Opinion

Sacchi v. United States

Court
United States Court of Federal Claims
Filed
Feb 26, 2018
Status
Unpublished
On the bench
Patricia E. Campbell-Smith
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 4.2%

The opinion

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No. 18-274C

(Filed: February 26, 2018) FILED

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

FEB 2 6 2018

U.S. COURT OF

CASEY SACCHI. FEDERAL CLAIMS

Plaintiff,

Pro Se Complaint; Sua Sponte

Dismissal for Want of

Jurisdiction, RCFC l2(hX3).

THE UNITED STATES,

Defendant.

ORDER

Cunently before the court in this matter are: (1) the complaint of p1q se plaintiff

Casey Sacchi, ECF No. 1, filed February 21,2018; and (2) plaintiffs application to

proceed in forma pauperis, ECF No. 4, also filed February 21,2018. Because the court

lacks jurisdiction over plaintifls claims, the court must dismiss this case pursuant to Rule

12(hX3) of the Rules of the United States Court of Federal Claims (RCFC). See RCFC

l2(hX3) ("lf the court determines at any time that it lacks subject-matter jurisdiction, the

court must dismiss the action."). The court's jurisdictional analysis is set forth below.

I. Background

Plaintiff s complaint states he is being persecuted by the Federal Bureau of

Investigation (FBI). The cause for this persecution is attributed to the fact that Mr.

Sacchi is from Ghana. ECF No. I at2. T\e form of the persecution is harassment,

stalking, civil rights abuses, and torture. Id. at l-4. The relief sought for the mental and

physical strain caused by three decades of persecution is fifty million dollars. Id. at 4.

II. Pro Se Litigants

The court acknowledges that pro se plaintiffs are not expected to frame issues with

the precision of a common law pleading. Roche v. USPS, 828 F.2d 1555, 1558 (Fed. Cir.

1987). Therefore, plaintiff s complaint has been reviewed carefully to ascertain whether,

given the most favorable reading, it supports jurisdiction in this court.

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II I. Jurisdiction

"A court may and should raise the question of its jurisdiction sua sponte at any

time it appears in doubt." Arctic Comer. Inc. v. United States, 845 F.2d 999, 1000 (Fed'

Cir. 1988) (citation omitted). The Tucker Act delineates this court's jurisdiction' 28

U.S.C. $ 1491 (2012). That statute "confersjurisdiction upon the Court ofFederal

Claims over the specified categories of actions brought against the United States." Fisher

v. United States,402F.3d 1167, ll72 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc) (citations omitted)'

These include money damages claims against the federal government founded upon the

Constitution, an act ofCongress, a regulation promulgated by an executive department,

any express or implied contract with the United States, or any claim for liquidated or

unliquidated damages in cases not sounding in tort. Id. (citing 28 U.S.C. $ 1a91(a)(1)).

IV. Analysis

Plaintiff s complaint alleges, first, civil rights abuses by the FBI. ECF No. I at 2.

It is well settled that violations of constitutional rights, such as the rights to due process

and equal protection, and violations of civil rights, generally, do not fall within this

court's jurisdiction. Brown v. United States, 105 F.3d 621,624 (Fed. Cir. 1997); Marlin

v. United States, 63 Fed. C\.475,476 (2005). Plaintiffalso alleges that employees ofthe

FBI have committed intentional torts against him. ECF No. I at L Tort claims are

specifically excluded from this court's jurisdiction. 28 U.S.C. $ la91(a)(1). Further,

plaintiff accuses the FBI of torture, ECF No. I at3-4, but claims alleging torture by

govemment officials are not within the jurisdiction of this court. Perales v. United States,

ilf fea. O.417,418 (20\7); Mendiola v. United States, l24Fed. Cl. 684, 688 (2016).

Finally, plaintiff alleges that the FBI subjected him to criminal harassment and stalking'

ECF No. I at 2. This court has no criminal jurisdiction. Campbell v. United States, 229

Ct. Cl. 706, 707 (1981). None of plaintiff s claims against the FBI fall within this court's

jurisdiction.

V. Conclusion

The complaint in this case must be dismissed. Accordingly, plaintiffls application

to proceed in forma pauperis, ECF No. 4, is GRANTED for the limited purpose of

determining this court's jurisdiction. The clerk's office is directed to ENTER judgment

for defendint DISMISSING plaintiff s complaint for lack ofjurisdiction, without

prejudice, pursuant to RCFC 12(hX3)'

IT IS SO ORDERED.

ATzuCIAE. C

Judge

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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