USA v. DeAngeli et al
Filing
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ORDER denying 35 Motion to Extend Court's Jurisdiction Over Consent Decree for Six Months. Signed by Judge Robert C. Jones on 3/10/16. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - JC)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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UNITED STATES OF AMERCA,
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Plaintiff,
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3:11-cv-00796-RCJ-WGC
vs.
ORDER
PETER JAN DEANGELI AND DEANGELI
FAMILY TRUST,
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Defendants.
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This case arises from alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act. Pending before the
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Court is the Government’s Motion to Extend Court’s Jurisdiction Over Consent Decree for Six
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Months (ECF No. 35). For the reasons given herein, the Court denies the motion.
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I.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On October 16, 2013, the Court issued a consent decree resolving the claims in the case.
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(Consent Decree, ECF No. 30). With the decree, Defendants agreed to abide by the Fair Housing
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Act and to comply with specific requirements to achieve compliance. The decree also gave the
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Court subject-matter jurisdiction over the action for a period of two years, effective October 16,
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2013. (Id. ¶¶ 21–22). As a result, the Court’s jurisdiction terminated on October 16, 2015. The
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Government moves the Court to extend its jurisdiction over the action for six months—until
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April 16, 2016.
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II.
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LEGAL STANDARDS
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b)(5) permits a party to obtain relief from a judgment
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or order if “applying it prospectively is no longer equitable.” “[T]he Rule provides a means by
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which a party can ask a court to modify or vacate a judgment or order if ‘a significant change
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either in factual conditions or in law’ renders continued enforcement ‘detrimental to the public
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interest.’” Horne v. Flores, 557 U.S. 433, 447 (2009) (quoting Rufo v. Inmates of Suffolk County
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Jail, 502 U.S. 367, 384 (1992)). “The party seeking relief bears the burden of establishing that
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changed circumstances warrant relief, but once a party carries this burden, a court abuses its
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discretion ‘when it refuses to modify an injunction or consent decree in light of such changes.’”
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Id. (quoting Agostini v. Felton, 521 U.S. 203, 215 (1997)) (internal citations omitted); see also
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United States v. Asarco Inc., 430 F.3d 972, 979 (9th Cir. 2005). Rule 60(b)(6) also permits relief
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from a judgment or order for “any other reason that justifies relief.”
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III.
ANALYSIS
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The Government moves the Court to modify the consent decree by extending its
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jurisdiction for an additional six months. The Government’s only argument is that it “has not yet
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received confirmation from Defendants that they have complied with . . . the Consent Decree”
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and that additional time is necessary “for Defendants to show that they have complied with the
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Consent Decree’s terms.” (Mot., 2). Defendants have not filed a response to the motion.
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The Government has provided no evidence of a significant change in the factual
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conditions or the law requiring a modification of the consent decree. In addition, the Court finds
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no other reason to modify the decree. The case involves only two defendants and one apartment
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building. The obligations imposed on the parties were not onerous and did not require extensive
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time to complete. The Court denies the motion.
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CONCLUSION
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Government’s Motion to Extend Court’s Jurisdiction
Over Consent Decree for Six Months (ECF No. 35) is DENIED.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
DATED: 8th 10th day of March, 2016.
Dated thisThis day of February, 2016.
_____________________________________
ROBERT C. JONES
United States District Judge
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