Barnes v. Bosley

625 F. Supp. 81
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedDecember 17, 1985
Docket83-53 C (2)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 625 F. Supp. 81 (Barnes v. Bosley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barnes v. Bosley, 625 F. Supp. 81 (E.D. Mo. 1985).

Opinion

625 F.Supp. 81 (1985)

Shirley BARNES, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Freeman (Teek) BOSLEY, Jr., et al., Defendants.

No. 83-53 C (2).

United States District Court, E.D. Missouri, E.D.

August 28, 1985.
On Motion for Enforcement December 17, 1985.

*82 *83 Charles R. Oldham, Thomas Bauer, St. Louis, Mo., for plaintiffs.

Robert Presson, Asst. Atty. Gen., Jefferson City, Mo., for defendants.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

FILIPPINE, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on plaintiffs' motions to determine the amount of back pay and benefits and enforcement of judgment. Defendants, through the Attorney General of the State of Missouri, have filed suggestions in opposition which the Court will treat as a Rule 60(b) motion.

FACTS

Thomas, McElroy and Barnes were discharged from their positions as deputy circuit clerks by the Clerk of the St. Louis Circuit Court, Freeman Bosley, Jr. On July 27, 1983, this Court held that the discharges violated the constitutional rights of McElroy and Barnes but not the constitutional rights of Thomas. This Court ordered the defendants, in their official capacity, to reinstate the plaintiffs with back pay and benefits from January 3, 1983. On November 29, 1983, this Court stayed its order of reinstatement and back pay pending appeal. The Court of Appeals affirmed the judgments in favor of McElroy and Barnes and reversed the judgment against Thomas. This Court entered a judgment, June 10, 1985, in favor of Thomas and ordered him reinstated with back pay and benefits from January 3, 1983. McElroy and Thomas have resolved their disputes with the defendants, and their motions are therefore moot. Plaintiff filed the motions before the Court on July 3, 1985. The State Attorney General entered his appearance and filed suggestions in opposition to plaintiff's motions on behalf of defendants and thereby became involved in the litigation for the first time on July 19, 1985. The Attorney General had only learned of the potential award against the State on June 18, 1985 (affidavit of Robert Presson).

Plaintiff's motion to determine amount of back pay and benefits claims an amount due of $73,846.97 for Barnes. Plaintiff's motion for enforcement of judgment seeks an order holding defendants in contempt, confinement of Bosley until he complies with the Court's order, appointment of an appropriate person to act as Circuit Clerk for the purpose of reinstating plaintiff, awarding back pay, benefits and interest, an award of costs and attorney's fees and other appropriate relief.

Defendants' suggestions in opposition to plaintiff's motions argue that since plaintiff's identical position no longer exists, defendants have complied by reinstating to a similar or comparable position. Defendants feel that the amount claimed by Barnes is too high because employee contributions should be paid to the Social Security Administration rather than Barnes, state and federal tax withholdings should be paid to the respective governments, plaintiff is not entitled to medical insurance payments since these would have never gone to plaintiff directly, the eleventh amendment bars any back pay prior to the Court's order on July 27, 1983, and interim earnings should be deducted from any award.

Plaintiff's reply to defendants' suggestions argue that defendants' suggestions should be treated as a motion under Fed.R. Civ.P. 59(e) and must be made within ten days after entry of judgment, the Court is bound by the Court of Appeals' affirmance *84 of our remedy, there is no setoff of interim wages since the plaintiff is a public employee and, therefore, falls within an exception to the general rule of mitigation, the eleventh amendment does not bar a remedy which is prospective in relation to the filing of the suit, and any retrospective amount is awardable against Bosley in his capacity as an officer of St. Louis City.

Defendants' response states that their suggestions in opposition should be treated as a Rule 60(b) motion and therefore not untimely and expands their constitutional argument by asserting that failure to deduct interim earnings violates the eleventh amendment.

REINSTATEMENT

It is the law in this circuit that an employer may comply with an order to reinstate a wrongfully discharged employee whose position at time of discharge is currently unavailable by placing the employee in a comparable or similar position. Brockell v. Norton, 732 F.2d 664, 669 (8th Cir.1984) (reinstatement under 42 U.S.C. § 1983); Kennedy v. Robb, 547 F.2d 408, 415 (8th Cir.1976) (same). The Court cannot determine if defendants have complied based on the record. Therefore, an evidentiary hearing on the matter is appropriate.

MITIGATION OF DAMAGES AND MEDICAL INSURANCE PAYMENTS

Defendants claim that their attempt to reduce back pay based on plaintiff's interim earnings after failure to make this argument at trial or on appeal should be allowed as a motion under Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(1) for relief from judgment for "mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect." Such a motion, however, is untimely. "This circuit has not allowed relief under Rule 60(b)(1) for judicial error other than for judicial inadvertence. [Citation omitted] ... To prevent its use as a substitute for appeal, we have required a Rule 60(b) motion alleging judicial inadvertence to be made within the time period allowed for appeal." Fox v. Brewer, 620 F.2d 177, 180 (8th Cir.1980). See also CRI, Inc. v. Watson, 608 F.2d 1137, 1141 (8th Cir.1979) (60(b) motion to correct failure to include prejudgment interest must be made within time for appeal); 11 C. Wright & A. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 2858 (1973).

The Court's original order was entered July 27, 1983. The second order was entered June 10, 1985. Defendants' suggestions in opposition were filed July 19, 1985, and thus were not within the thirty days for filing notice of appeal. Fed.R. App.P. 4(a). Therefore, defendants' arguments with regard to mitigation of damages and medical insurance payments are not properly before the Court. Defendants cannot evade this rule by arguing that the Attorney General did not have notice of this litigation since the State has authorized the Circuit Clerk of St. Louis to retain an attorney to represent the Clerk in court. Mo.Rev.Stat. § 483.260 (Supp.1984).

ELEVENTH AMENDMENT

Defendants' eleventh amendment claims may be made under Rule 60(b)(4) which provides for relief from a void judgment. A judgment in violation of the eleventh amendment is void and can be challenged at any time. Ex parte Ayers, 123 U.S. 443, 8 S.Ct. 164, 31 L.Ed. 216 (1887). See also Ford Motor Co. v. Department of Treasury,

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625 F. Supp. 81, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barnes-v-bosley-moed-1985.