Background
Eric Emanuel Taylor sued “The People Of The Venue Of The Foreign United States of America” in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Invoking 28 U.S.C. §§ 1330 and 1331, he sought $80 trillion for alleged government tortious conduct and a violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The district court dismissed his complaint.
Taylor appealed to the Federal Circuit. After that court ordered him to show cause why it had jurisdiction, Taylor defended its jurisdiction and filed motions seeking various forms of relief, including certification or transfer to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Court’s Holding
In a nonprecedential per curiam order, the Federal Circuit concluded that Taylor had not shown that his case fell within any category of appeals over which that court generally has jurisdiction. The case did not involve patent law, district-court review of a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office matter, or a qualifying damages claim against the United States not exceeding $10,000.
The court determined that transfer to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was appropriate under 28 U.S.C. § 1631. It ordered the matter and all case filings transferred to that court.
Key Takeaways
- The Federal Circuit’s appellate jurisdiction is limited to the categories assigned to it by statute.
- Taylor failed to establish Federal Circuit jurisdiction because his case did not fit any identified statutory category.
- The Federal Circuit transferred the entire appeal and all filings to the D.C. Circuit rather than deciding the merits.
Why It Matters
The order illustrates that an appeal filed in the wrong federal circuit may be transferred to the court with appropriate territorial jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1631. It also underscores that the Federal Circuit does not have general jurisdiction over federal-question appeals merely because the underlying suit invokes federal statutes.