Mildred Martin Cooper v. Carlton Printiss Minnick, Jr. Susanna Knutson Gibbons
Docket: 93-2401
Court: Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; February 8, 1994; Federal Appellate Court
Mildred Martin Cooper, the plaintiff-appellant, filed a civil action against Carlton Printiss Minnick, Jr., a Methodist Bishop, and Susanna Knutson Gibbons, an attorney. Cooper alleged violations of the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct, The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, state statutory discovery rules, and constitutional amendments. Specifically, she claimed that Gibbons caused the dismissal of one of her lawsuits by forwarding an interrogatory to Minnick without providing Cooper a copy, which she contended violated her rights. Additionally, Cooper asserted claims of torture and harassment by the U.S. Government, alleging use of directed energy weapons against her, and that the defendants condoned this by mishandling her court documents. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6), which the district court granted. Cooper appealed the dismissal. Upon review, the Fourth Circuit found the appeal to be without merit and affirmed the district court's decision, agreeing with its reasoning. The court noted that oral argument was unnecessary as the materials provided sufficiently addressed the facts and legal issues. The earlier suit referenced by Cooper was styled Cooper v. Bland, involving different defendants related to her claims.