Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-14-08092/USCOURTS-ca10-14-08092-0/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

_________________________________

DEON A. LEONARD, 

 Plaintiff - Appellant,

v.

RICHARD HASKELL, Sweetwater 

County Detention Center Sheriff; RICK 

HAWKINS, Sweetwater County Detention 

Center Major; CRYSTALYN 

VALENCIANO, Sweetwater County 

Detention Center Lieutenant; BEVERLY 

HENDERSON, Sweetwater County 

Detention Center Sergeant; GERALD

CARR, Sweetwater County Detention 

Center Sergeant; VICKY LYONSSCHEFFELE, Sweetwater County 

Detention Center Sergeant; HAROLD 

HAMILTON, Sweetwater County 

Detention Center Sergeant; AARON 

SPRECHER, Sweetwater County 

Detention Center Deputy Sheriff; KARI 

ASHLEY, Sweetwater County Detention 

Center Deputy Sheriff; NORMAN BATES, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; ELIZABETH LOPEZ, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; MARIE BROWN, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; KEITH A. BRAMWELL, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; BECKY BUTTERFIELD, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; GERALD MILLER, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; PATRICK MCGOWAN, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; CANDANCE RAMOS, 

No. 14-8092

(D.C. No. 2:14-CV-00233-SWS)

FILED

United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit

January 13, 2015

Elisabeth A. Shumaker

Clerk of Court

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2

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; LELAND REESE, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; KEVIN HOTCHKISS, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; KARI HUBERT, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; SHAUNA ROSENBACH, 

Sweetwater County Detention Center 

Deputy Sheriff; HEATHER 

YARRINGTON, Sweetwater County 

Detention Center Deputy Sheriff; 

DWAINE SHAFE, Sweetwater County 

Detention Center Deputy Sheriff; SHELLI 

ROY, Sweetwater County Detention 

Center Deputy Sheriff; JOANNA 

HAGEMAN, Sweetwater County 

Detention Center Deputy Sheriff, in their 

individual and official capacities, 

 Defendants - Appellees.

_________________________________

ORDER

_________________________________

Before BRISCOE, Chief Judge, KELLY, and HOLMES, Circuit Judges.

_________________________________

This matter is before us for consideration of Appellant's response to our December 

24, 2014 order noting our apparent lack of jurisdiction over this attempted appeal. For the 

reasons set forth below, this appeal will be dismissed. 

On December 23, 2014, Deon A. Leonard filed a notice of appeal from the district 

court’s December 2, 2014 order denying his motion to appoint counsel. This Court’s 

appellate jurisdiction is limited to review of final judgments. See U.S. v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 

683, 690-92 (1974); Albright v. Unum Life Ins. Co., 59 F.3d 1089, 1092 (10th Cir. 1995). 

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Orders denying motions for appointment of counsel are non-final and not immediately 

appealable absent certification under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) or Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(b). See 

Cotner v. Mason, 657 F.2d 1390, 1391-92 (10th Cir. 1981) (denying immediate review of 

order denying appointment of counsel, and noting that such orders are “fully reviewable 

after final judgment, and the only burden from reversal is a new trial, with appointed 

counsel.”). No such certification has been issued by the district court, and Appellant's 

response to our December 24, 2014 order fails to set forth a valid legal basis for us to 

exercise jurisdiction over this attempted appeal. 

Accordingly, this Court lacks jurisdiction over this attempted premature appeal, 

and this appeal is DISMISSED.

Entered for the Court

ELISABETH A. SHUMAKER, Clerk

by: Chris Wolpert

 Chief Deputy Clerk

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