Gonzalo Fernos-Lopez v. Eloisa Figarella Lopez

Gonzalo Fernos-Lopez (“petitioner”), having been adjudged in civil contempt and imprisoned by the superior court of Puerto Rico for failure to pay alimony as ordered, appeals pro se from a judgment dismissing his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. The district court disposed of the petition summarily for lack of jurisdiction. As no certificate of probable cause was granted, we treat the instant appeal as an application for same. While we disagree with the rationale invoked by the district court, we agree for other reasons that jurisdiction was lacking below. We therefore deny the…