Court Opinion

ID: 9396119
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-19 16:02:15.424373+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:14.180613
License: Public Domain

United States Court of Appeals
                             FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT
                                       ____________
No. 22-5261                                                 September Term, 2022
                                                                         1:22-cv-02042-CKK
                                                        Filed On: May 19, 2023
Thurman Jerome Brown,

              Appellant

       v.

United States Supreme Court, et al.,

              Appellees

            ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
                      FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

       BEFORE:        Millett and Wilkins, Circuit Judges, and Sentelle, Senior Circuit
                      Judge

                                      JUDGMENT

        This appeal was considered on the record from the United States District Court
for the District of Columbia and on the brief filed by appellant. See Fed. R. App. P.
34(a)(2); D.C. Cir. Rule 34(j). Upon consideration of the foregoing and the motion to
appoint counsel, it is

        ORDERED that the motion to appoint counsel be denied. In civil cases, litigants
are not entitled to appointment of counsel when they have not demonstrated sufficient
likelihood of success on the merits. It is

       FURTHER ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the district court’s orders filed on
August 5, 2022 and November 30, 2022 be affirmed. The district court properly
dismissed the complaint and case under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a).
Appellant’s complaint did not set forth “a short and plain statement of the claim showing
that the pleader is entitled to relief,” which is required in order to “give the defendant fair
notice of what the claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” Jones v. Kirchner, 835
F.3d 74, 79 (D.C. Cir. 2016) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555
(2007)). Additionally, the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion
for reconsideration. See Smalls v. United States, 471 F.3d 186, 191 (D.C. Cir. 2006).
The district court correctly determined that it lacked jurisdiction to review decisions of
the United States Supreme Court or to direct that Court to take any action. See In re
                 United States Court of Appeals
                            FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT
                                      ____________
No. 22-5261                                                September Term, 2022

Marin, 956 F.2d 339, 340 (D.C. Cir. 1992) (per curiam). Furthermore, appellant has not
shown that his conviction or sentence has been overturned, and thus he may not
recover damages arising from his conviction or imprisonment. See Heck v.Humphrey,
512 U.S. 477, 486-87 (1994); see also Chambers v. Burwell, 824 F.3d 141, 143 (D.C.
Cir. 2016) (this court “may affirm the district court on any ground supported by the
record”). Additionally, the district court correctly concluded that, to the extent appellant
seeks to challenge the criminal prosecutions of others, he lacks standing to do so. See
In re Kaminski, 960 F.2d 1062, 1064 (D.C. Cir. 1992) (private party lacks judicially
cognizable interest in prosecution of another person).

        Pursuant to D.C. Circuit Rule 36, this disposition will not be published. The Clerk
is directed to withhold issuance of the mandate herein until seven days after resolution
of any timely petition for rehearing or petition for rehearing en banc. See Fed. R. App.
P. 41(b); D.C. Cir. Rule 41.

                                       Per Curiam

                                                         FOR THE COURT:
                                                         Mark J. Langer, Clerk

                                                 BY:     /s/
                                                         Daniel J. Reidy
                                                         Deputy Clerk

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