Byler v. United States Coast Guard

• Court: Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Decided: February 24, 2026
• Docket: 24-3968
• Status: Unpublished

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FEB 24 2026 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

DARREN K. BYLER, No. 24-3968 D.C. No. 3:23-cv-00281-RRB Plaintiff - Appellant,

v. MEMORANDUM*

UNITED STATES COAST GUARD; AARON WOODS, USCG CGIS Agent; SARA LOVETTE, USCG LT. (Ret.),

Defendants - Appellees.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Alaska Ralph R. Beistline, District Judge, Presiding

Submitted February 18, 2026**

Before: CALLAHAN, FRIEDLAND, and BRESS, Circuit Judges.

Darren K. Byler appeals pro se from the district court’s judgment dismissing

his Federal Tort Claims Act action alleging torts arising during his post-conviction

* This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3. ** The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). challenge to his criminal conviction. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291.

We review de novo a dismissal under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) on

the basis of Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477 (1994). Sanders v. City of Pittsburg,

14 F.4th 968, 970 (9th Cir. 2021). We affirm.

The district court properly dismissed Byler’s action as Heck-barred because

success on Byler’s claims would necessarily imply the invalidity of his conviction,

and Byler has not demonstrated that his conviction has been invalidated. See Heck,

512 U.S. at 486-87 (holding that if “a judgment in favor of the plaintiff would

necessarily imply the invalidity of his conviction or sentence . . . the complaint

must be dismissed unless the plaintiff can demonstrate that the conviction or

sentence has already been invalidated”).

Byler’s motion (Docket Entry No. 17) to file exhibits conventionally is

denied.

AFFIRMED.

2 24-3968