Lynn v. Anderson-Varella ( 2007 )


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  •                                                               FILED
    United States Court of Appeals
    Tenth Circuit
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    November 30, 2007
    FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT
    Elisabeth A. Shumaker
    Clerk of Court
    PATRICK C. LYNN,
    Plaintiff-Appellant,
    v.                                               No. 07-3046
    (D.C. No. 06-CV-3172-SAC)
    RENEE ANDERSON-VARELLA, in her                     (D. Kan.)
    individual and official capacity; (FNU)
    MUKASEY, United States Attorney
    General; MIKE WARD, Kansas State 13th
    Judicial District Court Judge; JAN
    SATTERFIELD, Butler County Kansas
    District Attorney; CRAIG MURPHY,
    Butler County Kansas Sheriff; SANDY
    MCCLURDY, Johnson County Kansas
    District Court Clerk; KANSAS
    SUPREME COURT; TENTH CIRCUIT
    COURT OF APPEALS; (FNU)
    SEBELIUS, Kansas Governor; RON
    THORNBURGH, Kansas Secretary of
    State; LARRY WELCH; TERRY
    KNOWLES; KANSAS BUREAU OF
    INVESTIGATION; FEDERAL BUREAU
    OF INVESTIGATION; KANSAS
    DISCIPLINARY ADMINISTRATOR’S
    OFFICE; KANSAS JUDICIAL
    QUALIFICATIONS COMMISSION;
    KANSAS LEGISLATURE JUDICIARY
    COMMITTEE; KANSAS LEGISLATURE
    KDOC OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE;
    KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF
    CORRECTIONS; STATE OF KANSAS;
    OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF
    CORRECTIONS; CORRECT CARE
    SOLUTIONS; STATE OF OKLAHOMA,
    in their official capacities; JOHN
    HOLTZHUTER; KEVIN STAFFORD,
    F.B.I./S.A.I.C.; MARTHA MORROW,
    Butler County Kansas District Court
    Clerk; JANELLE JESSUP, Butler County
    District Court Clerk; PAUL MORRISON,
    Johnson County Kansas District Attorney;
    JOHN DONHAM; STEVE CHAPMAN;
    CARL CORNWELL; EDWARD BYRNE;
    CARLA STOVALL-STECKLINE;
    CAROL WERTH; STAN WELCH; PHILL
    KLINE, Kansas Attorney General;
    KRISTOPHER AILSLIEGER; MATHEW
    RICKE; BRIAN SHEERN; REBECCA
    WEEKS; ROBERT
    ALLISON-GALIMORE; RALPH
    DEZAGO, Assistant Attorney Generals;
    STANTON HAZLETT, Kansas Attorney
    Disciplinary Administrator; FRANK
    DIEHL, Assistant Disciplinary
    Administrator; ALEX WALCZAK,
    Assistant Disciplinary Administrator;
    MARTY SNYDER; BILL LIGHT, Kansas
    State Representative; PETE
    BRUNGARDT, State Senator; BONNIE
    HUY, Kansas State Representative;
    ROBERT FLEMMING; JENNIFER
    JONES; LARRY SHEPPARD; BRUCE
    BUCHANAN; MARY COHEN; ROBERT
    CREIGHTON; DAVID KING; MIKEL
    STOUT, Kansas Judicial Qualifications
    Commission Board Members; MICHAEL
    STONE; STEPHEN KESSLER; STEVEN
    SHERWOOD; ROGER WERHOLTZ;
    CHARLES SIMMONS; BILLY
    CUMMINGS; LYNDEN APPEL; (FNU)
    MCCONAGHY, CCII; JOHN DOE (1),
    CO1; RAY ROBERTS; SUSAN
    GIBREAL; DEBBIE BRATTON; KEN
    LUMAN; SAM MEDLIN, Major; (FNU)
    HEIMGARTNER, Captain; (FNU)
    TRAVNICEK, Captain; MARK BARNES,
    Lieutenant; (FNU) STENSENG,
    -2-
    Lieutenant; (FNU) MCGUIRE, CS1;
    (FNU) HARRIS, COII; (FNU) KELLY,
    CS1; JJ SMITH, CS1; (FNU) EMERY,
    CS1; RANDY JOHNSON, CS1; (FNU)
    KAUFMAN, CCII; (FNU) HERMRECK,
    Lieutenant; (FNU) LAIR, Lieutenant;
    (FNU) INGRAM, Lieutenant; DON
    THOMAS; JULIE ST. PETER; ARTHUR
    VARELLA; WAN KIM, Assistant United
    States Attorney General; ERIC
    MELGREN, Kansas United States
    Attorney General; PHIL JOURNEY,
    Kansas State Senator; (FNU) ZEEF,
    Johnson County Kansas Deputy Sheriff;
    FRANK DENNING, Johnson County
    Kansas Sheriff; JOHN DOUGLASS,
    Overland Park Kansas Police Chief;
    ROGER PESEK; ROGER WILSON; TOM
    SMITH; S. STOVALL; MORGAN
    MORROW; (FNU) MCREYNOLDS;
    (FNU) DRAKE, Overland Park Kansas
    Police Officers; B.J. HOHNHOLT; (FNU)
    ALLEN, Detectives; VALERIE
    FAHRNOW; LEE BRANUM; GARY
    DIRKS, Johnson County Deputy Sheriffs;
    LYNN ALLEN; SHIRLEY FESSER;
    GENE SCHMIDT; (FNU) VODONICK,
    Doctor; (FNU) HORTON, Nurse; JANE
    DOE I, Safe Home Counselor; BYRON
    CERRILLO; MICHALA SINKHORN;
    MARK CHANCE; MARK GERSTLE;
    BRENDA CAMERON; CHAPMAN &
    WHITE LAW FIRM; DEBRA
    VERMILLION; (FNU) BARTA, Shawnee
    County Kansas Sheriff; ROBERT
    HECHT, Shawnee County Kansas District
    Attorney; HOWARD SCHWARTZ,
    Kansas Judicial Administrator; KEVIN
    CASE, Assistant Attorney General, JANE
    DOE II, Kansas Special Assistant
    Attorney General; MARILYN AULT;
    -3-
    JOHN VRATIL, Senator; DEBRA
    NORMAN, MARCIA MEYERS;
    TIMOTHY MADDEN; SHELLY STARR;
    (FNU) BRUCE, Warden; B. WALLACE,
    CO2; MIKE NELSON; REBECCA
    DENCHFIELD; (FNU) MOGOLIS, CO1;
    (FNU) YEAGER, CO1; (FNU)
    MERRICK, CS1; KATHY HARRIS;
    (FNU) Vail, CO2; (FNU) KERR, CO2,
    (FNU) ROHLING, CCII; (FNU)
    IRMY,CO1; (FNU) O’BRIEN,CO1;
    (FNU) THOMPSON, CS1; TIM
    NICHOLS, CCII; (FNU) FINDLEY, CS1;
    (FNU) CALL, Captain; (FNU) TROWER,
    Captain; (FNU) DRAGOO, Captain;
    AKALIS, Lieutenant; (FNU) FOSTER,
    Lieutenant; (FNU) BOTTEROFF,
    Captain; (FNU) LEWIS, CS1; (FNU)
    JACKSON, CS1; (FNU) POSTON, CS1;
    (FNU) CRUMP, CO2; (FNU) WOLF,
    CO1; (FNU) REYNOLDS, CO1; (FNU)
    MADDOX, CO1; (FNU) STURGILL,
    CCI; (FNU) GUNTER, CCII; (FNU)
    PREBBLE, CCII; SHERRY BUSER;
    (FNU) POSTON, CCII; ROBERT
    SAPIEN; CARRIE MARLETT; PAUL
    SNYDER; (FNU) COURTNEY, CO1;
    (FNU) BLISS, CO1; (FNU) BARLEY,
    CS1; (FNU) FRYE, CO2; (FNU) GOKEN,
    CO1; (FNU) FISCHER, CO1; (FNU)
    SMALL, CO1; (FNU) CALLOWAY,
    CO1; TRACY JOHNSON, CO1; (FNU)
    MALL, CO1; (FNU) HENLEY, CS1;
    (FNU) GAINES, CO1; (FNU) AUSTIN,
    CS1; (FNU) CAIN, CO1; J.G. SMITH,
    CO1, J SMITH, CO1; (FNU) LEWIS,
    CS1; (FNU) DUTTON, CCII; FNU
    INGRAM, CO2; (FNU) JEHNER, CO2;
    (FNU) FOOTE, CO1; (FNU) JONES,
    CS1; SHAWNEE MISSION MEDICAL
    CENTER; PEGGY SCHMIDT; (FNU)
    -4-
    WEDL, Aramark Supervisor; (FNU)
    ADAMSON, Librarian; (FNU) KILCHER,
    Doctor; (FNU) CANON, Doctor; LEGAL
    SERVICES FOR PRISONERS, INC.;
    (FNU) LARKIN; DAWN WOLF; (FNU)
    PERKINS; (FNU) LUELLEN; (FNU)
    COUNTRYMAN, Mental Health
    Counselors; JAMES
    VANLANDINGHAM; REGINALD
    HINES; TRACY JONES; (FNU)
    NICHOLSON; (FNU) (LNU), Oklahoma
    Department of Corrections, Lexington
    Prison Guards Roscoe #1 through #8;
    (FNU) WILSON, Lieutenant; MIKE
    MULLINS; LEE MANN; DAVID
    ORMAN; WAYNE BRACKENSACK;
    (FNU) HANCE, Sargeant; DANNY
    ALEXANDER; BILL CLARKSON;
    VINCE PORTER; (FNU) FRANZESE,
    Chaplain;MELINDA GUILFOYLE;
    JAN STANDIFERD, in their individual
    and official capacities,
    Defendants-Appellees.
    ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
    Before TACHA, Chief Judge, McCONNELL and GORSUCH, Circuit Judges.
    *
    After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
    unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
    this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
    therefore ordered submitted without oral argument. This order and judgment is
    not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata,
    and collateral estoppel. It may be cited, however, for its persuasive value
    consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1.
    -5-
    Patrick Lynn appeals pro se from the district court’s sua sponte dismissal of
    his civil rights action. ** We have jurisdiction under 
    28 U.S.C. § 1291
     and affirm
    for substantially the same reasons the district court provided.
    I.
    Mr. Lynn is a Kansas state prisoner at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.
    On June 26, 2006, he commenced this action pro se, primarily under 
    42 U.S.C. § 1983
    , by filing a “(Preliminary) Complaint” that named approximately
    seventy-nine defendants, mostly prison officials and staff, judges and officials of
    the State of Kansas, federal judges and officials, and individuals alleged to have
    acted jointly with the state actors. R., Vol. I, Doc. 1. Mr. Lynn’s allegations
    concerned a variety of conduct commencing in 2000 that centered on (1) denial of
    meaningful access to the courts, in large part arising from prison restrictions on
    writing materials and copies, and from delays or failures related to sending his
    legal mail; and (2) retaliation against him for filing grievances and lawsuits,
    including placement in administrative segregation. He asserted that the alleged
    conduct violated his rights under the First, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth
    Amendments to the Constitution. His prayer for relief consisted of thirty
    numbered paragraphs of requests for hearings, counsel, protective orders,
    **
    On November 9, 2007, Michael B. Mukasey became the United States
    Attorney General. In accordance with Rule 43(c)(2) of the Federal Rules of
    Appellate Procedure, Mr. Mukasey is substituted for Alberto R. Gonzales as the
    Appellee in this action.
    -6-
    declaratory and injunctive relief, and monetary damages, including release from
    administrative segregation, declarations that certain prison policies and Kansas
    statutes were unconstitutional, injunctive orders to state-court judges concerning
    orders issued in various civil cases involving Mr. Lynn, and a stay of his appeal
    to this court in his habeas corpus proceeding so that he could properly file
    pleadings and evidence.
    Soon after filing his complaint Mr. Lynn filed the first four pages of an
    unfinished “First Amended Complaint,” all but two lines of which were devoted
    to listing an expanded number of defendants (239 by his count) and numerous
    federal and state statutes supporting jurisdiction. 
    Id.,
     Doc. 2. The document
    ended with a partial sentence that began to describe what the lawsuit encompassed
    but broke off in mid-stream at the bottom of the page. 
    Id. at 4
    . In an
    accompanying motion to stay his action, Mr. Lynn claimed he was unable to
    complete his amended pleading because prison officials took his ink pen and
    forced him to work with a two-inch golf pencil, which he taped to the motion as
    an exhibit. 
    Id.,
     Doc. 3 & Ex. B. He also requested replacement of the district
    court judge, who was a named defendant, and a hearing.
    -7-
    The district court reviewed Mr. Lynn’s pleadings pursuant to its screening
    obligation under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A 1 and issued a fifteen-page Memorandum and
    Order on July 13, 2006. 2 In that order the court identified fifteen specific claims
    in Mr. Lynn’s pleadings but observed that the pleadings contained little other than
    conclusory claims and demands. The court described a number of more specific
    pleading deficiencies in Mr. Lynn’s complaints, including failure to state
    1
    28 U.S.C. § 1915A provides, in relevant part:
    (a) Screening.--The court shall review, before docketing, if
    feasible or, in any event, as soon as practicable after docketing, a
    complaint in a civil action in which a prisoner seeks redress from a
    governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity.
    (b) Grounds for dismissal.--On review, the court shall identify
    cognizable claims or dismiss the complaint, or any portion of the
    complaint, if the complaint--
    (1) is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim
    upon which relief may be granted; or
    (2) seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is
    immune from such relief.
    2
    The district court noted that Mr. Lynn has a long litigation history. He is
    subject to filing restrictions in the Kansas state courts due to a pattern of
    manifestly abusive litigation. See State ex rel. Stovall v. Lynn, 
    975 P.2d 813
    ,
    814-16 (Kan. Ct. App. 1999). Further, he is prohibited from proceeding without
    prepayment of fees in federal court due to accumulating at least six strikes under
    
    28 U.S.C. § 1915
    (g) for filing actions or appeals while incarcerated that were
    dismissed as frivolous, as malicious, or for failure to state a claim upon which
    relief can be granted. See Lynn v. McClain, 12 F. App’x 676, 676 n.1 (10th Cir.
    2001) (unpublished) (collecting cases). In the present case, Mr. Lynn paid the
    filing fee in the district court and on appeal, thereby avoiding the restrictions of
    § 1915(g), but not the examination required by § 1915A.
    -8-
    sufficient facts in support of his claims; failure to file his complaint on
    court-approved forms for prisoners filing civil rights claims, as prescribed by
    D. Kan. R. 9.1(a); failure to exhaust administrative remedies; failure to allege
    sufficient personal participation by each and every defendant; failure to state a
    claim as to defendants immune from suit; failure to state a claim as to alleged
    denial of access to the courts; and statute-of-limitations problems for actions
    alleged to have occurred more than two years prior to filing the suit.
    In view of these problems, the court concluded that the complaint was
    subject to being dismissed. The court directed Mr. Lynn to file a second amended
    complaint on court-provided forms curing the deficiencies or face dismissal
    without further notice. In particular, the court directed Mr. Lynn to present a
    short and plain statement of his claims supported by factual allegations and
    naming only those defendants that personally participated in the alleged acts. For
    limitations purposes, the court ordered him to allege the dates on which each
    action or failure to act took place. The court declined to appoint counsel and also
    denied Mr. Lynn’s requests for relief regarding prison restrictions on writing
    materials and postage. The court additionally noted that his allegations of
    retaliatory transfer and use of excessive force were similar to those Mr. Lynn
    raised in prior state-court suits decided adversely to him and requested that he
    clarify whether his allegations concerned the same matters.
    -9-
    Further, the district court dismissed the action in certain substantive
    respects. First, the court dismissed the action for failure to state a claim insofar
    as it was brought against federal and state judges due to (1) their immunity from
    suit for money damages for actions taken in their judicial capacities, (2) the
    district court’s lack of power over official actions of state-court judges, and
    (3) the absence of any factual allegations pertaining to any named judge. Second,
    citing its lack of power, the court dismissed Mr. Lynn’s claims or requests that
    the court order the Kansas Attorney General and the United States Attorney to
    initiate criminal prosecutions for all criminal acts allegedly committed by the
    defendants against him. Third, the court dismissed any claims pertaining to
    alleged violations of state laws and prison regulations as not cognizable under
    § 1983. Fourth, the court dismissed for failure to state a claim any of Mr. Lynn’s
    claims or requests asserting that he is entitled to legal assistance by another
    inmate as “next of friend.” Finally, the court denied Mr. Lynn’s formal motion
    requesting a stay, recusal, and an emergency hearing, as well as requests he did
    not present by separate motion, including that the court or prison officials make
    service copies of his pleadings, that the court serve the Kansas Attorney General
    with an order for a preliminary hearing, and that the court grant preliminary and
    emergency relief. 3
    3
    Although at the conclusion of its opinion the district court restated most of
    the rulings described in the preceding two paragraphs of this Order and Judgment,
    (continued...)
    -10-
    Rather than file an amended complaint on the court’s official form,
    Mr. Lynn filed a number of other papers denominated objections, responses,
    motions, supplements, and the like, some of which were docketed as two separate
    documents. On many of the exhibits attached to those filings Mr. Lynn had
    written comments laced with obscenities, expletives, and threats. He again
    requested a variety of relief including a stay, a hearing, and a temporary
    restraining order.
    The district court considered all of Mr. Lynn’s submissions and, in a
    detailed, thirty-four page Memorandum and Order filed on January 26, 2007,
    concluded that he had not cured the deficiencies in his prior pleadings and that
    any new allegations also were deficient. 4 Accordingly, the court dismissed the
    action under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1) and 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(c)(1) 5 for failure to
    3
    (...continued)
    some are derived from the body of the district court’s discussion.
    4
    Additionally, the court recognized the intervening change in the law
    pertaining to exhaustion of administrative remedies effected by Jones v. Bock,
    
    127 S. Ct. 910
    , 914 (2007), and did not base its dismissal on Mr. Lynn’s failure to
    plead exhaustion or to show that he satisfied the exhaustion requirement as to all
    claims.
    5
    42 U.S.C. § 1997e(c)(1) provides:
    The court shall on its own motion or on the motion of a party
    dismiss any action brought with respect to prison conditions under
    section 1983 of this title, or any other Federal law, by a prisoner
    confined in any jail, prison, or other correctional facility if the court
    is satisfied that the action is frivolous, malicious, fails to state a
    (continued...)
    -11-
    state a claim upon which relief can be granted. See R., Vol. II, Doc. 21 at 2, 3,
    33. 6 The court denied all of Mr. Lynn’s formal motions (except one to amend
    information regarding certain defendants) as well as his other requests for
    reassignment of the case or recusal, reconsideration of the court’s prior order, and
    preliminary injunctive relief related to restrictions on his mailing and writing
    materials. The court further ordered Mr. Lynn to omit his “angry, profane rants”
    from any future filings and advised him that the court would strike any document
    that included such comments. Id. at 6; see also id. at 34. The court also denied
    his post-judgment motion for relief. Mr. Lynn appealed.
    II.
    “We . . . review de novo an order dismissing a prisoner’s case for failure to
    state a claim[,]” accepting all well-pleaded facts as true. McBride v. Deer,
    
    240 F.3d 1287
    , 1289 (10th Cir. 2001). “Dismissal of a pro se complaint for
    failure to state a claim is proper only where it is obvious that the plaintiff cannot
    prevail on the facts he has alleged and it would be futile to give him an
    5
    (...continued)
    claim upon which relief can be granted, or seeks monetary relief
    from a defendant who is immune from such relief.
    6
    The court also found Mr. Lynn’s complaint in general, and his
    denial-of-access claim and certain motions in particular, to be frivolous or
    malicious, see, e.g., R., Vol. II, Doc. 21 at 2 (complaint frivolous and
    malicious), 7 & 20 (denial of access claim ludicrous or frivolous), and 10
    (motions for oral argument and TRO were without legal or factual basis), but did
    not rely on those bases for dismissal, see 
    id.
     at 2 & 33 (dismissing for failure to
    state a claim).
    -12-
    opportunity to amend.” Perkins v. Kansas Dep’t of Corr., 
    165 F.3d 803
    , 806
    (10th Cir. 1999). “Factual allegations [in a complaint] must be enough to raise a
    right to relief above the speculative level.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 
    127 S. Ct. 1955
    , 1965 (2007). That is, there must be “enough facts to state a claim to relief
    that is plausible on its face.” 
    Id. at 1974
    . Because Mr. Lynn has proceeded pro
    se, we construe his pleadings and other papers liberally, applying a less stringent
    standard than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers. Hall v. Bellmon, 
    935 F.2d 1106
    , 1110 & n.3 (10th Cir. 1991).
    On appeal, Mr. Lynn formally identifies five issues and discusses a number
    of other matters. His first and fifth formally identified issues are that (a) he was
    unable to comply with the district court’s order to file an amended complaint
    because of the restrictions of which he complains and (b) the restrictions on his
    access to the courts have precluded him from properly and effectively presenting
    his issues in this appeal. These contentions are completely undermined by the
    volume of material he filed in the district court, the thirty-five page brief he
    submitted on appeal, and additional arguments he makes in motions filed with this
    court.
    Mr. Lynn’s second issue is that his pleadings provided enough of a factual
    basis for his case to move forward, but he does not direct this court to the specific
    factual allegations in his mass of district-court filings that he claims the district
    court treated improperly. Accordingly, he has not preserved appellate review.
    -13-
    See Gross v. Burggraf Const. Co., 
    53 F.3d 1531
    , 1546 (10th Cir. 1995) (refusing
    to search record for “dormant evidence” when an appellant failed to make specific
    reference to the record in its appellate brief). Regardless of this shortcoming, we
    have reviewed the specific incidents referenced in his district-court filings. We
    see no error in the court’s handling of those incidents it directly addressed. Nor
    have we uncovered any other incidents upon which Mr. Lynn could properly base
    a claim sufficient to survive dismissal on screening.
    Mr. Lynn’s third argument, that 
    18 U.S.C. §§ 3626
    (a)(1)(A) & (a)(2)
    obligate the court to intervene on his behalf, is without legal basis and therefore
    frivolous. 7 Those provisions concern only the scope of the court’s power to enter
    7
    Section 3626(a)(1)(A) and (a)(2) provide:
    Requirements for relief.--
    (1) Prospective relief.--(A) Prospective relief in any
    civil action with respect to prison conditions shall
    extend no further than necessary to correct the violation
    of the Federal right of a particular plaintiff or plaintiffs.
    The court shall not grant or approve any prospective
    relief unless the court finds that such relief is narrowly
    drawn, extends no further than necessary to correct the
    violation of the Federal right, and is the least intrusive
    means necessary to correct the violation of the Federal
    right. The court shall give substantial weight to any
    adverse impact on public safety or the operation of a
    criminal justice system caused by the relief.
    ...
    (2) Preliminary injunctive relief.--In any civil action
    (continued...)
    -14-
    prospective and preliminary injunctive relief in civil actions concerning prison
    conditions. Mr. Lynn has not shown entitlement to the relief they describe.
    Mr. Lynn’s remaining issue (his fourth formal issue) is that the district
    court erred in declaring, in its Memorandum and Order of July 13, 2006, that it
    lacked power to issue orders directing the actions of state judges or in cases in
    other jurisdictions. In support of this issue, he makes two arguments that merit
    discussion.
    Mr. Lynn first asserts that he was entitled to injunctive, declaratory, and
    mandamus relief under 
    42 U.S.C. §§ 1983
     and 1985 as to an apparently ongoing
    state-court case where, he alleges, court staff acting pursuant to judicial orders
    refuse to file any of his motions and the presiding judge refuses to recuse himself.
    7
    (...continued)
    with respect to prison conditions, to the extent otherwise
    authorized by law, the court may enter a temporary
    restraining order or an order for preliminary injunctive
    relief. Preliminary injunctive relief must be narrowly
    drawn, extend no further than necessary to correct the
    harm the court finds requires preliminary relief, and be
    the least intrusive means necessary to correct that harm.
    The court shall give substantial weight to any adverse
    impact on public safety or the operation of a criminal
    justice system caused by the preliminary relief and shall
    respect the principles of comity set out in paragraph
    (1)(B) in tailoring any preliminary relief. Preliminary
    injunctive relief shall automatically expire on the date
    that is 90 days after its entry, unless the court makes the
    findings required under subsection (a)(1) for the entry of
    prospective relief and makes the order final before the
    expiration of the 90-day period.
    -15-
    See Aplt. Br. at 18. Although the court provided no legal citation for its
    statement that it lacked power to direct the actions of state courts, the
    Younger abstention doctrine supports the court’s conclusion as to this ongoing
    case. See Southwest Air Ambulance, Inc. v. Las Cruces, 
    268 F.3d 1162
    , 1177
    (10th Cir. 2001) (“Under the abstention doctrine articulated by the Supreme Court
    in Younger v. Harris, 
    401 U.S. 37
     (1971), federal courts should not interfere with
    [ongoing] state court proceedings by granting equitable relief—such as
    injunctions of important state proceedings or declaratory judgments regarding
    constitutional issues in those proceedings when the state forum provides an
    adequate avenue for relief.”) (quotations omitted).
    Second, Mr. Lynn argues that another defendant-judge, Judge Sanders of
    the Butler County, Kansas, district court, is subject to suit for money damages
    because he acted outside the scope of his judicial authority. See Aplt. Br. at 19.
    This argument is frivolous—all the actions about which Mr. Lynn complains, see
    
    id.,
     were performed in a judicial capacity and within Judge Sanders’s jurisdiction.
    Thus, even assuming Judge Sanders acted with malice, as Mr. Lynn contends,
    judicial immunity applies to Mr. Lynn’s claim for money damages. See Mireles
    v. Waco, 
    502 U.S. 9
    , 11-13 (1991).
    In addition to his formal issues, Mr. Lynn makes a number of other points
    that are frivolous or unpersuasive. See Aplt. Br. at 25-35. We decline to address
    these points in detail.
    -16-
    III.
    Having reviewed the record, the relevant law, and Mr. Lynn’s filings in this
    appeal, and concluding that none of his arguments have merit, we AFFIRM the
    dismissal of his action for substantially the same reasons stated in the district
    court’s Memorandum and Order filed on July 13, 2006, and its Memorandum and
    Order filed January 26, 2007. 8 “Appellant’s Motion for Leave to File Third New
    Supplemental Evidence and Supporting Arguments Proffer” is granted to the
    extent it further explains allegations of error by the district court and denied in all
    other respects. However, we see no merit in the arguments Mr. Lynn makes in
    that motion. Mr. Lynn’s other pending motions are denied.
    Entered for the Court
    Michael W. McConnell
    Circuit Judge
    8
    Mr. Lynn has raised no issue on appeal concerning the district court’s
    denial of his motion for post-judgment relief.
    -17-