Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-07-01324/USCOURTS-ca10-07-01324-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Bruce Clyde Smith
Appellant
Dennis Leon Smith
Appellant
State Of Colorado
Appellee
State of Kansas
Appellee
State of New Mexico
Appellee
State of Oklahoma
Appellee
State of Texas
Appellee
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT

DENNIS LEON SMITH; BRUCE

CLYDE SMITH,

 Plaintiffs - Appellants, 

 v.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA;

STATE OF COLORADO; STATE OF

OKLAHOMA; STATE OF KANSAS;

STATE OF NEW MEXICO; STATE

OF TEXAS, and John and Jane Does

1-50,

 Defendants - Appellees.

No. 07-1324

 (D. C. No. 07-cv-1446-BNB)

ORDER

Filed September 11, 2007

Before TACHA, Chief Circuit Judge, TYMKOVICH, and HOLMES, Circuit

Judges.

On July 10, 2007, a United States magistrate judge entered an order directing

the clerk of the district court to commence a civil action and instructing Plaintiffs

to file their claims on a court-approved form and to each file a motion and affidavit

for leave to proceed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915. On August 6, 2007, Plaintiffs,

proceeding pro se, filed a notice of appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 3(c). 

Except for proceedings conducted by a magistrate judge upon designation by

a district judge and consent of the parties pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c), orders

Appellate Case: 07-1324 Document: 010130285 Date Filed: 09/11/2007 Page: 1 
2

entered by a magistrate judge are not final or immediately appealable. “[W]e have

consistently recognized that ‘[a] magistrate exercising “additional duties”

jurisdiction remains constantly subject to the inherent supervisory power of the

district judge and the judge retains the ultimate responsibility for decision making

in every instance.’ ” Colorado Bldg. & Const. Tr. Coun. v. Andersen Const., 879

F.2d 809, 811 (10th Cir. 1989); see Phillips v. Beierwaltes, 466 F.3d 1217, 1221

(10th Cir. 2006).

In this case, the parties did not consent to final disposition by a magistrate

judge. The magistrate judge’s July 10, 2007 Order is interlocutory and not

immediately appealable under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 or under any recognized exception

to the final judgment rule. This order may be appealed upon entry of a final

judgment by the district judge in Plaintiffs’ action.

This appeal is DISMISSED for lack of appellate jurisdiction. 

Entered for the Court,

Elisabeth A. Shumaker, Clerk

Kathleen T. Clifford

Attorney - Deputy Clerk

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