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WEBB EL v. EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT USP CO (2021)

United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit.2021-03-22No. No. 20-1421

Summary

Holding. The judgment of the district court dismissing Webb-El's § 2241 petition without prejudice for failure to cure procedural deficiencies is affirmed, and Webb-El's motion to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal and motion for appointed counsel are denied.

Keith Bryan Webb-El appealed the district court's dismissal of his federal habeas petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241. The district court had ordered Webb-El to cure specific deficiencies in his filing, including the failure to submit a certified prison account statement with his in forma pauperis motion and the naming of an improper respondent. After Webb-El did not correct these problems within the given timeframe, the district court dismissed the petition without prejudice. On appeal, Webb-El presented no substantive argument explaining why the dismissal constituted an abuse of discretion, instead focusing only on the merits of the underlying habeas claim.

The appellate panel concluded that the district court properly exercised its discretion in dismissing the deficient petition. Because the dismissal was without prejudice, the court did not need to apply the detailed factors normally required for such sanctions. The court found Webb-El's appeal itself to be frivolous, lacking any reasoned legal argument, and therefore denied both his motion to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal and his request for appointed counsel.

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

Key issues

  • Whether the district court abused its discretion in dismissing a habeas petition for failure to comply with cure orders
  • Standard of review for Rule 41(b) dismissals without prejudice
  • Whether an appellant adequately raises arguments challenging a procedural dismissal

Procedural posture

Webb-El appealed the district court's dismissal of his § 2241 habeas petition entered on November 16, 2020, for failure to cure procedural deficiencies.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

ORDER AND JUDGMENT **

After examining Keith Bryan Webb-Els written submissions and the appellate record, this panel has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist in the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.

Webb-El appeals from an order of the district court dismissing his 28 U.S.C. § 2241 petition without prejudice under Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b). Webb-Els district court filings underlying his § 2241 petition were deficient. Specifically, in his motion to proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915, Webb-El failed to file a certified prison account statement. Likewise, the district court advised Webb-El that the only proper respondent in a § 2241 habeas corpus action was his current custodian. Webb-El was warned his petition would be dismissed without further notice if he failed to cure the deficiencies within the allotted time frame. When Webb-El failed to do so, the district court entered an order of dismissal on November 16, 2020, dismissing his § 2241 petition without prejudice. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b).

This court reviews dismissals pursuant to Rule 41(b) for an abuse of discretion. Olsen v. Mapes, 333 F.3d 1199, 1204 (10th Cir. 2003). Notably, because the dismissal here was without prejudice, the district court was not required to consider the factors set out by this court in Ehrenhaus v. Reynolds, 965 F.2d 916, 921 (10th Cir. 1992). See Nasious v. Two Unknown B.I.C.E. Agents, 492 F.3d 1158, 1162 (10th Cir. 2007) (“Employing Rule 41(b) to dismiss a case without prejudice for failure to comply with Rule 8 of course allows the plaintiff another go at trimming the verbiage; accordingly, a district court may, without abusing its discretion, enter such an order without attention to any particular procedures.”).

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Having reviewed Webb-Els appellate filings, the district courts order, and the entire appellate record, we conclude the district court did not abuse its discretion when it dismissed Webb-Els petition. To the extent this court can decipher Webb-Els filings, he focuses exclusively on the merits of his petition, offering up absolutely no reason to think the district court acted arbitrarily, capriciously, or manifestly unreasonably in dismissing his petition for failure to comply with the district courts order.

The judgment of the district court dated November 16, 2020, dismissing Webb-Els petition without prejudice for failure to cure deficiencies is AFFIRMED. Webb-El has also filed a motion seeking to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal. This court cannot grant his motion unless he is able to “show a financial inability to pay the required filing fees and the existence of a reasoned, nonfrivolous argument on the law and facts in support of the issues raised on appeal.” DeBardeleben v. Quinlan, 937 F.2d 502, 505 (10th Cir. 1991). In light of the district courts clear and concise order and the absence of any reasoned argument in Webb-Els appellate brief, this court concludes Webb-Els appeal is frivolous. Accordingly, Webb-Els motion to proceed in forma pauperis and his emergency motion to appoint counsel are DENIED. Webb-El is reminded of his responsibility to immediately remit any unpaid balance of the appellate filing fee.

FOOTNOTES

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.   This court is well aware that in certain circumstances even a dismissal without prejudice may bar refiling and, that in those instances, the extreme sanction of dismissal must be supported by reference to the Ehrenhaus factors. See generally Florence v. Decker, 153 F. Appx 478, 480 (10th Cir. 2005) (unpublished disposition cited solely for its persuasive value). Here, however, it appears Webb-El has no viable § 2241 petition to file. See Webb-El v. United States Parole Commn, 795 F. Appx 578, 580-81 (10th Cir. 2019) (noting Webb-El has filed numerous § 2241 petitions challenging the validity of his federal murder and injury-to-a-child convictions—in both this circuit and others—and specifically informing Webb-El that such challenges must be made in the sentencing court in a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion). Given Webb-Els history and the clear ruling set out in Webb-El, we specifically note it may be appropriate for either this court or the district court to consider filing restrictions should Webb-El again try to challenge his murder and injury-to-a-child convictions via a § 2241 petition.

Michael R. Murphy, Circuit Judge