Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-09-10863/USCOURTS-ca5-09-10863-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Robert R. Henderson
Appellant
United States Department Of Health And Human Services
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 09-10863

Summary Calendar

ROBERT R. HENDERSON,

Petitioner-Appellant

v.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT

OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,

Respondent-Appellee

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Northern District of Texas

USDC No. 3:79-CV-1384

Before BENAVIDES, PRADO, and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

*

Robert Henderson filed a petition against the Department of Health and

Human Services (DHHS) in the district court seeking to recover benefits

allegedly due him as a result of the favorable adjudication of his 1988 application

for Social Security disability benefits. The district court denied Henderson relief

because it lacked jurisdiction over the matter. The district court also denied

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

F I L E D

July 12, 2010

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

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.

 Case: 09-10863 Document: 00511169435 Page: 1 Date Filed: 07/12/2010
No. 09-10863

Henderson leave to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP) after certifying that the

appeal was not taken in good faith.

Henderson now moves this court for leave to proceed IFP on appeal. By

doing so, Henderson is challenging the district court’s certification. See Baugh

v. Taylor, 117 F.3d 197, 202 (5th Cir. 1997). A movant seeking leave to proceed

IFP on appeal must show that he is a pauper and that the appeal presents

nonfrivolous issues. See Carson v. Polley, 689 F.2d 562, 586 (5th Cir. 1982).

Henderson arguably has shown that he is economically eligible to proceed IFP.

Adkins v. E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co., 335 U.S. 331, 339 (1948). Our inquiry

into whether an appeal is taken in good faith “is limited to whether the appeal

involves legal points arguable on their merits (and therefore not frivolous).”

Howard v. King, 707 F.2d 215, 220 (5th Cir. 1983) (internal quotation marks and

citations omitted).

A review of the record in this case reveals that Henderson filed

applications for Social Security disability benefits in 1978 and 1979 based on

pain in his right arm and shoulder and the amputation of two fingers on his

right hand as the result of a childhood accident. DHHS determined that

Henderson was not entitled to disability benefits. Henderson unsuccessfully

sought judicial review in the underlying proceeding. The case concluded in 1981,

when the Supreme Court denied Henderson’s request for rehearing of the denial

of his petition for a writ of certiorari. See Henderson v. Schweiker, 450 U.S. 985,

reh’g denied, 451 U.S. 934 (1981).

In 1988, Henderson filed a new application for Social Security disability

benefits alleging that he was disabled independently of his childhood injury.

Henderson was awarded benefits as a result of the 1988 application. He now

seeks relief, arguing that he has not been paid in accordance with the terms of

the benefit award. Henderson offers no authority for the proposition that he is

entitled to seek relief in the 1979 proceedings based on a determination in a

2

 Case: 09-10863 Document: 00511169435 Page: 2 Date Filed: 07/12/2010
No. 09-10863

separate administrative proceeding. Henderson’s allegations of bias are without

merit. See Liteky v. United States, 510 U.S. 540, 555 (1994).

Henderson has not shown that his appeal will raise nonfrivolous issues

regarding the district court’s denial of his petition. The instant appeal is

without arguable merit and is thus frivolous. Accordingly, Henderson’s IFP

motion is DENIED. See Howard, 707 F.2d at 219-20. His appeal is DISMISSED

as frivolous. See 5TH CIR. R. 42.2; Baugh, 117 F.3d at 202 n.24.

3

 Case: 09-10863 Document: 00511169435 Page: 3 Date Filed: 07/12/2010