Green v. Schmelzle

210 F. Supp. 3d 454, 2016 WL 5408380, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 134061
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 28, 2016
Docket6:11-CV-06063 EAW
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 210 F. Supp. 3d 454 (Green v. Schmelzle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Green v. Schmelzle, 210 F. Supp. 3d 454, 2016 WL 5408380, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 134061 (W.D.N.Y. 2016).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

Elizabeth A. Wolford, United States District Judge

I. Introduction

Plaintiff Shawn Green (“Plaintiff’) commenced this action on February 7, 2011. (Dkt. 1). Plaintiff filed a Second Amended Complaint (“Complaint”) on December 26, 2012, alleging various constitutional violations arising out of his incarceration at the Elmira Correctional Facility. (Dkt. 44). Plaintiff named 34 employees of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (“DOCCS”) as defendants (collectively “Defendants”). (Id.). On December 23, 2015, this Court granted Defendants’ motion to dismiss for all Defendants except Defendant Schmelzle, denied Defendant Schmelzle’s alternative motion for summary judgment, and denied Plaintiffs cross-motion for summary judgment. (Dkt. 65). Now before the Court are Plaintiffs motion for relief from the Court’s Decision and Order under Fed. R. Civ. P. 60, and motion to strike Defendant Schmelzle’s affirmative defenses pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(f). (Dkt. 71). For the reasons set forth below, Plaintiffs motion pursuant to Rule 60 is denied, and Plaintiffs motion to strike is denied without prejudice.

II. Plaintiffs Motion for Relief

A. Standard of Review

In relevant part, a court has the power, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b), to allow relief from an order because of “(1) mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect; ... (3) fraud (whether previously called intrinsic or extrinsic), misrepresentation, or misconduct by an opposing party; (4) the judgment is void; ... or (6) any [459]*459other reason that justifies relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b).

The motion for relief cannot be used to relitigate issues already decided by the court. Turner v. Vill. of Lakewood, No. 11-CV-211-A, 2013 WL 5437370, at *3 (W.D.N.Y. Sept. 27, 2013). A court will generally adhere to its own earlier decision on an issue already decided in the same litigation. United States v. Adegbite, 877 F.2d 174, 178 (2d Cir.1989). “The standard for granting a [motion for relief] is strict, and [relief] will generally be denied unless the moving party can point to controlling decisions or data that the court overlooked—matters, in other words, that might reasonably be expected to alter the conclusion reached by the court.” Shrader v. CSX Transp., Inc., 70 F.3d 255, 257 (2d Cir.1995). “The major grounds justifying reconsideration are an intervening change of controlling law, the availability of new evidence, or the need to correct a clear error or prevent a manifest injustice.” Virgin Atl. Airways v. Nat’l Mediation Bd., 956 F.2d 1245, 1255 (2d Cir.1992) (citations omitted). “These criteria are strictly construed against the moving party so as to avoid repetitive arguments on issues that have been considered fully by the court.” Boyde v. Osborne, No. 10-CV-6651, 2013 WL 6662862, at *1 (W.D.N.Y. Dec. 16, 2013) (quoting Griffin Indus., Inc. v. Petrojam, Ltd., 72 F.Supp.2d 365, 368 (S.D.N.Y.1999)).

B. Discussion

Plaintiff asserts two errors in the Court’s Decision and Order filed December 23, 2015. First, Plaintiff argues that Defendants’ counsel “perpetrate[d] a fraud upon the Court with initial and renewed motions to dismiss or for summary judgment.” (Dkt. 71 at 4-9). He further claims that the Court clearly erred “in reaching [the] egregious judgment,” and that the order was legally void. (Id. at 9-13). The Court takes each argument in turn, and finds that Plaintiffs claims are without merit.

1. Plaintiffs Claim of Fraud or Misrepresentation by Defendants or Defendants’ Counsel is Wholly Without Merit

Plaintiff first argues that Defendants or Defendants’ counsel, New York Assistant Attorney General Gary M. Levine, defrauded the Court, misrepresented Plaintiffs claims, and failed to disclose controlling precedent. (Id. at 4-9). These misgivings, according to Plaintiff, require relief under Rule 60(b)(3). (Id.). None of these arguments have basis in fact or law.

Rule 60(b)(3) allows a district court to relieve a party from a final judgment when there was “fraud ..., misrepresentation, or misconduct by an opposing party.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(3). “Ordinarily [60(b)(3) ] is invoked where material information has been withheld or incorrect or perjured evidence has been intentionally supplied.” Matter of Emergency Beacon Corp., 666 F.2d 754, 759 (2d Cir.1981). Rule 60(b)(3) relief

is limited to fraud which seriously affects the integrity of the normal process of adjudication, and should embrace only that species of fraud which does or attempts to ... defile the court itself, or is a fraud perpetrated by officers of the court so that the judicial machinery cannot perform in the usual manner its impartial task of adjudging cases.

Commercial Union Ins. Co. v. Lord, 649 Fed.Appx. 68, 69 (2d Cir.2016) (citations omitted). The Federal Rules present such a high bar under 60(b)(3) that fraud on an adverse party, in itself, is insufficient to merit relief. See id. (citing King v. First Am. Investigations, Inc., 287 F.3d 91, 95 (2d Cir.2002)).

Plaintiff alleges that AAG Levine “proceeded to perpetrate a fraud upon the [460]*460Court with initial and renewed motions to dismiss or for summary judgment.” (Dkt. 71 at 5). Defendants’ purported fraud sought to prevent Plaintiff from “fully and fairly being presented to an impartial court.” (Id.). AAG Levine, according to Plaintiff, is aware of evidence and law that substantiate each of Plaintiffs numerous claims. (Id.).

Instead of pointing to some fraud or deceit on the part of Defendants or their attorney—which is necessary for relief under Rule 60(b)(3)—Plaintiff simply seeks to relitigate the substantive issues this Court has already decided. Plaintiff alleges, as he did in his cross-motion for summary judgment, that he was forced to choose between participating in one hour of recreation and attending a diabetes clinic, and that his grievance related to this conflict was treated differently because of his race. (See Dkt. 44 at ¶¶ 6-9; Dkt. 71 at 5). The Court addressed this issue at length in its Decision and Order on the motions to dismiss, and cross-motions for summary judgment. (Dkt. 65 at 11-13). The Court found that Plaintiff failed to present a cognizable claim as to all Defendants except Defendant Schmelzle. (See id.). The Court also found that Plaintiff had put forth sufficient factual claims as to race discrimination such that summary judgement for Defendant Schmelzle was not appropriate. (Id. at 12-13).

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Bluebook (online)
210 F. Supp. 3d 454, 2016 WL 5408380, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 134061, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/green-v-schmelzle-nywd-2016.