Hudson v. Long

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 98-10679 Summary Calendar ROBERT W. HUDSON, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus BILL LONG, DISTRICT CLERK OF DALLAS COUNTY, Defendant-Appellee. - - - - - - - - - - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 3:98-CV-912-P - - - - - - - - - - January 14, 1999 Before DAVIS, DUHE’, and PARKER, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Robert W. Hudson, Jr., Texas prisoner No. 550733, moves this court for appointment of appellate counsel to appeal the district court’s dismissal of his civil rights complaint as frivolous. The motion for appointment of counsel is DENIED. The district court did not err in denying Hudson’s requests for mandamus relief. See Moye v. Clerk, DeKalb County Superior Court, 474 F.2d 1275, 1276 (5th Cir. 1973); 28 U.S.C. § 1361. We AFFIRM the dismissal of Hudson’s claim for monetary damages * Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4. No. 98-10679 -2- because our review of the record shows that the underlying claims that Hudson wished to raise in state court were frivolous. See Ruiz v. United States, No. 97-20950, 1998 WL 770642, at *2 (5th Cir. Nov. 20, 1998). The district court lacked the authority to assume jurisdiction over Hudson’s attempts to modify the terms of a state-court child custody order. Ankenbrandt v. Richards, 504 U.S. 689, 703-04 (1992). AFFIRMED; MOTION FOR COUNSEL DENIED.