Wayland Kirkland v. Merrick Garland

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

Wayland Kirkland v. Merrick Garland

Opinion

United States Court of Appeals FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT ____________ No. 20-5377 September Term, 2020 1:20-cv-02945-UNA Filed On: April 19, 2021 Wayland Dee Kirkland,

Appellant

v.

Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General of the United States of America, et al.,

Appellees

ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

BEFORE: Rogers and Wilkins, Circuit Judges, and Sentelle, Senior Circuit Judge

JUDGMENT

This appeal was considered on the record from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and on the brief filed by appellant, which contains a request for appointment of counsel. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); D.C. Cir. Rule 34(j). It is

ORDERED that the request for appointment of counsel be denied. In civil cases, appellants are not entitled to appointment of counsel when they have not demonstrated sufficient likelihood of success on the merits. It is

FURTHER ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the district court’s order filed November 16, 2020, be affirmed. Appellant has not identified any error in the district court’s dismissal of the action because he has failed to show that the Attorney General “has a clear duty to act,” as required to obtain mandamus relief. Walpin v. Corp. for Nat’l & Cmty. Servs., 630 F.3d 184, 187 (D.C. Cir. 2011) (internal quotation marks omitted); Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Wash. v. Trump, 924 F.3d 602, 605 (D.C. Cir. 2019); see also Heckler v. Chaney, 470 U.S. 821, 831 (1985) (“[A]n agency’s decision not to prosecute or enforce, whether through civil or criminal process, is a decision generally committed to an agency’s absolute discretion.”). Nor has appellant challenged the district court’s determination that he failed to set forth any discernible legal claims for relief against the remaining appellees. United States Court of Appeals FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT ____________ No. 20-5377 September Term, 2020

Pursuant to D.C. Circuit Rule 36, this disposition will not be published. The Clerk is directed to withhold issuance of the mandate herein until seven days after resolution of any timely petition for rehearing or petition for rehearing en banc. See Fed. R. App. P. 41(b); D.C. Cir. Rule 41.

Per Curiam

FOR THE COURT: Mark J. Langer, Clerk

BY: /s/ Daniel J. Reidy Deputy Clerk

Page 2

Reference

Status
Unpublished