IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 00-60247 Conference Calendar

VANESSA WILBURN, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus TOWN OF CRAWFORD, Defendant-Appellee.

-------------------- Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi USDC No. 1:98-CV-382-JAD -------------------- December 13, 2000 Before DAVIS, STEWART, and PARKER, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:* Vanessa Wilburn filed a civil rights complaint against the Town of Crawford, Mississippi, alleging false arrest, malicious prosecution, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The case proceeded to trial before the magistrate judge, who granted the Town’s motion for a judgment as a matter of law at the close of all of the evidence. Wilburn filed a timely notice of appeal.

Wilburn’s brief consists almost entirely of a recitation of the standard of review following the grant of a judgment as a * 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.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. 00-60247 -2- matter of law. She argues, without elaboration, that there was substantial evidence in support of her claims, but does not cite to that part of the record which allegedly supports those claims.

Nor does she cite any authority in support of her contentions.

Arguments must be properly briefed in order to be preserved.

See Yohey v. Collins, 985 F.2d 222, 225 (5th Cir. 1993). The appellant’s brief must contain an argument, which in turn must contain his “contentions and the reasons for them, with citations to the authorities and parts of the record on which the appellant relies.” Fed. R. App. P. 28(a)(9); see Yohey, 985 F.2d at 225.

Issues not adequately argued in the body of the brief are deemed abandoned. Yohey, 985 F.2d at 224-25.

Wilburn has not adequately briefed any issue for appeal and thus has abandoned her claims on appeal. See Yohey, 985 F.2d at 224-25. The appeal is DISMISSED. 5th Cir. R. 42.3.2.