Schaurer v. Coombe

108 F.R.D. 180, 4 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 204, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13817
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedNovember 18, 1985
DocketNo. CIV-80-977T
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 108 F.R.D. 180 (Schaurer v. Coombe) 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
Schaurer v. Coombe, 108 F.R.D. 180, 4 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 204, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13817 (W.D.N.Y. 1985).

Opinion

DECISION and ORDER

TELESCA, District Judge.

BACKGROUND

Petitioner, Marvin Howard Schaurer, commenced this proceeding by filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 on October 16, 1980. In my decision and order dated and filed October 25, 1985,1 accepted the recommendation of Magistrate David Larimer that the petition be dismissed. Final judgment was entered by the Court on October 28, 1985.

On November 12, 1985, Schaurer filed with this Court his notice of appeal from the final judgment and order, well within the 30 days allowed under Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(1). In accordance with Fed.R.App.P. 3(d), the Clerk of this Court promptly forwarded a copy of the notice of appeal and of the docket entries to the Clerk of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

On the following day, November 13, 1985, petitioner filed with this Court a notice of “motion for reargument and/or for a certificate of probable cause”, which was accompanied by a substantial legal memorandum urging this Court to reconsider the dismissal of Schaurer’s petition. The issue presented by this case therefore concerns the jurisdictional consequences of a motion for reargument filed by a habeas corpus petitioner after the filing of his notice of appeal.

DISCUSSION

I.

“In general, filing of a notice of appeal confers jurisdiction on the court of appeals and divests the district court of control over those aspects of the case involved in the appeal.” Marrese v. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, — U.S. -, 105 S.Ct. 1327, 1331, 84 L.Ed.2d 274, rehearing denied, — U.S.-, 105 S.Ct. 2127, 85 L.Ed.2d 491 (1985). An important exception to this rule was expressly codified in the 1979 amendments to Fed.R.App. Pro. 4(a)(4) which gave District Courts “express authority to entertain a timely motion to alter or amend the judgment under [Fed. R.Civ.P.] 59, even after a notice of appeal had been filed”. Griggs v. Provident Con[182]*182sumer Discount Company, 459 U.S. 56, 59, 103 S.Ct. 400, 402, 74 L.Ed.2d 225 (1982). The new Rule 4 states that, if a timely motion is filed by any party under Rule 59 to alter or amend the judgment, a notice of appeal filed before the disposition of the motion “shall have no effect”. In the words of the Supreme Court, the notice of appeal becomes “a nullity”, and “it is as if no notice of appeal were filed at all”. Griggs, supra, 459 U.S. at 61, 103 S.Ct. at 403.

“It is undisputed that Fed.Rule App. Proc. 4(a) is applicable to habeas corpus proceedings[,]” Browder v. Director, Department of Corrections of Illinois, 434 U.S. 257, 265 n. 9, 98 S.Ct. 556, 561 n. 9, 54 L.Ed.2d 521 rehearing denied, 434 U.S. 1089, 98 S.Ct. 1286, 55 L.Ed.2d 795 (1978), as are the provisions of Fed.R.Civ.P. 59 on motions for reconsideration, Id., at 271, 98 S.Ct. at 564. There is also no question that Rule 4 is applicable in cases, such as this one, where the notice of appeal was filed prior to a timely post-trial motion under Rule 59. Notes of Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules, 28 U.S.C.A. following Rule 4. The United States Supreme Court has quoted with approval the description of Professor James Moore of the post-1979 effect of a Rule 59 motion on a previously filed notice of appeal: “The appeal simply self-destructs.” Griggs, supra, 459 U.S. at 61,103 S.Ct. at 403, citing 9 Moore’s Federal Practice¶ 204.12[1] at 4-65 n. 17 (2d Edition 1982).

Since the purpose of Appellate Rule 4 is “to prevent unnecessary appellate review” of a question which can be settled by the District Court on a timely motion to amend the judgment, Griggs, 459 U.S. at 59, 103 S.Ct. at 403, the rule applies to a motion filed “by any party”, Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(4), and is therefore applicable even in cases, such as this one, where the Rule 59 motion to amend the judgment is filed by the same party who had previously filed a notice of appeal. Bordallo v. Reyes, 763 F.2d 1098, 1101 (9th Cir.1985); Venen v. Sweet, 758 F.2d 117, 122 at n. 6 (3rd Cir. 1985).

The jurisdictional question in this case, therefore, turns on whether Schaurer’s motion for “reargument” should be construed as a motion brought under Rule 59(e) to alter or amend the judgment, and whether the motion was timely filed under that Rule.

It is clear that Schaurer’s motion for reargument must be construed as a Rule 59(e) motion to alter or amend the judgment in this case. Although Schaurer does not label his motion for reargument as one brought under Rule 59, nor any other specific provision of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the relief he requests is a reversal of the judgment entered in this action. (Petitioner’s affirmation at 17.) “Any motion that draws into question the correctness of the judgment is functionally a motion under Civil Rule 59(e), whatever its label.” 9 Moore’s Federal Practice ¶ 204.12[1], at 4-67 (1985). Accord, Fischer v. United States Department of Justice, 759 F.2d 461, 464 (5th Cir.1985); Lyell Theatre Corp. v. Loews Corp., 682 F.2d 37, 41 (2d Cir.1982). Accordingly, it is well settled that a motion labeled only as a motion to reconsider or to “reargue” will be treated as a Rule 59 motion to alter or amend the judgment, and will nullify any notice of appeal filed before disposition of the motion. 9 Moore’s Federal Practice ¶ 204.12[1], at 4-67 (1985); Venen v. Sweet, supra, 758 F.2d at 122; Griggs, supra, 459 U.S. at 68,103 S.Ct. at 407 (Marshall, J., dissenting opinion). See also, Browder v. Director, Department of Corrections of Illinois, 434 U.S. 257, 98 S.Ct. 556, 54 L.Ed.2d 521 (1978), rehearing denied, 434 U.S. 1089, 98 S.Ct. 1286, 55 L.Ed.2d 795 (1978).

Nor can there be any doubt that Schaurer’s motion for reargument was timely under Rule 59, which requires him to serve the motion not later than ten (10) days after entry of the judgment. Final judgment dismissing Schaurer’s petition was entered October 28, 1985. Thus, excluding weekends and Veterans Day, Fed. R.Civ.P. 6(a), Schaurer was required to serve his Rule 59 motion not later than November 12, 1985. Schaurer did so by [183]

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108 F.R.D. 180, 4 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 204, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13817, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schaurer-v-coombe-nywd-1985.