Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-16-10476/USCOURTS-ca5-16-10476-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
William R. Biggs
Appellee
Mark A. Bronie
Appellee
Jeffrey L. Cureton
Appellee
John Deo #1
Appellee
John Deo #2
Appellee
Calletano Galarza-Morales
Appellant
Terry R. Means
Appellee
Marc Moore
Appellee
Carlos Perez
Appellee
Zelma Shannon
Appellee
Shawn Smith
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 16-10476

CALLETANO GALARZA-MORALES,

Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

TERRY R. MEANS, United States District Judge; JEFFREY L. CURETON, 

United States Magistrate Judge; SHAWN SMITH, Assistant United States 

Attorney; WILLIAM R. BIGGS, Federal Court Attorney; ZELMA SHANNON, 

United States Probation Officer; MARK A. BRONIE, United States Probation 

Officer; MARC MOORE, United States Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement Field Director; CARLOS PEREZ, United States Department of 

Homeland Security Immigration Officer; JOHN DEO #1, Border Agent, United 

States Border Customs and Protection; JOHN DEO #2, Supervisor, United 

States Immigration and Customs Enforcement,

Defendants-Appellees

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Northern District of Texas

USDC No. 4:16-CV-140

Before HIGGINBOTHAM, HAYNES, and GRAVES, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

 

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

March 27, 2017

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 Case: 16-10476 Document: 00513926494 Page: 1 Date Filed: 03/27/2017
No. 16-10476

2

Calletano Galarza-Morales, federal prisoner # 41291-177, moves for 

leave to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP) in his appeal from the dismissal of his 

civil rights complaint, filed pursuant to Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents 

of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971). He is challenging the district 

court’s certification that his appeal is not taken in good faith. See Baugh v. 

Taylor, 117 F.3d 197, 202 (5th Cir. 1997).

Galarza-Morales’s conclusional assertions of error by the district court, 

without citation to the record or cogent legal argument, do not show that his 

appeal involves legal points arguable on their merits and that it is not 

frivolous. See Howard v. King, 707 F.2d 215, 220 (5th Cir. 1983). Although 

pro se briefs are liberally construed, Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972), 

even pro se litigants must brief arguments in order to preserve them, Yohey v. 

Collins, 985 F.2d 222, 224-25 (5th Cir. 1993).

Because Galarza-Morales has not shown that the district court erred in 

decertifying his IFP status, the request for leave to proceed IFP is DENIED. 

See Baugh, 117 F.3d at 202. The appeal is DISMISSED. See id. at 202 & n.24; 

5TH CIR. R. 42.2. The district court’s dismissal of Galarza-Morales’s complaint 

as frivolous and this court’s dismissal of his appeal as frivolous count as strikes 

for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). See Adepegba v. Hammons, 103 F.3d 383, 

388 (5th Cir. 1996). If Galarza-Morales accumulates three strikes he will no 

longer be allowed to proceed IFP in any civil action or appeal filed while he is 

incarcerated or detained in any facility unless he is under imminent danger of 

serious physical injury. See § 1915(g).

 Case: 16-10476 Document: 00513926494 Page: 2 Date Filed: 03/27/2017