Jeffrey Coleman v. John Jabe
Filing
UNPUBLISHED PER CURIAM OPINION filed. Originating case number: 7:11-cv-00518-SGW-PMS Copies to all parties and the district court/agency. [999752831]. Mailed to: Jeffrey Coleman. [15-6975]
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 15-6975
JEFFREY COLEMAN,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
v.
JOHN JABE; ROBERT BIVENS; HAROLD CLARKE; LOU CEI; VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; UNKNOWN MEMBERS OF THE FAITH
REVIEW COMMITTEE,
Defendants – Appellees,
and
T. JONES; STANLEY YOUNG; K. S. RICHARDSON; CATHERINE TURNER;
DAVE HAMMOND; GENE JOHNSON; ROY WALZ; RON HALL; G. ROBINSON;
JOHN GARMAN; S. MEEKS; MAJOR BATTON; D. J. HASTY-MARTIN;
RANDY
MYERS;
TED
DURR;
JONES
EXPRESS
MUSIC;
KEEFE
COMMISSARY,
Defendants.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western
District of Virginia, at Roanoke. Michael F. Urbanski, District
Judge. (7:11-cv-00518-SGW-PMS)
Submitted:
January 21, 2016
Decided:
February 10, 2016
Before WILKINSON, KING, and KEENAN, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
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Jeffrey Coleman, Appellant Pro Se.
Richard Carson Vorhis,
Senior Assistant Attorney General, Laura Haeberle Cahill, OFFICE
OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF VIRGINIA, Richmond, Virginia, for
Appellees.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
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PER CURIAM:
Jeffrey Coleman appeals the district court’s order denying
his Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(6) motion.
We review the district
court’s order for abuse of discretion.
CNF Constructors, Inc.
v. Donohoe Constr. Co., 57 F.3d 395, 401 (4th Cir. 1995) (per
curiam).
An appeal from the denial of a Rule 60(b) motion does
not bring up the merits of the underlying judgment, but only
permits review of the motion in light of the requirements for
Rule 60(b) relief.
MLC Auto., LLC v. Town of S. Pines, 532 F.3d
269, 277 (4th Cir. 2008).
To
receive
threshold
Rule
showing
60(b)
of
relief,
timeliness,
the
“a
movant
must
meritorious
make
claim
a
or
defense,” and lack of unfair prejudice to the opposing party, in
addition to one of the grounds for relief enumerated under Rule
60(b).
Aikens v. Ingram, 652 F.3d 496, 501 (4th Cir. 2011).
Rule 60(b)(6) permits relief only when the movant demonstrates
“extraordinary circumstances.”
Our
review
circumstances.
postjudgment
provide
of
the
record
Although
change
sufficiently
in
Id. at 500.
reveals
Coleman
decisional
extraordinary
relief under Rule 60(b)(6).
no
bases
law,
such
his
such
extraordinary
motion
changes
circumstances
to
on
a
rarely
justify
See Gonzalez v. Crosby, 545 U.S.
524, 536-37 (2005); Stokes v. Williams, 475 F.3d 732, 735-36
(6th
Cir.
2007);
United
States
3
ex
rel.
Garibaldi
v.
Orleans
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Parish Sch. Bd., 397 F.3d 334, 337-38 (5th Cir. 2005); Dowell v.
State Farm Fire & Cas. Auto. Ins. Co., 993 F.2d 46, 48 (4th Cir.
1993).
509
Although Coleman cites Harper v. Va. Dep’t of Taxation,
U.S.
86,
97
(1993),
and
related
cases,
that
line
of
authority does not compel a different result in the procedural
posture presented here.
Moreover, “[a] Rule 60(b) motion may not substitute for a
timely appeal.”
In re Burnley, 988 F.2d 1, 3 (4th Cir. 1992).
Coleman’s deliberate choice not to prosecute his appeal of the
court’s underlying judgment by refusing to pay the applicable
filing
fee
deprived
him
of
the
opportunity
to
challenge
the
district court’s determination and, in turn, to raise the change
in decisional law on appeal before his judgment became final.
See Gonzalez, 545 U.S. at 537; Dowell, 993 F.2d at 48.
Coleman
may not use Rule 60(b) to avoid the consequences of such a
strategic choice, even if hindsight later reveals it to be illadvised.
Accordingly,
dispense
with
contentions
are
we
oral
affirm
the
argument
adequately
district
because
presented
in
court’s
the
the
facts
order.
We
and
legal
materials
before
this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED
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