Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-90-01366/USCOURTS-ca10-90-01366-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 

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\ UNITED STATES COURT OF 

TENTH CIRCUIT 

CLARENCE J. NUSS, ) 

) 

Plaintiff-Appellant, ) 

) 

V • ) 

) 

UNITED STATES OFFICE OF PERSONNEL ) 

MANAGEMENT, WASHINGTON, D.C., ) 

) 

Defendant-Appellee. ) 

F~¥~~ 0Rpi)C2ID 

APPE'Rf~ Tent!l Circuit 

SEP O 5 1991 

ROBERT L. HOECKER 

Clerk 

No. 90-1366 

(D.C. No. 90-CV-1933) 

( D. Colo.) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Before McKAY, SEYMOUR, and EBEL, Circuit Judges. 

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); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The cause is therefore ordered 

submitted without oral argument. 

Appellant Clarence J. Nuss appeals the district court's 

dismissal of his complaint for failing to comply with Fed. R. Civ. 

P. 8(a). We affirm. 

Rule 8(a) requires at a minimum that the complainant word the 

complaint in such a way as to alert the defendant as to the nature 

of the claim. See Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 47 (1957). This 

*This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall not 

be cited, or used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, except 

for purposes of establishing the doctrines of the law of the case, 

res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. 36.3. 

Appellate Case: 90-1366 Document: 010110084318 Date Filed: 09/05/1991 Page: 1 
l 

.( 

is so the defendant has enough information to frame responsive 

pleadings and to prepare for trial. See Riblet Tramway Co. v. 

Monte Verde Corp., 453 F.2d 313, 318-19 (10th Cir. 1972). This 

minimum standard applies to prose litigants. See Pavilonis v. 

Kingf 626 F.2d 1075, 1078 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 829 

(1980). 

Mr. Nuss' "Motion Pursuant to Rule 604" filed October 26, 

1990 does not meet this standard because the facts he alleges, 

even when liberally read, fail to outline a recognizable cause of 

action, either expressly or implicitly. Accordingly, we affirm 

the district court's dismissal on this ground. The mandate shall 

issue forthwith. 

-2-

Entered for the Court 

Stephanie K. Seymour 

Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 90-1366 Document: 010110084318 Date Filed: 09/05/1991 Page: 2