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BALIK v. CITY OF TORRANCE (2021)

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.2021-03-24No. No. 20-15324

Summary

Holding. The court affirmed the district court's dismissal of Balik's action and its designation of Balik as a vexatious litigant subject to a pre-filing review order.

Balik, representing himself, appealed a district court decision that dismissed his constitutional claims and declared him a vexatious litigant. The appeals court reviewed the dismissal under the standard for Rule 12(b)(6) motions and found that Balik's claims were so frivolous and lacking in substance that they failed to establish federal subject matter jurisdiction. The court also upheld the district court's authority to impose a pre-filing review order against Balik, finding that all legal requirements for such an order had been satisfied.

Balik raised several additional arguments on appeal, including contentions that certain motions should not have been deemed moot, that he was wrongly denied in forma pauperis status, and that he was entitled to a hearing before being labeled a vexatious litigant. The appeals court rejected all of these arguments as unpersuasive. The court also declined to consider new matters that Balik introduced for the first time on appeal rather than presenting them to the district court.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether claims too frivolous to invoke federal subject matter jurisdiction must be dismissed
  • Requirements for entering a pre-filing review order against a litigant
  • Procedural propriety of denying motions as moot in vexatious litigant cases
  • Standards for appealing district court decisions involving pro se litigants

Procedural posture

Balik appealed pro se from a district court judgment dismissing his constitutional claims and declaring him a vexatious litigant subject to a pre-filing review order.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Jeremiah William Balik appeals pro se from the district courts judgment dismissing his action alleging various constitutional violations. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We review de novo a dismissal under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 341 (9th Cir. 2010). We may affirm on any basis supported by the record. Thompson v. Paul, 547 F.3d 1055, 1058-59 (9th Cir. 2008). We affirm.

Dismissal of Baliks action was proper because Baliks claims are too frivolous and unsubstantial to invoke subject matter jurisdiction. See Hagans v. Lavine, 415 U.S. 528, 536, 94 S.Ct. 1372, 39 L.Ed.2d 577 (1974) (“Over the years this Court has repeatedly held that the federal courts are without power to entertain claims otherwise within their jurisdiction if they are so attenuated and unsubstantial as to be absolutely devoid of merit․”); Franklin v. Murphy, 745 F.2d 1221, 1227 n.6 (9th Cir. 1984) (“A paid complaint that is ‘obviously frivolous’ does not confer federal subject matter jurisdiction[.]”), abrogated on other grounds by Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 109 S.Ct. 1827, 104 L.Ed.2d 338 (1989).

The district court did not abuse its discretion by declaring Balik a vexatious litigant and entering a pre-filing review order against him because all of the requirements for entering a pre-filing review order were met. See Ringgold-Lockhart v. County of Los Angeles, 761 F.3d 1057, 1062 (9th Cir. 2014) (setting forth requirements for a pre-filing review order).

We reject as unpersuasive Baliks contentions that the district court erred in denying his pending motions as moot, including his motions to enter default and default judgment, that the district court erred in denying his application to proceed in forma pauperis, and that Balik was entitled to a hearing before the district court declared him a vexatious litigant.

We do not consider matters not specifically and distinctly raised and argued in the opening brief, or arguments and allegations raised for the first time on appeal. See Padgett v. Wright, 587 F.3d 983, 985 n.2 (9th Cir. 2009). We do not consider documents and facts not presented to the district court. See United States v. Elias, 921 F.2d 870, 874 (9th Cir. 1990).

All pending motions and requests are denied.

AFFIRMED.