No.

__________________________________

_________________________________

IN THE

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

___________________________________

JAMES B. STEGEMAN – PETITIONER

VS.

STATE OF GEORGIA, et., al., - RESPONDENTS

_____________________________________________________

ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES

COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT

_____________________________________________________

JAMES B. STEGEMAN, Pro Se

821 Sheppard Road
Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083
(404) 300-9782
 QUESTIONS PRESENTED

1. Does this Court’s decision in United States v. Georgia, 546

U. S. 151 (2006); United States v. Georgia, et., al, 120 Fed.
Appx. 785, concerning a State’s Immunity to suit brought by
a disabled, pro se litigant, hold to the same findings when the
disabled Plaintiff is pro se and not in prison?

2. Assuming “denial of the statutory right of appeal is a

violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment” As this Court held in Cochran v. Kansas, 316
U. S. 255; is it also considered a violation to deny an Appeal
of a Final Ruling in Probate and Superior Courts, when the
Plaintiff attempting to Appeal, paid for the Appeal, but is
both disabled, and forced to proceed as Pro Se due to being
denied State Federally Funded Programs that are supposed
to protect his Rights?

3. Is the same “four-factor inquiry” used in Manders, 338 F.3d

(2003) at 1390, “To determine whether the defendant … acts
as an arm of the state” used to determine whether or not
County Probate Courts, Probate Clerks, State Court entities,
Solicitor’s Offices are arms of the state as well?

ii
 LIST OF PARTIES

Petitioner is James B. Stegeman.

Respondents who were appellees in the court of appeals below are:

State of Georgia thru Governor Sonny Perdue, In His Official Capacity; State of

Georgia Department of Human Resources; DeKalb County thru CEO Vernon Jones

In His Official Capacity; DeKalb County Department of Family & Children

Services; DeKalb County Fire & Rescue Captain Hughett – No. 581 In Her

Individual and Official Capacity; EMS Medic Dennis Carlock In His Individual

and Official Capacity; Stone Mountain Police Officer R. B. Porter, Badge #119, In

His Individual and Official Capacity; DeKalb County Probate Court; Probate Judge

Jeryl Debra Rosh, Individually and in Her Official Capacity;1 Georgia Superior

Court, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit; State Court DeKalb County Georgia;

DeKalb County Solicitor’s Office.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
The Official Capacity for Jeryl Debra Rosh in the complaint was for acts done as Clerk of the
Probate Court, she was not elected Judge until 2004, she was clerk during the time the incidents
of the complaint took place.

iii
OPINIONS BELOW………………….………………………………………1

JURISDICTION…………………………………………………………....…1

CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY PROVISIONS INVOLVED……1

STATEMENT OF THE CASE…………………………………………….....2

REASONS FOR GRANTING THE WRIT…………………………………25

CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………….. 26

INDEX TO APPENDICES

APPENDIX A - United States Court of Appeals Opinion

APPENDIX B - United States District Court Dismissal

APPENDIX C - United States Court of Appeals Rehearing Denial

APPENDIX D - Grant Forma Pauperis (Different Case/Shows Lack of Assets)

APPENDIX E - Appellant Brief

APPENDIX F – Appellant’s Motion for En Banc Rehearing

APPENDIX G - Officer Porter’s Response to Motion for Leave to Amend

APPENDIX H - Constitutional Provisions, Federal and State Statutes,

&Other Authorities

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES CITED

iv
CASES PAGE

Abusaid v. Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners,

405 F.3d 1298 VERSUSLAW (11th Cir. 04/15/2005) ……………………20

Abusaid v. Hillsborough County, et., al. 2005 U.S. App.

405 F.3d 1298; 18 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. C 436…………………………..18,19

Bonner v. Circuit Court of St. Louis, 526 F.2d 1331, 1334

(8th Cir. 1975) ……………………………..…2

Bradley v. Fisher, 80 U.S. 335, 352 (1872) ……………………………....15

Bramlet v. Wilson, 495 F.2d 714, 716 (8th Cir. 1971) …………………….2

Cf. Ex parte Virginia, 100 U.S. 339 (1880) …………………………..........16

Cochran v. Kansas, 316 U. S. 255 ………………………………………...15

Cruz v. Beto, 405 U.S. 319, 322, 92 S. Ct. 1079, 1081,

31 L. Ed. 2d 263 (1972). …………………………………………….12

Fincher v. Fla. Dep’t. of Labor & Employment Sec., 798 F.2d 1371,
1372 (11th Cir. 1986) ……………...……………………………………11

Gravel v. United States, at 408 U.S. 606, 408 U.S. 627 (1972) …………..16

Grech v. Clayton County, Georgia, 335 F.3d 1326

(11th Cir. 07/07/2003) No.: 01-13151 ………………………………19

Greenwood v. Peacock, supra, at 384 U.S. 830 …………………………...16

Griffin v. Breckenridge, 403 U.S. 88, 102, 91 S. Ct. 1790, 1798,

29 L. Ed. 2d 338 (1971) …………..………………………………...13

Gravel v. United States, at 408 U.S. 606, 408 U.S. 627 (1972)……………..16

Haines v. Kerner 404 U.S. 519, 520-21, S. Ct. 594, 596,

60 L.Ed. 2d 652 (1972) ………………………………………........12

v
Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 92 S.Ct. 594,
30 L.Ed. 2d 652 (1972) ……………………………………..12

Hanna v. Home Insurance Company, 281 F.2d 298, 303

(5th Cir. 1960), cert. denied, 365 U.S. 838, 81 S. Ct. 751,
5 L. Ed. 2d 747 (1961) ……………………………….........12

Hibbs, 538 U. S., at 737 ……………………………………………11

Hutton v. Strickland, 919 F.2d 1531, 1542 (11th Cir. 1990) …………….20

Manders, 338 F.3d at 1390 ……..……………………………………..19

McLallen v. Henderson, 492 F.2d 1298, 1299 (8th Cir. 1974) …………..14

Mitchell v. Inman, 682 F. 2d 886 (11th Cir. 1982) ………………………11

Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658,
663, 98 S. Ct. 2018, 2021-22, 56 L. Ed. 2d 611 (1978) …………………...20

Mt. Healthy City Bd. of Education v. Doyle, 429 U.S. 274,

280-281, 97 S. Ct. 568, 572-573, 50 L. Ed. 2d 471 (1977) ………………20

Mt. Healthy City Sch. Dist. Bd. of Educ. v. Doyle, 429 U.S. 274,
280, 97 S. Ct. 568, 50 L. Ed. 2d 471 (1977) ……………………………20

O’Shea v. Littleton 414 U.S. 488 (1974) page 414 U.S. 503 …….............16

Owen v. City of Independence, 445 U.S. [622, 647 n. 30,

100 S. Ct. 1398, 63 L. Ed. 2d 673 (1980)]. ……………………………20, 21

Qualls v. Shaw, 535 F.2d 318 (5th Cir. 1976) ……………………………14

Rheuark v. Shaw, 547 F.2d 1257, 1259 (5th Cir. 1977) ………………….14

Screws v. United States, 325 U.S. 941, 325 U.S. 101-106 (1945) ..............16

Slavin v. Curry, 574 F.2d 1256 (5th Cir. 06/13/1978) ……………..10,13,14

Tennessee v. Lane 124 S.Ct. 1978, 541 U.S. 509, 158 L.Ed.2d 820,

vi
15 A.D. 865 (U.S. 05/17/2004) ……………………………………..11

Truesdel, 197 S.E. at 786 (Ga. 1938) ……………………………………..20

United States v. Classic, 313 U.S. 299 (1941) …………………………...16

United States v. Georgia, et., al, 120 Fed. Appx. 785 ……………………18

United States v. Guest, 383 U.S. 745, 383 U.S. 753-754 (1966) ………….16

United States v. Price, 383 U.S. 787, 383 U.S. 793-794 (1966) …………..16

U.S. v. Price, 383 U.S. 787, 383 U.S. 799 (1966) ………………………..22

Will v. Mich. Dep’t of State Police, 491 U.S. 58, 67,

109 S. Ct. 2304, 2310 (1989) ……………………………………..11

Will v. Michigan Dep't of State Police, 491 U.S. 58, 69 n.9,

109 S. Ct. 2304, 105 L. Ed. 2d 45 (1989) …………………………………20

Williams I, 341 U.S. at 341 U.S. 92 ………………………………………22

STATUTES AND RULES

U.S.

42 U.S.C.A. §1983……………………………………………11,12,13,14,18

42 U.S.C.A. §1985 ………………………………………………….11,12,13

42 U.S.C.A. §1986…………………………………………………………12

42 U.S.C.A. §2000e……………………………………………………… 12

U.S.C. 42 §12101…………………….……………………………………17

18 U.S.C. §242 …………………………………………………..16,23,24

vii
18, U.S.C. §241 …………………………………………………….23 -24

GA

O.C.G.A. §15-9-36. …..……………………………………………………3

O.C.G.A. §§ 36-1-3 ………………………………………………………19

O.C.G.A. §1-3-3(7) …………………………………………………..19

O.C.G.A. §§30-5-1 through 30-5-10 ………………………………………2

OTHER AUTHORITIES

Your Guide to the Georgia Courts (Atlanta: Administrative Office

of the Courts, 2003). www.georgiacourts.org ……………………………21

The Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts, 244

Washington Street, Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30334, 404-656-5171;
www.georgiacourts.org ……………………………………………21

Your Guide to the Georgia Courts www.georgiacourts.org ……………22

No. ____________________________

_________________________________

viii
 IN THE

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

_________________________________

JAMES B. STEGEMAN – PETITIONER

VS.

STATE OF GEORGIA, et., al., - RESPONDENTS

___________________________________

PROOF OF SERVICE

I, James B. Stegeman, do swear or declare that on this date, _____________,

2009, as required by Supreme Court Rule 29 I have served the enclosed MOTION
FOR LEAVE TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS and PETITION FOR A
WRIT OF CERTIORARI on each party to the above proceeding or that party’s
counsel, and on every other person required to be served, by depositing an
envelope containing the above documents in the United States mail properly
addressed to each of them and with first-class postage prepaid, or by delivery to a
third-party commercial carrier for delivery within 3 calendar days, as follows:
Devon Orland, Esq.
Office of State Attorney General
40 Capital Square, SE
Atlanta, GA 30334

Mr. Peter C. Brown

Carothers & Brown

ix
278 West Main St.
Buford, GA 30518

Brenda R. Raspberry
DeKalb County Law Department
1300 Commerce Drive, 5th Floor
Decatur, GA 30030

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct, this
20th day of January, 2009

________________________________
JAMES B. STEGEMAN, Pro Se
821 Sheppard Rd.
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
(404) 300-9782