Filed: Dec. 02, 2015
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: FILED United States Court of Appeals UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT December 2, 2015 _ Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court KEITH E. FRAZIER, Plaintiff - Appellant, No. 15-1231 v. (D.C. No. 1:14-CV-02766-CMA-MJW) (D. Colorado) MICHAEL MILLER, Warden, CCCF; VICKI LEWIS, Librarian, CCCF, Defendants - Appellees. _ ORDER AND JUDGMENT* _ Before KELLY, LUCERO, and McHUGH, Circuit Judges. _ After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined un
Summary: FILED United States Court of Appeals UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT December 2, 2015 _ Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court KEITH E. FRAZIER, Plaintiff - Appellant, No. 15-1231 v. (D.C. No. 1:14-CV-02766-CMA-MJW) (D. Colorado) MICHAEL MILLER, Warden, CCCF; VICKI LEWIS, Librarian, CCCF, Defendants - Appellees. _ ORDER AND JUDGMENT* _ Before KELLY, LUCERO, and McHUGH, Circuit Judges. _ After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined una..
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FILED
United States Court of Appeals
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT December 2, 2015
_________________________________
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
KEITH E. FRAZIER,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
No. 15-1231
v. (D.C. No. 1:14-CV-02766-CMA-MJW)
(D. Colorado)
MICHAEL MILLER, Warden, CCCF;
VICKI LEWIS, Librarian, CCCF,
Defendants - Appellees.
_________________________________
ORDER AND JUDGMENT*
_________________________________
Before KELLY, LUCERO, and McHUGH, 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
ordered submitted without oral argument.
Plaintiff Keith Frazier, a Colorado prisoner appearing pro se,1 appeals from the
district court’s entry of judgment in favor of Defendants Michael Miller and Vicki
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines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.
1
Because Mr. Frazier appears pro se, we construe his filings liberally. See
Garza v. Davis,
596 F.3d 1198, 1201 n.2 (10th Cir. 2010).
Lewis. Upon review of Mr. Frazier’s appeal, the panel identified a potential defect in
this court’s appellate jurisdiction.
Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure requires that a party file
notice of appeal with the district court within thirty days of entry of judgment. Fed.
R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A); 28 U.S.C. § 2107(a). The court of appeals normally lacks
jurisdiction to consider an appeal if notice of appeal is not filed within the thirty days
mandated by Rule 4. See Bowles v. Russell,
551 U.S. 205, 214 (2007). But Rule 4
contains an exception for prisoners, such as Mr. Frazier, currently confined to an
institution. See Fed. R. App. P. 4(c). For prisoners, Rule 4(c)(1) provides that notice
of appeal “is timely if it is deposited in the institution’s internal mail system on or
before the last day for filing.” It further provides that a prisoner can prove the date on
which he deposited his notice of appeal by attaching a signed declaration that states
the date on which the prisoner deposited the notice of appeal in the prison mail
system, declares that first-class postage has been prepaid, and includes language
substantially similar to the following: “I declare under penalty of perjury that the
foregoing is true and correct. Executed on [date].” See Fed. R. App. P. 4(c)(1); 28
U.S.C. § 1746(2).
In this case, the district court entered final judgment in Mr. Frazier’s case on
May 29, 2015. But Mr. Frazier’s notice of appeal was not received by the district
court until July 1, 2015, outside the normal thirty-day limit. Mr. Frazier’s notice of
appeal was not accompanied by a Rule 4(c)-compliant declaration. Accordingly, the
panel issued an order to show cause directing Mr. Frazier to address the timeliness of
2
his appeal within 21 days and indicating that a failure to remedy this jurisdictional
defect would result in dismissal of the appeal without further notice. See 10th Cir. R.
42.1.
Mr. Frazier has failed to respond to the panel’s order to show cause.
Accordingly, we dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. Mr. Frazier’s motion to
proceed in forma pauperis is granted, but we remind him of his obligation to continue
making partial payments until the fee has been paid in full.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT
Carolyn B. McHugh
Circuit Judge
3