Filed: Oct. 26, 2001
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 01-40419 Conference Calendar CECIL P. SAPP; DENISE STOCKTON, Plaintiffs-Appellants, versus ADELAIDO FLORES, JR.; CAMERON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ COURT; CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS; CAMERON COUNTY, Defendants-Appellees. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. B-00-CV-137 - October 26, 2001 Before WIENER, BENAVIDES, and DENNIS, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Cecil P. Sapp and Denise Stockton ap
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 01-40419 Conference Calendar CECIL P. SAPP; DENISE STOCKTON, Plaintiffs-Appellants, versus ADELAIDO FLORES, JR.; CAMERON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ COURT; CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS; CAMERON COUNTY, Defendants-Appellees. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. B-00-CV-137 - October 26, 2001 Before WIENER, BENAVIDES, and DENNIS, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Cecil P. Sapp and Denise Stockton app..
More
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 01-40419
Conference Calendar
CECIL P. SAPP; DENISE STOCKTON,
Plaintiffs-Appellants,
versus
ADELAIDO FLORES, JR.; CAMERON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ COURT;
CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS; CAMERON COUNTY,
Defendants-Appellees.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No. B-00-CV-137
--------------------
October 26, 2001
Before WIENER, BENAVIDES, and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Cecil P. Sapp and Denise Stockton appeal the district
court’s dismissal of their civil action for lack of subject-
matter jurisdiction. They argue that the district court abused
its discretion in denying their motion for an extension of time
to respond to the defendants’ motion to dismiss and in denying
the motion for reconsideration of this denial. We have reviewed
the record and hold that the district court did not abuse its
discretion in denying these motions.
*
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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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. 01-40419
-2-
“The Rooker-Feldman** doctrine holds that federal district
courts lack jurisdiction to entertain collateral attacks on state
judgments.” United States v. Shepherd,
23 F.3d 923, 924 (5th
Cir. 1994) (footnote omitted). If the district court must
examine issues that are “inextricably intertwined with a state
judgment, the [district] court is in essence being called upon to
review the state-court decision, and the originality of the
district court’s jurisdiction precludes such a review.”
Id.
(internal quotations omitted).
All of Sapp’s and Stockton’s claims of constitutional
violations are based on their allegation that the state-court
transcript was fabricated. The state trial court has already
determined that the transcript was accurate. Thus, the claims
presented to the district court were inextricably intertwined
with the state court’s judgment, and the district court was being
called on to review the state court’s decision regarding the
accuracy of the transcript. The district court therefore lacked
subject-matter jurisdiction to address the claims. See
Shepherd,
23 F.3d at 924. Accordingly, the judgment of the district court
is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
**
Rooker v. Fid. Trust Co.,
263 U.S. 413, 415 (1923);
Dist. of Columbia Court of Appeals v. Feldman,
460 U.S. 462, 476,
482 (1983).