Lawson v. Anderson County, Kansas

── Lawson v. Anderson County, Kansas ── Court: Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Date: June 02, 2026 Category: General Appellate Case: 26-3048 Document: 14-1 Date Filed: 06/02/2026 Page: 1 FILED United States Court of Appeals UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT June 2, 2026 _________________________________ Christopher M. Wolpert Clerk of Court ANGELIINA LYNN LAWSON, Plaintiff - Appellant, v. No. 26-3048 (D.C. No. 5:26-CV-04006-TC-ADM) ANDERSON COUNTY, KANSAS; TINA (D. Kan.) MILLER, Clerk, Anderson County District Court, in her individual and official capacities; KELLY JOHNSON, ADA Coordinator/District Court Administrator, Fourth Judicial District, in his official and individual capacities; JOLENE L. ZIRKLE, ADA Coordinator, Kansas Supreme Court, in her official and individual capacities, Defendants - Appellees. _________________________________ ORDER AND JUDGMENT * _________________________________ Before MORITZ, BALDOCK, and EID, Circuit Judges. _________________________________ After examining the brief and appellate record, this panel has determined * unanimously to honor the appellant’s request for a decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(f); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument. This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. But it may be cited for its persuasive value. See Fed. R. App. P. 32.1(a); 10th Cir. R. 32.1(A).  Appellate Case: 26-3048 Document: 14-1 Date Filed: 06/02/2026 Page: 2 Angeliina Lawson, proceeding pro se, appeals the dismissal of her case. 1 We affirm because we agree with the district court that Lawson failed to state a claim under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). Background In January 2026, Lawson filed this 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action against Anderson County, Kansas, Anderson County District Court, and several related officials, alleging that they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by withholding parts of the record and failing to docket favorable evidence in her ongoing divorce and child-custody proceedings. 2 Lawson requested declaratory relief voiding Anderson County’s “custody-terminating order” of December 22, 2025; injunctive relief ordering the filing of favorable evidence; compensatory damages; and punitive damages. R. vol. 1, 10. The district court dismissed her case under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) for several independent reasons, including that she failed 1 We construe Lawson’s pro se brief liberally, but we do not act as her advocate. See Yang v. Archuleta, 525 F.3d 925, 927 n.1 (10th Cir. 2008). 2 Lawson has filed numerous, unsuccessful, pro se lawsuits regarding her divorce and child-custody proceedings in Kansas state court, including an attempt to remove state-court custody proceedings to federal court. See Lawson v. Lawson, No. 25-3097, 2025 WL 3555103 (10th Cir. Dec. 11, 2025) (affirming order remanding custody proceedings to state court); Lawson v. Godderz, No. 25-2199, 2025 WL 3022371 (D. Kan. Oct. 29, 2025) (dismissing complaint for several reasons), appeal docketed, No. 25-3198 (10th Cir. Oct. 30, 2025); Lawson v. Kan. Dep’t for Child. & Fams., No. 25-2171, 2025 W