Nosewicz v. Janosco

CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedJuly 17, 2020
Docket1:16-cv-00447
StatusUnknown

This text of Nosewicz v. Janosco (Nosewicz v. Janosco) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nosewicz v. Janosco, (D. Colo. 2020).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO Chief Judge Philip A. Brimmer Civil Action No. 16-cv-00447-PAB-KLM EDWARD JOHN NOSEWICZ, Plaintiff, v. JEFFREY JANOSKO, Defendant. _____________________________________________________________________ ORDER _____________________________________________________________________ This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff’s Motion for a New Trial Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 59(a)(1)(A) [Docket No. 159], Plaintiff’s Amended Motion for a New Trial Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 59(a)(1)(A) [Docket No. 160], and Defendant’s Rule 11 Motion [Docket No. 166]. The Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331. I. BACKGROUND This case arises out of an altercation between plaintiff Edward Nosewicz and defendant Jeffrey Janosko in the Adams County Detention Facility on the morning of December 6, 2014. Docket No. 74 at 3.1 Nosewicz had been arrested the night before

and was held in the intake pod; Janosko was a deputy sheriff assigned to the detention facility. Id. at 1-2. That morning, because of Nosewicz’s irate behavior, Janosko

1 Facts in this paragraph are drawn from the undisputed facts in the Court’s order on summary judgment. Docket No. 74. Further background can be found in the Tenth Circuit’s order on Nosewicz’s appeal. See Nosewicz v. Janosko, 754 F. App’x 725 (10th Cir. 2018) (unpublished). entered Nosewicz’s cell to move him to a different location. Id. at 3. A physical altercation ensued, in which Janosko forced Nosewicz to the cell floor. Id. Nosewicz suffered injuries as a result. Id. Nosewicz filed this suit on February 24, 2016, bringing claims against Janosko

for excessive force and deliberate indifference to medical needs pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Docket No. 1. In the course of discovery, Janosko produced his incident report from the altercation with Nosewicz. Docket No. 39-10. The incident report says nothing about Nosewicz either (1) balling up his fists or (2) taking a step towards him before Janosko forced Nosewicz to the cell floor. Id. at 1. Instead, the incident report states that Nosewicz “began to pull his arm away” and “attempted to turn and face [Janosko]” before Janosko forced Nosewicz to the cell floor. Id. Later, Nosewicz

deposed Robert Hannah, who was the sergeant on duty at the detention facility on the morning of December 6, 2014. Docket No. 161-1 (excerpts). In his deposition, Hannah testified that Janosko told him that Nosewicz “started geting agitated, raised [his] voice, started yelling, balled his fists up[,] and just took a step toward” Janosko. Id. at 5. Nosewicz also deposed Janosko, who testified consistently with the incident report and said nothing about Nosewicz balling up his fists. Docket No. 161-2 at 6. Nosewicz’s expert witness, Dan Montgomery, produced a report highlighting the “disconnect” between Hannah’s and Janosko’s testimony. Docket No. 112-1 at 13, ¶ 7.

The Court granted summary judgment to Janosko on both claims on the basis of qualified immunity. Docket No. 74. The Tenth Circuit reversed as to the excessive force claim, concluding that there was a disputed fact as to whether Nosewicz “actively 2 resist[ed]” Janosko’s use of force. See Nosewicz v. Janosko, 754 F. App’x 725, 734-35 (10th Cir. 2018) (unpublished). The case proceeded to trial on October 7, 2019. Janosko testified on the second and third day of trial. See Docket No. 160-1. On the second day, Janosko

testified that Nosewicz was angry, aggressive, and demanding throughout their interaction. Docket No. 160-1 at 5-6. Janosko further testified that he ordered Nosewicz to exit his cell, a command which Nosewicz refused. Id. at 13-14. Janosko stated that, as he was attempting to move Nosewicz out of his cell, Nosewicz began to pull his arm away and turned towards him. Id. at 15. As a result, Janosko decided to use an arm-bar takedown to bring Nosewicz to the ground. Id. at 41-42. Janosko testified that his recollection was that Nosewicz did not “ball up his fists” and take a

step towards him before Janosko took Nosewicz to the ground. Id. at 21. Janosko also testified that he did not tell Hannah that Nosewicz had “balled up his fists” and taken a step towards Janosko. Id. at 20. Later that day, Hannah testified that Janosko told him that, leading up to the altercation, Nosewicz became agitated, raised his voice, started yelling and screaming, balled his fists up, and took a step towards Janosko. Docket No. 160-2 at 4-5. The next day, Nosewicz’s counsel cross-examined Janosko about the discrepancy between his testimony and Hannah’s. Docket No. 161-3 at 4. The jury unanimously found in favor of Janosko on the excessive force claim. Docket

No. 155. On November 7, 2019, Nosewicz moved for a new trial. Docket No. 159. Eleven days later, he amended his motion. Docket No. 160. On December 13, 2019, Janosko 3 moved for sanctions pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 11. Docket No. 166. Nosewicz did not file a response to the motion for sanctions. II. MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL

Before reaching the merits of Nosewicz’s motions for a new trial, the Court must determine whether the initial motion or the amended motion is the operative motion. Rule 59(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that a motion for a new trial “must be filed no later than 28 days after the entry of judgment.” Judgment entered on October 10, 2019. Docket No. 157. Nosewicz’s motion for a new trial, filed on November 7, 2019, was timely – but his amended motion, filed on November 18, 2019, was not. Docket Nos. 159, 160. Janosko argues that, as a result, the amended motion should be struck. Docket No. 161 at 1-2. Nosewicz, for his part, contends that Fed. R.

Civ. P. 15 allows him to amend his motion for a new trial as a matter of course and that the amended pleading “relates back” to date of the original motion. Docket No. 162 at 1-2. The Court disagrees. Rule 15 refers to the amendment of “pleadings,” and a motion for a new trial is not a pleading. Compare Fed. R. Civ. P. 7(a) (listing the seven types of “pleadings” that are allowed) with 7(b) (“A request for a court order must be made by motion.” (emphasis added)); see, e.g., Trujillo v. Bd. of Educ. of Albuquerque Pub. Sch., 230 F.R.D. 657, 660 (D.N.M. 2005) (“Motions . . . are not pleadings.”); 6

Arthur R. Miller et al., Fed. Prac. & Proc. § 1475 (3d ed. Apr. 2020 update) (same). Nosewicz offers no authority that convinces the Court otherwise.2 2 The Court is not persuaded that, as Nosewicz argues, the Tenth Circuit collapsed any distinction between motions and pleadings through an isolated reference to an appellant who was “responsible for numerous ancillary motions and other 4 However, it is within the Court’s discretion to grant a motion to amend a motion, and “there is no reason to deny the amendment when the [Court] believes it would be in the interests of justice to permit it.” 5 Fed. Prac. & Proc. § 1194. Here, the amended motion was filed before Janosko filed a response and there is no indication that he is

prejudiced by the filing of the amended motion. While Fed. R. Civ. P. 6

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Nosewicz v. Janosco, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nosewicz-v-janosco-cod-2020.