Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-20-05022/USCOURTS-ca10-20-05022-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
DeMarco Mantell Birch
Appellant
Scott Crow
Appellee

Document Text:

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT

_________________________________

DEMARCO MANTELL BIRCH, 

 Petitioner - Appellant,

v.

SCOTT CROW, 

 Respondent - Appellee.

No. 20-5022

(D.C. No. 4:19-CV-00276-TCK-FHM)

(N.D. Okla.)

_________________________________

ORDER

_________________________________

Before TYMKOVICH, Chief Judge, EID, and CARSON, Circuit Judges.

_________________________________

Pro se petitioner DeMarco Mantell Birch appeals the district court’s order and 

separate judgment dismissing his § 2254 petition. The notice of appeal was filed six days 

after the deadline to file expired. This court challenged whether we have jurisdiction to 

consider the appeal, directing the appellant to file a response. 10th Cir. R. 27.3(B). Upon 

consideration of the appellant’s response and the district court record, we conclude that 

this court lacks jurisdiction to consider the appeal.

“This court can exercise jurisdiction only if a notice of appeal is timely filed. A 

timely notice of appeal is both mandatory and jurisdictional.” Allender v. Raytheon 

Aircraft Co., 439 F.3d 1236, 1239 (10th Cir. 2006) (quotation omitted). A notice of 

appeal in a civil case must be filed within 30 days after the judgment or order appealed 

from is entered. Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A). Although the appellant is proceeding pro se, 

FILED

United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit

April 10, 2020

Christopher M. Wolpert

Clerk of Court

Appellate Case: 20-5022 Document: 010110332018 Date Filed: 04/10/2020 Page: 1
2

he must comply with the same procedural requirements that govern all litigants. Kay v. 

Bemis, 500 F.3d 1214, 1218 (10th Cir. 2007); Ogden v. San Juan County, 32 F.3d 452, 

455 (10th Cir. 1994). In this case, the district court’s judgment was entered on January 

28, 2020. To be timely, the notice of appeal should have been filed by February 27, 2020. 

Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A). The notice of appeal was not filed until March 4, 2020.

The appellant’s response to the jurisdictional challenge cannot save this untimely 

appeal. The United States Supreme Court has made clear this appellate court “has no 

authority to create equitable exceptions to jurisdictional requirements.” Bowles v. Russell, 

551 U.S. 205, 214 (2007). The appellant’s only potential avenue for relief from the 

untimely filing was in the district court, but he did not pursue this remedy. 28 U.S.C. 

§ 2107(c); Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(5). As a result, “[t]he time limit has run and we are 

without jurisdiction under the facts of this case.” Jenkins v. Burtzloff, 69 F.3d 460, 464 

(10th Cir. 1995).

This appeal is dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

Entered for the Court

CHRISTOPHER M. WOLPERT, Clerk

by: Lara Smith

 Counsel to the Clerk

Appellate Case: 20-5022 Document: 010110332018 Date Filed: 04/10/2020 Page: 2