Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-07-03262/USCOURTS-ca10-07-03262-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
James A. McKeighan
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

 Plaintiff - Appellee,

v.

JAMES A. MCKEIGHAN,

 Defendant - Appellant.

No. 07-3262

(D.C. No. 06-CR-20066-JWL)

ORDER

Filed September 13, 2007

Before TACHA, Chief Circuit Judge, O’BRIEN and McCONNELL, Circuit Judges.

James A. McKeighan is being prosecuted by the United States in the District Court

for the District of Kansas on various drug, firearm, and money laundering charges. No

final judgment has been entered yet. 

On June 21, 2007, Mr. McKeighan filed by counsel a “Motion for Release of

Property” in which he asked that the United States be ordered to release all personal

property of the defendant in its possession that the United States did not intend to use as

an exhibit at trial. The motion was opposed by the United States. On August 20, 2007,

the district court denied the motion in a minute entry. On August 31, 2007, 

Mr. McKeighan, acting on his own and without the signature of counsel, filed a notice of

Appellate Case: 07-3262 Document: 010132137 Date Filed: 09/13/2007 Page: 1
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appeal. In the notice, Mr. McKeighan designated his intent to appeal the entry denying

the motion for release of property. A preliminary record was transmitted to this court and

we opened Case No. 07-3262.

As previously noted, the prosecution of Mr. McKeighan is ongoing. Unless there

is no related criminal proceeding pending, the denial of a motion for return of seized

property is not a final appealable order. Kitty’s East v. United States (In re Search of

Kitty’s East), 905 F.2d 1367, 1370 (10th Cir. 1990). 

We accordingly lack appellate jurisdiction. For the same reasons already

identified in this order – lack of a final judgment – the United States has filed the

“Government’s Motion to Dismiss Appeal” which we now grant. 

This attempted appeal is dismissed. 

Entered for the Court

ELISABETH A. SHUMAKER

Clerk of Court

by:

Douglas E. Cressler

Chief Deputy Clerk

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