Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-19-40975/USCOURTS-ca5-19-40975-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Lorie Davis, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division
Appellee
Tracy Ray Gibson
Appellant

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 19-40975

TRACY RAY GIBSON, 

 Petitioner - Appellant

v.

LORIE DAVIS, DIRECTOR, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL 

JUSTICE, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS DIVISION, 

 Respondent - Appellee

Appeal from the United States District Court 

for the Eastern District of Texas

USDC No. 9:17-CV-188

Before HIGGINBOTHAM, SOUTHWICK, and HO, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM*:

This court must examine the basis of its jurisdiction, on its own motion 

if necessary. Hill v. City of Seven Points, 230 F.3d 167, 169 (5th Cir. 2000). In 

this habeas corpus case filed by a state prisoner, the petitioner filed a notice of 

appeal from the magistrate judge=s report and recommendation to deny the 

petition. 

 

* 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

January 15, 2020

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

Case: 19-40975 Document: 00515272482 Page: 1 Date Filed: 01/15/2020
No. 19-40975

2

“Federal appellate courts have jurisdiction over appeals only from (1) a 

final decision under 28 U.S.C. § 1291; (2) a decision that is deemed final due to 

jurisprudential exception or that has been properly certified as final pursuant 

to Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(b); and (3) interlocutory orders that fall into specific 

classes, 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a), or that have been properly certified for appeal by 

the district court, 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b).” Askanase v. Livingwell, Inc., 981 F.2d 

807, 809-10 (5th Cir. 1993). The report and recommendation of a magistrate 

judge is not a final order and it does not fall into any of the other categories 

that would make it appealable. See United States v. Cooper, 135 F.3d 960, 961 

(5th Cir. 1998). Moreover, although the district court subsequently adopted 

the report and recommendation, the present notice of appeal is not effective for 

purposes of appealing that judgment. Id. at 962 (A[T]he recommendation of a 

magistrate judge is not a final decision and does not in any way dispose of a 

party’s claims.@). Accordingly, the appeal is DISMISSED for want of 

jurisdiction.

Case: 19-40975 Document: 00515272482 Page: 2 Date Filed: 01/15/2020