Background
Danny M. Wells filed a case in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota. That court dismissed the case because Wells failed to raise any comprehensible claim.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit summarily affirmed the dismissal. Wells then appeared to seek review in the Federal Circuit of both the district court’s decision and the Eighth Circuit’s decision. After issuing an August 27, 2026 show-cause order, the Federal Circuit construed a filing from Wells as his response.
The Court’s Holding
The Federal Circuit dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. It explained that the North Dakota district court case did not appear to fall within the Federal Circuit’s limited subject-matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1295.
The court also held that it lacked jurisdiction to review a decision of another federal circuit court of appeals, citing 28 U.S.C. § 1254. To the extent Wells sought any other relief, he identified no jurisdictional basis for the Federal Circuit to provide it. The court ordered each party to bear its own costs.
Key Takeaways
- The Federal Circuit’s appellate jurisdiction is limited to the categories Congress assigned to it.
- The Federal Circuit cannot review decisions issued by another federal circuit court of appeals.
- An appellant seeking other relief must identify a valid basis for the court’s jurisdiction.
Why It Matters
The nonprecedential order underscores that litigants cannot obtain another layer of appellate review by bringing an Eighth Circuit matter to the Federal Circuit. Review in the Federal Circuit requires an independent statutory basis within that court’s specialized jurisdiction.