Long v. United States

CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJanuary 15, 2015
Docket14-1249
StatusUnpublished

This text of Long v. United States (Long v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Long v. United States, (uscfc 2015).

Opinion

OREffiI$$&[ lintbt @nite! $rtutts @ourt of /B[erst @luimg No. 14-1249C 15' 2015 FILED . :":o:':"'ary JAN I 5 2015 MICHAEL WAYNE LONG, U.S. COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS Plaintiff, v. * Pro Se Plaintiff; Lack of Subject UNITED STATES, * Matter Jurisdiction,

Defendant. *

**** :

Michael Wayne Long, LaGrrange, KY, pro se plaintiff.

Mark E. Porada, Trial Attorney, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for the defendant. With him were Robert E. Kirschman, Jr., Director, Director, commercial Litigation Branch, and Joyce R, Branda, Acting Assistant Aftorney General, Civil Division, Washington, D.C.

ORDER HORN. J.

On December 31,2014, pro se plaintiff Michael Wayne Long filed a complaint in the United states court of Federal claims. styled as a "Memorandum of Law," plaintiff claims that "[t]he plaintiff has clearly taken this court's Jurisdictional statute 2g u.s.c. ## 1346,'1491 ot section 28 U.S.C. # 1346 outlines this Court's Concurrent Jurisdiction with the Federal District court over civil Action against the United states as the respondent."' (emphasis in original). Plaintiff also emfhasizes ttrat lujiG-r za u.s.c. * 2412 the federal government and its agencies and officials sued in the official capacities are liable for costs on the same basis as everyone else."

Plaintiff further alleges that:

Pursuance under the Tucker Act, Plaintiff asfor Jurisdictional Relief for Commpensate damage in the amount of six million dollars for decades and for more than hundreds of Centuries the United States of America violated the Africans' human rights. The African were treated as tho he and her had no rights whatsoever, involving the African-America were 1 Capitalization, symbols, grammar and spelling are as they appear in Mr. Long,s hand- written complaint to the extent the hand-written complaint is legible. victims of the African slave trade the United States Government had no power to establish slavery. lt is clear from the above that the U.S. of America violated an disenfranchise, upond the Negro. The Africa-America of no constitutional riqhts.

The negro from africa turned into slaves many were captive, some killed and some beaten some africans were combine with orders of sweat urine, feces and vomit, infestation with sewage and foul water seriouly threaten the physical and mental well being clearly violation of tho United States Constitution of the Eighth Amendment.

On the slave ship for a period of 90 days at tho basement of the slave ship without an adequate toilet or shower for ninety day was not reasonable under state law.

The Thirteenth Amendment. The constitutional Amendment ratified January 1, 1865, that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.

(emphasis in original). Plaintiff claims that "[t]he negroes had no right to vote," "[h]owever, indicating that political candidates had paid large sum of obtain the negro vote. . . ."

Finally, plaintiff's "Conclusion of Law" states that:

The Eleventh Amendment does not allow a plaintiff to bring a 42 lJ.S.C. # 1 983 action against a state.

Therefore, the plaintiff respectfully request that this Court pursuant to 2g U.S.C. # 2412 that the motion be set for a hearing as expeditiously as soon as possible. At the convenience of the Court that the plaintiff be returned by subpoena habeaus Corpus ad subjiciendim/ad testicandum.

When determining whether a complaint filed by a pro se plaintiff is sufficient to invoke review by a court, pro se plaintiffs are entitled to liberal construction of their pleadings. see Haines v. Kerner, 404 u.s. s19, s2o-21 (requiring that allegations contained in a pro se complaint be held to "less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers"), reh'q denied, 4os u.s. 9aB (972); see also Erickson v. Pardug,551 U.S.89,94 (2007); Huohes v. Rowe,449 U.S. S, g-tO ttgaO)., Estette_lf. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 106 (1976), reh'q denied, 429 U.S. 1066 (1977); Matthews v. United states,750 F.3d 1320, 1322 (Fed. cir. zo14); Diamond v. United statesJt5 Fed. cl. 516, 524 (2014). "However, "'[t]here is no duty on the part of the trial court to create a claim which [the plaintiffl has not spelled out in his [or her] pleading.""' Lenqen v. United states, 100 Fed. c|.317,328(2011) (alterations in original) (quoting sioqin v. united states, 33 Fed. cl. 285, 293 (1995) (quoting ctark v. Nat'l rravelers Liie lns. co- 518 F.2d 1167,1169 (6th Cir. 1975))); see also Bussie v. United States,96 Fed. C|.89, 94, affd, 443 F. App'x 542 (Fed. Cu.2011); Minehan v. United States, 75 Fed. C|.249, 253 (2007). "While a pro se plaintiff is held to a less stringent standard than that of a plaintiff represented by an attorney, the pro g plaintiff, nevertheless, bears the burden of establishing the Court's jurisdiction by a preponderance of the evidence." Riles v. United States, 93 Fed. Cl. 163, 165 (2010) (citing Huqhes v. Rowe,449 U.S. at I and Tavlor v. United States, 303 F.3d 1357, 1359 (Fed. Cir.) ("Plaintiff bears the burden of showing jurisdiction by a preponderance of the evidence."), reh'q and reh'o en banc denied (Fed. Cu.2002)); see also Shelkofskv v. United States, No. 13-1016C,2014WL 5648973, at .4 (Fed. Cl. Nov. 4,2014) ("lWlhile the court may excuse ambiguities in a pro se plaintiff's complaint, the court'does not excuse [a complaint's] failures."' (quoting Henke v. United States, 60 F.3d 795, 799 (Fed. Cir. 1995)); Harris v. United States, 113 Fed. Cl. 290,292 (2013) ("Although ptaintiffs pleadings are held to a less stringent standard, such leniency 'with respect to mere formalities does not relieve the burden to meet jurisdictional requirements."' (quoting Minehan v. United States, 75 Fed. Cl. at 253)).

It is well established that "'subject-matter jurisdiction, because it involves a court's power to hear a case, can never be forfeited or waived.,,, Arbauqh v. y & H Coro., 546 U.S. 500, 514 (2006) (quoting United States v. Cotton, 535 LJ.S. 625, 630 (2002)). "lF]ederal courts have an independent obligation to ensure that they do not exceed the scope of their jurisdiction, and therefore they must raise and decide jurisdictional questions that the parties either overlook or elect not to press." Henderson Cx.rel. Henderson v. Shinseki, 131 S. Ct. 1197,1202 (2011); see also Hertz Coro. v. Friend,559 u.s.77,94 (2010) ("courts have an independent obligation to deiermine whether subject-matter jurisdiction exists, even when no party challenges it." (citing Afbquqh v. Y & H Corp., 546 U.S. at 514)); Special Devices. Inc. v. OEA. lnc., 269 F.3d 1340, 1342 (Fed. cir.2001) ('[A] court has a dutyto inquire into its jurisdiction to hear and decide a case." (citing Johannsen v. Pav Less Druq Stores N.W.. lnc., 91g F.2d 160, 161 (Fed. Cir. 1990))); View Enq'q. Inc. v. RoboticVision Sys.. lnc., 1iS F.3d 962, 963 (Fed. cir 1997) ("[c]ourts must always look to their jurisdiction, whether the parties raise the issue or not."). "The objection that a federal court lacks subject-matter jurisdiction . . . may be raised by a party, or by a court on its own initiative, a{ any stage in the litigation, even after trial and the entry of judgment.,, Arbauoh v. y & H Coro., 546 U.S. at 506; see also Cent. Pines Land Co.. L.L.C. v. United Slates, OS7 F3d 1SOO, 1364 n.1 (Fed. cir.

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Long v. United States, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/long-v-united-states-uscfc-2015.