Howard v. Stover

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 98-11135 Conference Calendar RICHARD C. HOWARD, doing business as C.D. Assets, Inc., doing business as Howard Trucking, Inc., doing business as Mezzagez Publishing, Inc., doing business as Mezzagez Records, Inc., doing business as Mezzagez Productions, Inc., doing business as North Texas Autoworks, Inc., doing business as Air of Zulu, Inc., doing business as R. Howard and Associates, Inc., and all outstanding creditors of these named entities, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. ANDREW STOVER, individually and in his official capacity; JOHN VANCE, individually and in his official capacity; LISA PATTERSON, individually and in her official capacity; JOHN BOERNER, individually and in his official capacity; FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, unknown agent; STATE OF TEXAS, Dallas County, Defendants-Appellees. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * RICHARD C. HOWARD, doing business as C.D. Assets, Inc., doing business as Howard Trucking, Inc., doing business as Mezzagez Publishing, Inc., doing business as Mezzagez Records, Inc., doing business as Mezzagez Productions, Inc., doing business as North Texas Autoworks, Inc., doing business as Air of Zulu, Inc., doing business as R. Howard and Associates, Inc., and all outstanding creditors of these named entities, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. STATE OF TEXAS; DALLAS COUNTY OF; JOHN VANCE, Dallas County District Attorney; ANDREW STOVER, Dallas County Assistant District Attorney; LISA PATTERSON, Dallas County Investigator; JIM BOWLES, Dallas County Sheriff; TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, INSTITUTIONAL DIVISION, Defendants-Appellees. No. 98-11135 - 2 - -------------------- Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 3:95-CV-114-T USDC No. 3:95-CV-133-T -------------------- October 19, 1999 Before JONES, SMITH, and STEWART, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Richard C. Howard (#662409), a state prisoner, has appealed the district court’s judgment dismissing his civil rights action. Howard has a postjudgment motion pending in the district court. See document number 171. This pleading is construed as a Fed. R. Civ. P. 59(e) motion because it was filed within 10 days of entry of judgment and challenges the correctness of the judgment. Harcon Barge Co. v. D & G Boat Rentals, Inc., 784 F.2d 665, 668 (5th Cir. 1986) (en banc); see Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a). The district court has not yet entered an order disposing of the motion. Howard’s notice of appeal is ineffective until the date of entry of an order disposing of the Rule 59(e) motion. Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(4)(B)(i). If the district court denies the postjudgment motion, the notice of appeal will then become effective. Id.; Burt v. Ware, 14 F.3d 256, 260-61 (5th Cir. 1994). APPEAL DISMISSED. * 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.