Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-16-06225/USCOURTS-ca10-16-06225-0/pdf.json

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

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FILED

United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit

July 27, 2016

Elisabeth A. Shumaker

Clerk of Court

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT

_________________________________

MICHAEL ED ERIKSON, 

 Plaintiff - Appellant,

v.

STATE OF OKLAHOMA; WOODS 

COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, 

 Defendants - Appellees.

No. 16-6225

(D.C. No. 5:16-CV-00657-R)

(W.D. Okla.)

_________________________________

ORDER

_________________________________

Before GORSUCH, MATHESON, and McHUGH, Circuit Judges.

_________________________________

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

this appeal. Amazon, Inc. v. Dirt Camp, Inc., 273 F.3d 1271, 1274 (10th Cir. 2001) 

(noting “we have an independent duty to examine our own jurisdiction”). Generally, this 

court’s appellate jurisdiction is limited to review of final decisions. 28 U.S.C. § 1291. A

final decision is one that “ends the litigation on the merits and leaves nothing for the 

court to do but execute judgment.” Cunningham v. Hamilton Cnty., Ohio, 527 U.S. 198, 

204 (1999) (internal quotations omitted).

Here, Plaintiff Michael Erikson moved to recuse the district court judge assigned 

to his case. The case was subsequently reassigned to a different district judge in 

accordance with the district’s case management policies. The newly assigned judge then 

Appellate Case: 16-6225 Document: 01019663326 Date Filed: 07/27/2016 Page: 1 
2

denied the motion to recuse as moot, but has not otherwise addressed or resolved any of 

Mr. Erikson’s claims in this case. The district court has not, therefore, issued a final 

decision, and the denial of a motion to recuse is not an appealable interlocutory order. 

Nichols v. Alley, 71 F.3d 347, 350 (10th Cir. 1995). Accordingly, we lack jurisdiction to 

consider this appeal.

APPEAL DISMISSED.

Entered for the Court

ELISABETH A. SHUMAKER, Clerk

by: Jane K. Castro

 Counsel to the Clerk

Appellate Case: 16-6225 Document: 01019663326 Date Filed: 07/27/2016 Page: 2