Filed: Dec. 17, 2012
Latest Update: Feb. 12, 2020
Summary: FILED United States Court of Appeals UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT December 17, 2012 Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court DENEEN R. GAMMONS, Ph.D., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. No. 11-1474 (D.C. No. 1:10-CV-01598-REB-MJW) CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER; (D. Colo.) CHIEF OF POLICE GERALD R. WHITMAN, in his official and individual capacities; OFFICER STEPHEN STACK, in his official and individual capacities; DETECTIVE HENRY P. GONZALES, in his official and individual capa
Summary: FILED United States Court of Appeals UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT December 17, 2012 Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court DENEEN R. GAMMONS, Ph.D., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. No. 11-1474 (D.C. No. 1:10-CV-01598-REB-MJW) CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER; (D. Colo.) CHIEF OF POLICE GERALD R. WHITMAN, in his official and individual capacities; OFFICER STEPHEN STACK, in his official and individual capacities; DETECTIVE HENRY P. GONZALES, in his official and individual capac..
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FILED
United States Court of Appeals
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT December 17, 2012
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
DENEEN R. GAMMONS, Ph.D.,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v. No. 11-1474
(D.C. No. 1:10-CV-01598-REB-MJW)
CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER; (D. Colo.)
CHIEF OF POLICE GERALD R.
WHITMAN, in his official and individual
capacities; OFFICER STEPHEN
STACK, in his official and individual
capacities; DETECTIVE HENRY P.
GONZALES, in his official and
individual capacities; DETECTIVE
KARA BILSTEIN, in her official and
individual capacities; SGT. KIM HULL,
in her official and individual capacities;
UNKNOWN CITY AND COUNTY OF
DENVER POLICE OFFICERS,
DETECTIVES, AND SERGEANTS,
JOHN DOES 1-10, in their official and
individual capacities,
Defendants-Appellees.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT*
*
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 This order and judgment is not binding
precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral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. It may be cited, however, for its persuasive value consistent with
Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1.
Before GORSUCH, ANDERSON, and EBEL, Circuit Judges.
Plaintiff Deneen R. Gammons appeals pro se from the district court’s order
dismissing this civil rights action. She brought the action pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
§ 1983, charging that the defendants had violated her constitutional rights in
connection with a traffic stop and with her subsequent arrest and incarceration. The
district court dismissed all of her claims against the named defendants, finding that
they were time-barred or failed to state a claim. It then separately dismissed her
claims against the “John Doe” defendants.
On appeal, Dr. Gammons challenges the dismissal of the claims contained in
her first amended complaint charging the defendants with engaging in (1) an
unlawful traffic stop and detention; (2) a false and unlawful arrest; (3) illegal and
unlawful confinement and/or false imprisonment; (4) a civil and/or criminal
conspiracy to violate her constitutional rights; (5) violation of the Constitution’s
Privileges and Immunities Clause; (6) abuse of authority, abuse of process, and
malicious prosecution; (7) assault and battery; (8) outrageous conduct and
intentional/negligent infliction of emotional distress; and (9) defamation. She also
raises issues concerning the impoundment of her vehicle in connection with the
traffic stop. In particular, she complains that the district court erred by not allowing
her any discovery and by not permitting her case to go to jury trial.
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“We review de novo the dismissal of a complaint for failure to state a claim.”
Kan. Penn Gaming, LLC v. Collins,
656 F.3d 1210, 1214 (10th Cir. 2011). “[T]o
withstand a motion to dismiss, a complaint must have enough allegations of fact,
taken as true, ‘to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’”
Id. (quoting
Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,
550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). “Thus, in ruling on a motion
to dismiss, a court should disregard all conclusory statements of law and consider
whether the remaining specific factual allegations, if assumed to be true, plausibly
suggest the defendant is liable.”
Id.
“We review de novo the dismissal of an action under Rule 12(b)(6) based on
the statute of limitations.” Hernandez v. Valley View Hosp. Ass’n,
684 F.3d 950, 957
(10th Cir. 2012) (internal quotation marks omitted). We construe liberally the
appellate briefs of litigants proceeding pro se, Cummings v. Evans,
161 F.3d 610, 613
(10th Cir. 1998), but we do not craft their legal arguments for them, Whitney v. New
Mexico,
113 F.3d 1170, 1173–74 (10th Cir. 1997).
Having carefully reviewed the briefs, applicable portions of the record, and the
relevant case law in light of the above-referenced standards, we AFFIRM the district
court’s dismissal of this action for substantially the reasons stated in the district
court’s orders of September 15, 2011, and November 14, 2011.
Entered for the Court
Stephen H. Anderson
Circuit Judge
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