Case Title: Higgins v. Federal National Mortgage Association

Citation: 

Docket Number: SJC-12456

State: massachusetts

Court: Massachusetts Supreme Court

Date: 2018-05-25T00:00:00Z

Document:
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SJC-12456 
 
JOHN T. HIGGINS, JR.  vs.  FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE 
ASSOCIATION. 
 
 
May 25, 2018. 
 
 
Supreme Judicial Court, Superintendence of inferior courts.  
Practice, Civil, Failure to prosecute. 
 
 
 
The Federal National Mortgage Association (association) has 
moved to dismiss the appeal by John T. Higgins, Jr., from a 
judgment of the county court.  In January, 2018, after the 
appeal was entered in this court, Higgins moved for leave to 
file a nonconforming brief.  In response, we gave Higgins until 
March 2, 2018, to do so.  Some six weeks after that date, 
Higgins had not filed any brief, and the association filed its 
motion.  See Mass. R. A. P. 19 (c), 365 Mass. 867 (1974).  
Higgins has not filed any response to the motion to dismiss 
within the time allotted by Mass. R. A. P. 15 (a), 365 Mass. 859 
(1974), nor has he filed a brief.  The motion to dismiss is 
allowed.  Although Higgins is appearing pro se, we hold him to 
the same standards in this regard as litigants represented by 
counsel.  See, e.g., Rasheed v. Commonwealth, 440 Mass. 1027, 
1027 (2003); Solimine v. Davidian, 422 Mass. 1002, 1002 (1996). 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appeal dismissed. 
 
 
 
John T. Higgins, Jr., pro se. 
 
Effie L. Gikas for Federal National Mortgage Association.