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Flores v. Matthews

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Aug 22, 2007
246 F. App'x 259 (5th Cir. 2007)

Opinion

No. 05-51719, Summary Calendar.

August 22, 2007.

Michael J. Flores, Floresville, TX, pro se.

Lee Flores, Floresville, TX, pro se.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (5:05-CV-897).

Before REAVLEY, SMITH, and BARKSDALE, Circuit Judges.


Michael and Lee Flores appeal, pro se, the dismissal of their 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action against a private law firm and three of its members as frivolous, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915. That dismissal is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Norton v. Dimazana, 122 F.3d 286, 291 (5th Cir. 1997). Affording the pleadings and brief the requisite liberal construction, e.g., Grant v. Cuellar, 59 F.3d 523, 524 (5th Cir. 1995), there was no such abuse.

First, the Floreses offer no concrete assertions of a violation of the Constitution or federal law, nor assert any facts to support their conclusory claim that defendants acted under the required color of state law. See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48, 108 S.Ct. 2250, 101 L.Ed.2d 40 (1988); Mills v. Criminal Dist. Court No. 3, 837 F.2d 677, 678 (5th Cir. 1988). In that regard, a state-law claim against the defendant attorneys for professional misconduct is not a basis for § 1983 relief. See O'Brien v. Colbath, 465 F.2d 358, 359 (5th Cir. 1972); see also Baker v. McCollan, 443 U.S. 137, 146, 99 S.Ct. 2689, 61 L.Ed.2d 433 (1979) (a § 1983 complaint is not a vehicle for vindicating rights arising under state tort law). Finally, the Floreses offer no specific facts to support their claim of a conspiracy between defendants and the state court. See Young v. Biggers, 938 F.2d 565, 569 (5th Cir. 1991).

AFFIRMED.


Summaries of

Flores v. Matthews

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Aug 22, 2007
246 F. App'x 259 (5th Cir. 2007)
Case details for

Flores v. Matthews

Case Details

Full title:Michael J. FLORES; Lee Flores, Plaintiffs-Appellants v. MATTHEWS…

Court:United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Date published: Aug 22, 2007

Citations

246 F. App'x 259 (5th Cir. 2007)

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