Opinion ID: 714815
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The orders denying intervention

Text: 19 The denial of a motion to intervene of right is an appealable final order under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. Ceres Gulf v. Cooper, 957 F.2d 1199, 1202 n. 5 (5th Cir.1992) (and cases cited therein); Piambino v. Bailey, 610 F.2d 1306, 1320 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1011, 101 S.Ct. 568, 66 L.Ed.2d 469 (1980). When determining the appealability of orders denying permissive intervention, however, this Circuit operates under an anomalous rule, in that we have only provisional jurisdiction to determine whether the district court erroneously denied such motions. If the district court's denial of permissive intervention does not constitute an abuse of discretion, we must dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. Stack v. Gamill, 796 F.2d 65, 67 (5th Cir.1986); Woolen v. Surtran Taxicabs, Inc., 684 F.2d 324, 330-31 (5th Cir.1982). On the other hand, if the district court abused its discretion in denying the Rule 24(b) motion, we retain jurisdiction and must reverse. 16 Woolen, 684 F.2d at 330-31.B. The order approving the Consent Decree 20 As to the appeal of the district court's final judgment of March 25, 1993, approving the Consent Decree, 28 U.S.C. § 1291 specifically grants us jurisdiction of appeals from all final decisions of the district courts of the United States. Notwithstanding § 1291's authorization, the inquiry is not complete. It is well-settled that one who is not a party to a lawsuit, or has not properly become a party, has no right to appeal a judgment entered in that suit. Marino v. Ortiz, 484 U.S. 301, 304, 108 S.Ct. 586, 587-88, 98 L.Ed.2d 629 (1988); Karcher v. May, 484 U.S. 72, 77, 108 S.Ct. 388, 391-93, 98 L.Ed.2d 327 (1987) (and cases cited therein, especially United States ex rel. Louisiana v. Jack, 244 U.S. 397, 37 S.Ct. 605, 61 L.Ed. 1222 (1917)). 17 21 Neither Plaintiffs nor the City have appealed the district court's March 25, 1993 final judgment. Instead, the only contestants of this order are would-be intervenors whose attempts to join the case pre-judgment (i.e., the HPPU and the HAPOA) and post-judgment for purposes of appeal (i.e., the HPPU and the original Comeaux plaintiffs) were unsuccessful. Consequently, because the HPPU and the HAPOA were denied leave to intervene, and thus never obtained the status of party litigants in this suit, we dismiss their appeals, insofar as they seek review of the district court's final judgment of March 25, 1993 approving the Consent Decree. The status of the original Comeaux plaintiffs requires a more involved inquiry. C. The original Comeaux plaintiffs 22 The status and actions of the original Comeaux plaintiffs in this case are quite bewildering. In the first amended complaint filed in the Comeaux case on December 29, 1978, the claims of the four men now before us were styled, in part, as: 23 Plaintiff Fields would show that although he passed the Detective's examination, he was denied a promotion because of the HPD's discriminatory promotional practices. In addition, Plaintiff Fields was denied a transfer to another department for which he was fully qualified and was denied because of his race. 24