UNPUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

LORIA ANN PATTERSON, 

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.  No. 02-1773 THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB, a/k/a

American Kennel Club,

Incorporated,

Defendant-Appellee. 

LORIA ANN PATTERSON, 

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.  No. 02-1774 THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB, a/k/a

American Kennel Club,

Incorporated,

Defendant-Appellee. 

LORIA ANN PATTERSON, 

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.  No. 02-1922 THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB, a/k/a

American Kennel Club,

Incorporated,

Defendant-Appellee. 
LORIA ANN PATTERSON, 

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.  No. 02-2034 THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB, a/k/a

American Kennel Club,

Incorporated,

Defendant-Appellee. 

Appeals from the United States District Court

for the Eastern District of North Carolina, at Raleigh.

W. Earl Britt, Senior District Judge;

William A. Webb, Magistrate Judge.

(CA-01-20-5-BR)

Submitted: November 22, 2002

Decided: December 17, 2002

Before WILKINS, MOTZ, and TRAXLER, Circuit Judges.

Nos. 02-1773, 02-1774, and 02-2034 affirmed, and No. 02-1922 dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion. 

COUNSEL

Loria Ann Patterson, Appellant Pro Se. Charles Matthew Keen, Sheri

Lea Roberson, OGLETREE, DEAKINS, NASH, SMOAK & STEWART, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellee.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See

Local Rule 36(c). 

2 PATTERSON v. THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
OPINION

PER CURIAM: 

Loria Ann Patterson appeals the magistrate judge’s orders granting

Defendant’s motion to compel discovery (No. 02-1773), issuing a

pretrial scheduling order (No. 02-2034), and recommending that the

district court grant Defendant’s motion for sanctions under Fed. R.

Civ. P. 37, and dismiss Patterson’s Equal Pay Act claim (No. 02-

1922). Patterson also appeals the district court’s order extending the

discovery deadline (No. 02-1774). We have reviewed the record and

find no reversible error in the district court’s and magistrate judge’s

discovery decisions and pretrial order. Accordingly, we affirm the

orders in Appeal Nos. 02-1773, 02-1774, and 02-2034 for the reasons

stated by the district court and magistrate judge.* See Patterson v.

Am. Kennel Club, No. CA-01-20-5-BR (E.D.N.C. June 7, 2002; filed

June 10, 2002 & entered June 11, 2002; Aug. 27, 2002). 

With regard to Patterson’s appeal of the magistrate judge’s recommendation (No. 02-1922), we dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. This court may exercise jurisdiction only over final orders, 28

U.S.C. § 1291 (2000), and certain interlocutory and collateral orders.

28 U.S.C. § 1292 (2000); Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(b); Cohen v. Beneficial

Indus. Loan Corp., 337 U.S. 541, 546-47 (1949). Absent both designation by the district court and consent of the parties, see 28 U.S.C.

§ 636(c) (2000), a magistrate judge’s recommendation is not a final

appealable decision under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. See Haney v. Addison,

175 F.3d 1217, 1219 (10th Cir. 1999). Because the magistrate judge

in this case did not exercise jurisdiction upon consent of the parties,

this court is without jurisdiction to consider Patterson’s appeal in No.

02-1922. We therefore dismiss that appeal. 

We grant Patterson’s motion to amend her informal brief and dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are

*Although Patterson’s notices of appeal were interlocutory when filed,

the district court’s entry of judgment prior to our consideration of the

appeals gives the court jurisdiction under the doctrine of cumulative

finality. See Equip. Fin. Group v. Traverse Computer Brokers, 973 F.2d

345, 347 (4th Cir. 1992). 

PATTERSON v. THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB 3
adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument

would not aid the decisional process.

Nos. 02-1773/1774/2034 — AFFIRMED

No. 02-1922 — DISMISSED

4 PATTERSON v. THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB