Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-15-40326/USCOURTS-ca5-15-40326-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
State of Alabama
Appellee
State of Georgia
Appellee
State of Idaho
Appellee
State of Indiana
Appellee
State of Texas
Appellee
Mitchell Williams
Appellant

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 15-40326

Summary Calendar

STATE OF TEXAS; STATE OF ALABAMA; STATE OF GEORGIA; 

 STATE OF IDAHO; STATE OF INDIANA, ET AL.,

Plaintiffs–Appellees,

versus

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ET AL.,

Defendants,

MITCHELL WILLIAMS,

Movant–Appellant.

Appeals from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. 1:14-CV-254

Before HIGGINBOTHAM, SMITH, and OWEN, 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

December 21, 2015

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 Case: 15-40326 Document: 00513316351 Page: 1 Date Filed: 12/21/2015
No. 15-40326

2

Mitchell Williams requests permission to proceed in forma pauperis

(“IFP”) in his appeal of the denial of his pro se motion to intervene. A movant 

seeking leave to proceed IFP on appeal must show that he is a pauper and that 

the appeal is taken in good faith, i.e., that it presents nonfrivolous issues. 

Carson v. Polley, 689 F.2d 562, 586 (5th Cir. 1982). Frivolous is defined as 

“lack[ing] an arguable basis in law or fact.” Taylor v. Johnson, 257 F.3d 470, 

472 (5th Cir. 2001). “A ruling denying intervention of right is reviewed de 

novo.” Edwards v. City of Houston, 78 F.3d 983, 995 (5th Cir. 1996) (en banc).

The district court did not err in denying Williams’s request to intervene 

because, inter alia, he does not have an “interest relating to the property or 

transaction that is the subject of the action.” FED. R. CIV. P. 24(a)(2). An 

intervenor fails to show a sufficient interest where he seeks to intervene solely 

for economic reasons. New Orleans Pub. Serv., Inc. v. United Gas Pipe Line 

Co., 732 F.2d 452, 466 (5th Cir. 1984) (en banc). Williams’s motion to intervene 

was based on an asserted economic interest; thus, it was insufficient to merit 

intervention of right. See id. 

Accordingly, the motion to proceed IFP on appeal is DENIED, and the

appeal is DISMISSED as frivolous. See 5TH CIR. R. 42.2. 

 Case: 15-40326 Document: 00513316351 Page: 2 Date Filed: 12/21/2015