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

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t 

FILED 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALgllnired Srates Co~rt ~f Appeals Tt>nth Ctrrutt 

MANUEL SESARIO DEPINEDA, 

Plaintiff-Appellant, 

v. 

EVANS GARCIA, ET AL., 

Defendants-Appellees. 

TENTH CIRCUIT APR 2 4 1991 

> ROBERT L. HOECKER 

> Clerk 

) 

) 

) No. 90-1333 

) (D.C. Nos. 90-F-1455, 

) 90-F-1577, & 90-F-1578) 

) (D. Colo.) 

) 

) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Before ABDERSOB, 'l'ACIIA, and BRORBY, 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 case is therefore ordered 

submitted without oral argument. 

Plaintiff-appellant Manuel Sesario Depineda filed three 

separate civil rights actions pursuant to 42 u.s.c. S 1983. The 

,defendants in the first action were plaintiff's court-appointed 

attorneys in the state criminal proceedings against him, Evans 

Garcia and Lisa Wayne. In the second case, the prosecutors in 

those state proceedings, Norm Early, Jr., Lamar Sims, and David 

* 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 estoppal. 10th Cir. R. 

36.3. 

Appellate Case: 90-1333 Document: 010110034359 Date Filed: 04/24/1991 Page: 1 
Olivas, were named as defendants. Several other individuals 

involved in plaintiff's prosecution, including Federico Pena, 

Manual Martinez, D. Hidlebrandt, Calvin Hemphill, D. Ponterelli, 

J. Rock, and Sandra Young, were the named defendants in the third 

complaint. The district court adopted the magistrate's 

recommendations and dismissed all of plaintiff's claims. 

We must first determine the proper parties to this appeal. 

Plaintiff's notice of appeal listed "Evans Garcia, et al." as the 

appellees. We do not have jurisdiction over the defendants below 

not specifically named in the notice of appeal. See Torres Y..:.. 

Oakland Scavenger Co., 487 U.S. 312, 315 (1988). Plaintiff's 

appellate brief, however, which was filed before the running of 

the time for appeal, listed "Evans Garcia, Lisa Wayne, et al." as 

the appellees. This court has held it does have jurisdiction over 

parties named in documents filed with this court within the time 

for filing the notice of appeal. See Hubbert Y..:.. City of Moore, 

923 F.2d 769, 772 (10th Cir. 1991). Evans Garcia and Lisa Wayne 

are therefore the only appellees in this case over which this 

court has jurisdiction. 

As plaintiff is representing himself, his complaint will be 

liberally construed. Haines Y..:.. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520-21 

(1972). To state a valid claim under section 1983, plaintiff must 

allege Evans and Wayne deprived him of a right secured by the 

United States Constitution while acting under color of state law. 

Adickes Y..:.. ~ !L.. Kress~ Co., 398 U.S. 144, 150. 

The district court properly concluded plaintiff could not 

state a claim for relief against Evans and Wayne. Plaintiff sued 

-2-

Appellate Case: 90-1333 Document: 010110034359 Date Filed: 04/24/1991 Page: 2 
. V 

Evans and Wayne in their capacities as public defenders. An 

individual acting in his or her traditional role of representing a 

criminal defendant is not a person acting under color of state law 

and therefore is not subject to an action under section 1983. 

Polk County Y.:.. Dodson, 454 U.S. 312, 325 (1981). We AFFIRM. The 

mandate shall issue forthwith. 

-3-

ENTERED FOR THE COURT 

Deanell Reece Tacha 

Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 90-1333 Document: 010110034359 Date Filed: 04/24/1991 Page: 3