Bld-109 Not Precedential United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
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Case: 18-3025 Document: 003113171393 Page: 1 Date Filed: 02/27/2019 BLD-109 NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT 12 no a I-OB1041 LESLIE E. THOMAS, Appellant Im UNION COUNTY COURT On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (D.C. Civil Action No. 4-17-cv-00505) District Judge: Honorable Malachy E. Mannion Submitted for Possible Summary Action Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 27.4 and I.O.P. 10.6 February 21, 2019 Before: AMBRO, KRAUSE and PORTER, Circuit Judges (Opinion filed: February 27, 2019) OPINION* PER CURIAM * This disposition is not an opinion of the full Court and pursuant to I.O.P. 5.7 does not constitute binding precedent. Case: 18-3025 Document: 003113171393 Page: 2 Date Filed: 02/27/2019 Leslie Thomas appeals from an order of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, which dismissed his petition for a writ of error coram nobis for lack of jurisdiction. As we agree that the District Court lacked jurisdiction, we will summarily affirm the District Court's judgment. Following a jury trial in 1995, Thomas was convicted of indecent assault, corruption of a minor, and endangering the welfare of a child. According to Thomas, he was released from prison over 24 years ago, after serving his criminal sentence. Thomas's coram nobis petition alleged that he was wrongly convicted because of errors committed by his attorney and the trial court. He asked the District Court to vacate his conviction and expunge his criminal record. The District Court dismissed Thomas's petition, determining that it lacked jurisdiction to grant the relief he sought.' Thomas appealed.2 1 Thomas also filed documents in the District Court that were construed as motions to reconsider. The District Court denied those motions. Dkt. #53. Thomas did not appeal from that order, so we do not consider it here. See Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(4)(B)(ii). 2 We exercise plenary review of a district court's decision to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. See GBForefront, L.P. v. Forefront Management Group, LLC, 888 F.3d 29, 34 n.5 (3d Cir. 2018). In determining whether the District Court had jurisdiction, we consider the allegations of the petition in the light most favorable to Thomas. See Giovanni v. Dep't of Navy, 906 F.3d 94, 102 (3d Cir. 2018). We may take summary action if an appeal fails to present a substantial question. See 3d Cir. I.O.P. 10.6. 2 Case: 18-3025 Document: 003113171393 Page: 3 Date Filed: 02/27/2019 As the District Court properly determined, and as we have informed Thomas previously,3 federal courts lack jurisdiction to entertain a petition for a writ of error coram nobis if the petitioner seeks to vacate a state court conviction. See Obado v. New Jersey, 328 F.3d 716, 718 (3d Cir. 2003) (per curiam). Thomas argues here, as he did in the District Court, that the state court "lost jurisdiction" because of the errors in his trial. Thomas does not support this argument by citation to authority, but even if he were correct, a loss of jurisdiction in state court would not somehow create jurisdiction in federal court. See Cardona v. Bledsoe, 681 F.3d 533, 535 (3d Cir. 2012) ("Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. They possess only that power authorized by Constitution and statute." (quoting Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 511 U.S. 375, 377 (1994))). Because the District Court properly dismissed Thomas's petition for lack of jurisdiction, we will summarily affirm the District Court's judgment.4 In 2002, Thomas filed a petition for a writ of error coram nobis directly with this Court. We dismissed the petition for lack of jurisdiction. See C.A. No. 02-2423 (judgment entered July 24, 2002). We also transferred that petition to the District Court to be construed as a notice of appeal from the District Court's denial of his petition filed under 24 U.S.C. § 2254. We later denied Thomas's application for a certificate of appealability, noting that Thomas had failed to show that jurists of reason would find it debatable whether the district court was correct in ruling that his petition was untimely. See C.A. No. 02-3097. Thomas's motion for appointment of counsel and his other motions are denied. 3 Case: 18-3025 Document: 003113171399 Page: 1 Date Filed: 02/27/2019 BLD- 109 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT No. 18-3025 LESLIE E. THOMAS, Appellant V. UNION COUNTY COURT On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (D.C. Civil Action No. 4-17-cv-00505) District Judge: Honorable Malachy E. Mannion Submitted for Possible Summary Action Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 27.4 and I.O.P. 10.6 February 21, 2019 Before: AMBRO, KRAUSE and PORTER, Circuit Judges JUDGMENT This cause came to be considered on the record from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and was submitted for possible summary action pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 27.4 and I.O.P. 10.6 on February 21, 2019. On consideration whereof, it is now hereby ORDERED and ADJUDGED by this Court that the judgment of the District Court entered August 9, 2018, be and the same hereby is affirmed. All of the above in accordance with the opinion of this Court. Case: 18-3025 Document: 003113171399 Page: 2 Date Filed: 02/27/2019 ATTEST: sl Patricia S. Dodszuweit Clerk DATED: February 27, 2019 Case 4:17-cv-00505-MEM Document 44 Filed 08/09/18 Page 1 of 3 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA LESLIE E. THOMAS, Petitioner : CIVIL ACTION NO. 4:17-505 V. : (JUDGE MANNION) UNION COUNTY COURT, Respondent ORDER Pending before the court is the report of Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab, which recommends that the respondent's motion to dismiss be granted. (Doc. 43). No objections have been filed to Judge Schwab's report. Upon review, the court will adopt the report and recommendation of Judge Schwab in its entirety. When no objection is made to the report and recommendation of a magistrate judge, the court should, as a matter of good practice, "satisfy itself that there is no clear error on the face of the record in order to accept the recommendation." Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b), advisory committee notes; see also Univac Dental Co. v. Dentsply Intern., Inc., 702 F.Supp.2d 465,469 (M.D.Pa. 2010) (citing Henderson v. Carlson, 812 F.2d 874, 878 (3d Cir. 1987) (explaining judges should give some review to every report and recommendation)). Nevertheless, whether timely objections are made or not, the district court may accept, not accept, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings or recommendations made by the magistrate judge. 28 U.S.C. Case 4:17-cv-00505-MEM Document 44 Filed 08/09/18 Page 2 of 3 §636(b)(1); Local Rule 72.31. On March 23, 2017, the petitioner filed the instant action as a petition for a writ of error coram nobis pursuant to the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. §1651, in which he asks the court to vacate and expunge his 1995 convictions for indecent assault, corruption of a minor, and endangering the welfare of a child. (Doc. 1). An amended petition was filed on April 11, 2017. (Doc. 4). The respondent has filed a motion to dismiss the petition pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. (Doc. 14). In order to be eligible for a writ of error coram nobis following completion of a criminal sentence, a petitioner must have been released from custody, must ask for relief in the court that convicted him, and must demonstrate both exceptional circumstances and continuing collateral disadvantages which justify review. (Doc. 43, p. 5) (citations omitted). In this case, Judge Schwab determined that the plaintiff has not met a key prerequisite for coram nobis, in that he has not petitioned for relief in the court that originally convicted him. Judge Schwab therefore concludes that this court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the petition. This court finds no clear error of record and agrees with the sound reasoning that led Judge Schwab to her conclusions and will, therefore, adopt Judge Schwab's report in its entirety. 2 Case 4:17-cv-00505-MEM Document 44 Filed 08/09/18 Page 3 of 3 NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED THAT: The report and recommendation of Judge Schwab, (Doc. 43), is ADOPTED IN ITS ENTIRETY. The respondent's motion to dismiss the instant petition, (Doc. 14), is GRANTED. The amended petition for writ of error coram nobis, (Doc. 4), is DISMISSED. The Clerk of Court is directed to CLOSE THIS CASE. SP1/td4i4 S. /teot MALACHY E. MANNION United States District Judge Date: August 9, 2018 O:'Mannion\shared\ORDERS - DJ\CIVIL ORDERS\2017 0RDERS\17-505-01.wpd Case 4:17-cv-00505-MEM Document 43 Filed 07/24/18 Page 1 of 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA LESLIE E. THOMAS, : CIVIL NO: 4:17-CV-00505 Petitioner, (Judge Mannion) V. (Chief Magistrate Judge Schwab) UNION COUNTY COURT, Respondent. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION I. Introduction. In this petition for a writ of error coram nobis pursuant to the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C.