Lawson v. Davis

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 19-10533

PAUL EUGENE LAWSON,

Petitioner-Appellant

v.

LORIE DAVIS, DIRECTOR, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL
JUSTICE, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS DIVISION,

Respondent-Appellee

Appeals from the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Texas
USDC No. 7:19-CV-16

Before DENNIS, ELROD, and DUNCAN, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
*

Paul Eugene Lawson, Texas prisoner # 675063, seeks a certificate of
appealability (COA) to appeal the denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 application
challenging a prison disciplinary proceeding. Lawson also seeks this court’s
leave to appeal in forma pauperis (IFP). He argues that the disciplinary
hearing officer violated his due process rights and that the district court erred
in finding that, because he was ineligible for release to mandatory supervision,

*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not
be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5
TH
CIR. R. 47.5.4.
United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
FILED
June 22, 2020

Lyle W. Cayce
Clerk
Case: 19-10533 Document: 00515460879 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/22/2020

No. 19-10533
2
he had no protected liberty interest in his earned good-time credits. He also
argues that the district court erred in denying two motions to intervene and a
“motion to join the real party in interest.”
A COA will issue if a movant makes a substantial showing of the denial
of a constitutional right. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2); see Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537
U.S. 322, 336 (2003). If, as here, the district court denies relief on the merits,
a movant must establish that reasonable jurists would find the district court’s
assessment of his constitutional claims debatable or wrong. Slack v. McDaniel,
529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000). “A petitioner satisfies this standard by
demonstrating that jurists of reason could disagree with the district court’s
resolution of his constitutional claims or that jurists could conclude the issues
presented are adequate to deserve encouragement to proceed further.” Miller-
El, 537 U.S. at 327.
Lawson has not made the required showing. Accordingly, his motion for
a COA is DENIED. See id. His appeal of the district court’s denial of his
motions to intervene and to join the real party in interest is DISMISSED as
moot. See Info. Commc’n Corp. v. Unisys Corp., 181 F.3d 629, 634 (5th Cir.
1999). The IFP motion is DENIED.
Case: 19-10533 Document: 00515460879 Page: 2 Date Filed: 06/22/2020