Opinion ID: 178468
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Remaining Federal Claims

Text: The district court opinion carefully explained that the federal courts did not have subject matter jurisdiction over Appellants’ claims under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1985, 1986 and the Bankruptcy Code because of the Rooker-Feldman doctrine. This doctrine applies to “cases brought by state-court losers complaining of injuries caused by state-court judgments rendered before the district court proceedings commenced and inviting district court review and rejection of those 9 Dennis, 449 U.S. at 28. 5 Case: 10-20173 Document: 00511280425 Page: 6 Date Filed: 11/01/2010 No. 10-20173 judgments.”10 Here, Judge Mallia, acting in state court, rendered a judgment adverse to Appellants, which they sought to challenge in the federal district court. Because Appellants’ claims are “inextricably intertwined” with the merits of the underlying state suit, we lack jurisdiction.11 Moreover, Appellants’ brief does not address the Rooker-Feldman doctrine or propose any theory for why the district court erred in dismissing these claims. Thus, we may consider any such arguments waived, notwithstanding the lenient standards we apply to pro se litigants. Similarly, Plaintiffs have not adequately supported an appeal of their RICO claims. Even if Plaintiffs did not waive this appeal, Plaintiffs asserted no facts that would support a pattern of racketeering or demonstrate Defendants were members of an ongoing association-in-fact.12 As a result, the RICO claims were properly dismissed.