Steven Smothers v. State of Maryland, No. 19-1908 (4th Cir. 2019)

Annotate this Case

Download PDF

UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 19-1908 STEVEN SMOTHERS, Plaintiff - Appellant, and ABORIGINAL REPUBLIC OF NORTH AMERICA, Plaintiff, v. STATE OF MARYLAND, Defendant - Appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, at Baltimore. Deborah K. Chasanow, Senior District Judge. (1:18-cv-03451-DKC) Submitted: December 17, 2019 Decided: December 19, 2019 Before KING, FLOYD, and HARRIS, Circuit Judges. Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion. Steven Smothers, Appellant Pro Se. Brian L. Oliner, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MARYLAND, Annapolis, Maryland, for Appellee. Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. PER CURIAM: Steven Smothers appeals the district court’s order dismissing the complaint he and the Aboriginal Republic of North America filed against the State of Maryland. On appeal, we confine our review to the issues raised in the Appellant’s brief. See 4th Cir. R. 34(b). Because Smothers’ informal brief does not challenge the basis for the district court’s disposition, Smothers has forfeited appellate review of the court’s order. See Jackson v. Lightsey, 775 F.3d 170, 177 (4th Cir. 2014) (“The informal brief is an important document; under Fourth Circuit rules, our review is limited to issues preserved in that brief.”). Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s judgment. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process. AFFIRMED 2

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.