Opinion ID: 155524
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Informal Interviews

Text: 92 Pippinger sought to conduct informal interviews, outside the presence of IRS counsel, with certain IRS employees who were apparently willing to talk to him. However, the IRS forbade its employees from talking to Pippinger about Pippinger's case, unless subpoenaed or deposed. Pippinger filed a motion to compel, asking the court to order the IRS to inform all of the individuals on [Pippinger's] witness list, who did not have any management responsibility over the matters before the Court, that they may talk to [Pippinger] or to his attorney, and that no adverse action or retaliation will be taken by the IRS in any form. (Plaintiff's Motion to Compel at 9, Aplt.'s App. at 68). A magistrate judge denied Pippinger's motion. Pippinger v. Secretary of the Treasury, No. 95-CV-17-D, slip op. at 7-8 (D.Wyo. Nov. 28, 1995) (Beaman, Mag. J.) (Aplt.'s App. at 77-78). Pippinger appeals from the magistrate judge's order. 93 It is a well established rule that the court of appeals cannot review a magistrate judge's order under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(A) unless the party requesting review objected to the order in writing to the district court within ten days of receiving a copy of the order. See Hutchinson v. Pfeil, 105 F.3d 562, 566 (10th Cir.1997) (Properly filed objections resolved by the district court are a prerequisite to our review of a magistrate judge's order under § 636(b)(1)(A).); Niehaus v. Kansas Bar Association, 793 F.2d 1159, 1164-65(10th Cir.1986)(In examining the right to appeal from a magistrate's order, federal courts of appeals have held that appeals from magistrates' rulings must be to the district courts and that appellate courts are without power to hear appeals directly from orders of federal magistrates.). This rule is designed to advance the policy underlying the Magistrate's Act of increased judicial efficiency. See Niehaus, 793 F.2d at 1165. Moreover, Rule 72(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires parties to file written objections to a magistrate judge's order with the district court within 10 days. See Niehaus, 793 F.2d at 1164-65. 7 Pippinger fails to argue or offer proof that he ever filed with the district court any objection to the magistrate judge's order. Therefore, because Pippinger did not file written objections to the magistrate judge's order within the required ten days we may not consider the issues decided in that order on appeal. 8