Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-02006/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-02006-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 422
Nature of Suit: Bankruptcy Appeals Rule 28 USC 158
Cause of Action: 28:1334 Bankruptcy cases and proceedings under title 11

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOSEPH JOHN VIOLA,

Appellant,

v.

MORTON D. KIRSCH, et al.,

Appellees.

Case No. 16-cv-02006-EMC 

ORDER DENYING APPELLANT’S 

MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM 

JUDGMENT

Docket No. 28

Previously, the Court granted Appellant Joseph John Viola’s application to proceed in 

forma pauperis but dismissed his appeal as frivolous pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). A final 

judgment was entered on July 27, 2016. See Docket Nos. 23-24 (order and judgment). Mr. Viola 

has now filed a motion for relief from judgment pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 

60(b)(1), (4), and (6). The Court has reviewed Mr. Viola’s motion and finds it without merit. 

First, the Court disagrees with Mr. Viola’s assertion that the bankruptcy court lacked 

subject jurisdiction. As the Court stated in its prior order, 11 U.S.C. § 303 does not impose 

subject matter jurisdictional requirements. See Docket No. 23 (Order at 4). Mr. Viola claims that 

there is a circuit split as to whether § 303 is subject matter jurisdictional, but there is no such split. 

In In re Zarnel, 619 F.3d 156 (2d Cir. 2010), the Second Circuit concluded that its earlier opinion 

In re BDC 56 LLC, 330 F.3d 111 (2d Cir. 2003), was no longer good law in light of then-recent 

Supreme Court precedent and expressed agreement with the Eleventh Circuit in In re Trusted Net 

Media Holdings, LLC, 550 F.3d 1035 (11th Cir. 2008), that § 303 is not jurisdictional. In Trusted 

Net Media, the Eleventh Circuit specifically addressed why Canute Steamship Co. v. Pittsburgh & 

West Virginia Coal Co., 263 U.S. 244 (1923), did not establish that § 303 is jurisdictional. 

Second, Mr. Viola’s contention that this Court’s § 1915(e)(2) review was too rigorous 

Case 3:16-cv-02006-EMC Document 29 Filed 08/18/16 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

lacks any basis.

Third, Mr. Viola’s arguments about his counterclaim in the adversary proceeding are not 

relevant to this appeal which concerns the related bankruptcy proceeding only.

Accordingly, Mr. Viola’s motion for relief is hereby DENIED.

This order disposes of Docket No. 28.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 18, 2016

______________________________________

EDWARD M. CHEN

United States District Judge

Case 3:16-cv-02006-EMC Document 29 Filed 08/18/16 Page 2 of 2