Martins v. Charles Hayden Goodwill Inn School

178 F.R.D. 4, 41 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 364, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22618, 1997 WL 828780
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedJuly 14, 1997
DocketCiv.A. No. 94-11769-REK
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 178 F.R.D. 4 (Martins v. Charles Hayden Goodwill Inn School) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Martins v. Charles Hayden Goodwill Inn School, 178 F.R.D. 4, 41 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 364, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22618, 1997 WL 828780 (D. Mass. 1997).

Opinion

[5]*5Memorandum and Order

KEETON, District Judge.

Pending before this court are four motions by pro se plaintiff, Farouk Martins for: (1) sanctions based on Fed.R.Civ.P. 11 and Fed. R .Civ.P. 56(g) (Docket No. 42, filed February 12, 1997); (2) equitable relief from summary judgment (Docket No. 44, filed March 3, 1997); (3) a new trial (Id.); and (4) summary judgment (Docket No. 53, filed April 14, 1997). Also pending before this court is the motion by defendant, Charles Hayden Goodwill Inn School (“Goodwill”) for sanctions based on Fed.R.Civ.P. 11 (Docket No. 46, filed March 31,1997).

I. Procedural History

On December 15, 1992, Martins filed a complaint with Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (“MCAD”) and the Equal Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) alleging that he was terminated from Goodwill because of his race. After conducting investigations into the merits of Martins’ claim, both the EEOC and MCAD dismissed Martins’ complaint.

On September 1, 1994, Martins filed suit against Goodwill in this court. In his complaint, Martins stated seven claims: (1) discriminatory discharge under Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2; (2) retaliatory discharge under Title VII; (3) unlawful employment practices under Title VII; (4) violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq.; (5) intentional infliction of emotional distress; (6) slander; and (7) assault and battery.

After discovery, during which Martins filed various affidavits and papers regarding his claim, Goodwill moved for summary judgment. After considering the proffered evidence and hearing oral arguments regarding the summary judgment motion, on July 6, 1995, in a bench ruling, this court granted the summary judgment motion for the defendant as to all of Martins’ claims. (See Docket No. 39 at 37-41.)

In response to this court’s oral ruling, Martins asked for leave to file additional information to support his claims. The court granted his request. After reviewing Martins’ supplemental memoranda, however, the court confirmed the original decision and ordered a Final Judgment for the defendant on July 17,1995. (See Docket No. 35.)

Martins then appealed to the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. On February 28, 1996, the Court of Appeals affirmed this court’s judgment. (See Docket No. 41.) Martins subsequently filed with the clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States a petition for writ of certiorari. The Court denied that petition on October 7, 1996. Martins v. Charles Hayden Goodwill Inn School, — U.S. -, 117 S.Ct. 116, 136 L.Ed.2d 68 (1996).

On November 29, 1996, Martins filed another complaint against Goodwill in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Civil Action No. 96-12442-WGY). This second complaint differed from the original complaint in that, this time, Martins’ based his claim on defamation, “perjury,” interferences with advantageous contractual relations, and breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The District Court dismissed this second action on the basis of claim preclusion. (See Docket No. 51, Ex. 30.)

On February 12, 1997, more than a year and a half after final judgment was entered by this court in the first action, Martins filed the present “Motion for FRCP 11 and 56g” against Goodwill. On March 3, 1997, Martins’ filed a subsequent motion for “Equitable relief from Summary Judgment and New Trial.”

II. Rule 60(b) Motion

Fed.R.Civ.P 60(b) states the following:

On motion and upon such terms as are just, the court may relieve a party ... from final judgment, order, or proceeding for the following reasons: (1) mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect; (2) newly discovered evidence which by due diligence could not have been discovered in time to move from a new trial under Rule 59(b); (3) fraud (whether heretofore denominated intrinsic or extrinsic), misrepresentation, or other misconduct of an adverse party; (4) the judgment is void; (5) the judgment has been satisfied, released, [6]*6or discharged, or a prior judgment upon which it is based has been reversed or otherwise vacated, or it is no longer equitable that the judgment should have prospective application; or (6) any other reason justifying relief from the operation of the judgment. The motion shall be made within a reasonable time, and for reasons (1), (2), and (3) not more than one year after the judgment, order, or proceeding was entered or taken. A motion under this subdivision (b) does not affect the finality of a judgment or suspend its operation.

Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b).

Martins asserts that the Final Judgment entered in this action by this court should be vacated for three identifiable reasons: (1) Goodwill submitted fraudulent affidavits misrepresenting the events leading to plaintiffs termination; (2) Martins inadvertently made the mistake of not asserting a claim under M.G.L. ch. 151b; (3) Martins submits new evidence that by due diligence could not have been discovered before the entry of Final Judgment. In essence, Martins’ motion alleges fraud (Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(3)), mistake (Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(1)) and newly discovered evidence (Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(2)). But, I conclude, that even if Martins’ “substantive claims had merit, they would not be entitled to relief under Rule 60 since he failed to file his motion within the time limit set forth in the Rule.” Gonzalez v. Walgreens Co., 918 F.2d 303, 305 (1st Cir. 1990).

Having filed his motion for “equitable relief from summary judgment” more than eighteen months after this court entered a Final Judgment for the defendant, Martins’ motion is time-barred by the one year limitation of Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b). Rule 60(b) states clearly that “the motion shall be made within a reasonable time, and for reasons (1), (2), and (3) not more than one year after the judgmenet ... was entered.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b). Belatedness “is an absolute bar to relief from judgment.” United States v. Mar rin, 720 F.2d 229, 231 (1st Cir.1983) (per curiam).

Even construing plaintiffs motion liberally, see Wightman v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms,

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Bluebook (online)
178 F.R.D. 4, 41 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 364, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22618, 1997 WL 828780, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/martins-v-charles-hayden-goodwill-inn-school-mad-1997.