Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-16-01484/USCOURTS-ca10-16-01484-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 

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UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT 

_________________________________ 

CHRISTOPHER TANTLINGER, 

 Plaintiff - Appellant, 

v. 

LOUIS DUCHAINE, invividually; 

BURLEIGH CASTELLO, individually; 

STEVE HARTLEY, individually and in his 

official capacity, 

 Defendants - Appellees. 

No. 16-1484 

(D.C. No. 1:14-CV-02503-WJM-KMT) 

(D. Colo.) 

_________________________________ 

ORDER

_________________________________ 

Before GORSUCH, McHUGH, and MORITZ, Circuit Judges. 

_________________________________ 

We raise sua sponte the question of whether this court has jurisdiction to consider 

this appeal. 

In a civil case in which the United States is not a party, a notice of appeal must be 

filed within 30 days of entry of the order being appealed. See 28 U.S.C. § 2107(a) 

(providing that a notice of appeal in a civil matter must be filed within 30 days of entry of 

judgment); Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A) (same). 

Pro se Appellant Christopher Tantlinger asserts that he received wrong 

information about filing a notice of appeal and that his now-former counsel did not 

believe that he should appeal. Ignorance of the law does not excuse prompt filing, 

FILED 

United States Court of Appeals 

Tenth Circuit 

December 30, 2016

Elisabeth A. Shumaker 

Clerk of Court

Appellate Case: 16-1484 Document: 01019742834 Date Filed: 12/30/2016 Page: 1 
2 

however. See Marsh v. Soares, 223 F.3d 1217, 1220 (10th Cir. 2000). Moreover, this 

court does not have the discretion to allow an untimely notice of appeal; a timely notice 

of appeal in a civil case is both mandatory and jurisdictional. See Bowles v. Russell, 551 

U.S. 205, 214 (2007). The district court entered final judgment on August 19, 2016. Mr. 

Tantlinger filed a notice of appeal on December 14, 2016, beyond the required 30-day 

period. 

Because the notice of appeal is beyond Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure’s 

4(a)(1)(A)’s 30-day period, it is untimely, and the court lacks jurisdiction over this 

appeal. 

APPEAL DISMISSED. 

Entered for the Court 

ELISABETH A. SHUMAKER, Clerk 

by: Lindy Lucero Schaible 

 Counsel to the Clerk 

Appellate Case: 16-1484 Document: 01019742834 Date Filed: 12/30/2016 Page: 2