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Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 

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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 15-20354

Summary Calendar

BRUCE A. ROGERS,

Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

SHAWNA TALBOT BOATRIGHT, Supervisor, Texas Department of Criminal 

Justice-Correctional Institution Division; JOSE L. GARCIA, JR., 

Transportation Driver, Security; HERBERT J. GARCIA, Transportation 

Driver, Security; JOEL GARCIA,

Defendants-Appellees

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. 4:10-CV-1058

Before REAVLEY, OWEN, and ELROD, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Bruce A. Rogers, Texas prisoner # 566928, has appealed the district 

court’s order denying his motion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b)(6)

to reopen this civil rights lawsuit, which was voluntarily dismissed on Rogers’s 

motion. Rogers contends that he has shown that he was prevented from 

 

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

October 19, 2016

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 Case: 15-20354 Document: 00513725179 Page: 1 Date Filed: 10/19/2016
No. 15-20354

2

pursuing his civil rights claims by circumstances related to an illness and that 

the defendants have not shown that they will be prejudiced if his lawsuit is 

reopened. He argues that he should be permitted to proceed with his civil 

rights claims in the interests of justice. 

Under Rule 60(b)(6), a court may relieve a party from a final judgment 

for “any other reason that justifies relief.” FED. R. CIV. P. 60(b)(6). Such a 

motion must be made “‘within a reasonable time,’ unless good cause can be 

shown for delay.” In re Osborne, 379 F.3d 277, 283 (5th Cir. 2004) (quoting 

FED. R. CIV. P. 60(c)(1)). A Rule 60(b)(6) motion will be granted only in 

extraordinary circumstances. Yesh Music v. Lakewood Church, 727 F.3d 356, 

363 (5th Cir. 2013). “Accordingly, Rule 60(b)(6) requires a showing of manifest 

injustice and will not be used to relieve a party from the free, calculated, and 

deliberate choices he has made.” Id. (internal quotation marks and citation 

omitted). “Rule 60(b)(6) should not be used to undo the damage done by a poor 

strategic decision.” Id. 

At most, Rogers’s illness provides good cause excusing his 14-month 

delay in moving for relief under Rule 60(b)(6). Rogers has not shown that the 

district court’s denial of his Rule 60(b)(6) motion will result in a manifest 

injustice. See id. Extraordinary circumstances requiring relief under Rule 

60(b)(6) are not present and have not been shown. See id. The district court’s 

order is

AFFIRMED.

 Case: 15-20354 Document: 00513725179 Page: 2 Date Filed: 10/19/2016