc. 1, at 7-8. His complaint
contains claims based on a number of other legal theories, including denial of
equal protection, failure to render aid or to intercede on his behalf, conspiracy,
interference with his right of association, fabrication of evidence, failure to train
and supervise officers and employees, and selective enforcement of the laws.
Defendants Best W estern, Frankel, BCW, Banek, Velasquez, and Ledesma
filed motions to dismiss. M r. Anaeme never responded to these motions. The
district court granted the motions to dismiss, both because M r. Anaeme was
deemed to have consented to them by failing to respond, and because it found that
his complaint failed to state a valid claim against these defendants. M r. Anaeme
filed appeals from each of these dismissal orders. The appeals were dismissed for
lack of jurisdiction because there was no final order.
Defendants ToCPD, Peterson, and Stockman thereafter filed an answ er to
the complaint, followed by a motion to dismiss. Again, M r. Anaeme did not
respond to the motion. The district court granted the motion based on the failure
to respond, and on the merits, finding that the complaint failed to state a claim
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against these defendants. M r. Anaeme appealed, 2 and sought to proceed IFP on
appeal. The district court, determining that he had failed to advance any
reasoned, non-frivolous arguments, denied IFP.
On appeal, M r. Anaeme raises three issues:
(1) The district court erred in dismissing his complaint, both for failure to
state a claim and because he failed to respond to the motion to dismiss.
(2) The district court failed to determine whether some of the named
defendants were proper parties in the case.
(3) The district court failed to grant his discovery motions, including his
motions to compel.
Upon review, we determine that M r. Anaeme’s appeal is frivolous. W e
therefore dismiss this appeal, see 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(i), and deny his
motion to proceed in forma pauperis.
Entered for the Court
Terrence L. O’Brien
Circuit Judge
2
The notice of appeal is not a model of clarity. W hile it expressly purports
only to appeal only from the order dismissing defendants ToCPD , Peterson, and
Stockman, it mentions the other defendants and the orders dismissing them as
well. Construed broadly, it appears to demonstrate an intent to appeal from all of
the dismissal orders.
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