F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
AUG 23 2002
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
LARRY DON SHELTON,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
v. No. 01-7157
(D.C. No. 01-CV-109-JC)
PITTSBURG COUNTY BOARD OF (E.D. Oklahoma)
COMMISSIONERS, a/k/a Board of
County Commissioners of Pittsburg
County, Oklahoma; STATE OF
OKLAHOMA, DEPARTMENT OF
HUMAN SERVICES; DIRECTOR OF
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
SERVICES, in individual capacity;
ADMINISTRATOR, OKLAHOMA
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
SERVICES, in individual capacity;
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA;
DON ABDALLAH, Chief Deputy
United States Marshal, in his
individual capacity,
Defendants - Appellees.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
Before O’BRIEN and PORFILIO , Circuit Judges, and KANE , ** Senior District
Judge.
.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist 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.
Plaintiff Larry Don Shelton, proceeding pro se, appeals from the judgment
against him in this civil rights case for false arrest and imprisonment filed under
42 U.S.C. § 1983. We affirm.
On April 3, 2000, while plaintiff was at the federal district court clerk’s
office to research a case there, he was arrested on a state warrant by defendant
Don Abdallah, a federal marshal. He was released from custody later that day.
Plaintiff sued numerous defendants, arguing that a federal marshal has no
authority to arrest a person on a misdemeanor warrant unless the misdemeanor
was committed in his presence. See 18 U.S.C. § 3053.
The district court dismissed without prejudice as to defendant Pittsburg
County because plaintiff’s conclusory allegations did not give the County fair
**
The Honorable John L. Kane, Senior District Judge, United States District
Court for the District of Colorado, sitting by designation.
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notice of the claims against it. The court dismissed based on Eleventh
Amendment immunity as to defendants Oklahoma Department of Human Services,
Director of Human Services, and Administrator of the Child Support Enforcement
Division of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. The court dismissed
plaintiff’s claims against defendants Director of Human Services and
Administrator of the Child Support Enforcement Division of the Oklahoma
Department of Human Services in their individual capacities based on plaintiff’s
failure to allege their personal participation in his arrest. The court dismissed
plaintiff’s negligence claim against defendant the United States because plaintiff
failed to exhaust his administrative remedies, as required before bringing a claim
under the Federal Tort Claims Act. As for defendant Abdallah, the court
observed that he acted pursuant to federal and state authority when he arrested
plaintiff on a state warrant. The court concluded that defendant Abdallah was
entitled to qualified immunity.
We agree that the marshal in this case was acting pursuant to federal and
state authority, that 18 U.S.C. § 3053 does not apply, and that all of the
defendants were entitled to judgment in their favor. Plaintiff’s claim that the
district court is biased against him is unfounded.
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All outstanding motions are denied. The judgment is AFFIRMED. The
mandate shall issue forthwith.
Entered for the Court
John C. Porfilio
Circuit Judge
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