Under Recording No. 25-2423, Chien v Giles et al., Fourth Circuit Federal Judges Named as Defendants in Appeal Challenging Alleged Three-Year Civil Imprisonment Left Uncorrected for Over a Decade Across Multiple Federal Court Proceedings
Publication of appellate briefing and video presentation filed in pending federal litigation concerning alleged deprivation of liberty arising from civil proceedings conducted without criminal charge, formal offense, or jury trial.
The issues presented involve a fundamental legal distinction commonly taught in basic civic education — the difference between civil proceedings and criminal prosecution.
Publisher’s Note / Opening Statement:
For more than a decade, litigation arising from a civil dispute has proceeded through multiple federal district and appellate courts without final resolution of alleged constitutional violations involving the loss of personal liberty and the continuing deprivation of business rights persisting to the present day.
In a pending appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit the appellant alleges that civil proceedings resulted in imprisonment lasting more than three years despite the absence of criminal charges, indictment, or jury trial.
According to the appellate filings, during the period of detention the appellant’s business interests were allegedly damaged through disputed corporate actions involving a publicly traded company, including allegations concerning a forged stock certificate representing 89% ownership of the total outstanding shares, misappropriation of corporate assets, and subsequent irregularities relating to corporate identity and securities registration filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission extending for more than ten years following the appellant’s release.
The appeal names several federal judges as defendants and asserts that judicial review mechanisms failed over an extended period to remedy the alleged deprivation of due process and liberty interests.
This publication presents the appellate briefing together with a video presentation for about 4 minutes, summarizing the factual background, procedural history, and constitutional questions raised in the pending case.
The issues raised extend beyond a single litigant and implicate broader constitutional concerns:
Can imprisonment arise from civil litigation without criminal accusation or prosecution?
What safeguards exist when alleged judicial error persists across multiple courts?
How should constitutional protections of liberty operate when litigation continues unresolved for more than a decade?
The materials published below are provided to promote public understanding of ongoing federal litigation and the constitutional principles implicated therein.
All allegations described herein are drawn from filings in pending litigation and remain subject to judicial determination.
About 4 minutes video:
Full Text of Informal Briefing
Defendants-Appellees’ Response:
No-Secret-Inmate 