Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-1_15-cv-05465/USCOURTS-cand-1_15-cv-05465-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Prison Health Care
Defendant
Joel Taylor
Plaintiff

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

EUREKA DIVISION

JOEL TAYLOR,

Plaintiff,

v.

PRISON HEALTH CARE,

Defendant.

Case No. 15-cv-05465-NJV

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR 

EXTENSION OF TIME

(Doc. 23.)

Plaintiff filed the complaint in this action on December 11, 2015. (Doc. 6.) On February 

29, 2016, the court entered an order dismissing the complaint with leave to amend. (Doc. 16.) 

The court granted Plaintiff twenty-eight days to file an amended complaint. Id. Plaintiff failed to 

file an amended complaint. Thus, on May 27, 2016, the court entered an order dismissing the 

case. (Doc. 17.) The court entered judgment on May 27, 2016. (Doc. 18.)

Pursuant to Rule 4(a)(1) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, Plaintiff had thirty 

days following the entry of judgment to file a notice of appeal with the district court. Thirty days

after May 27, 2016, was June 26, 2016. Plaintiff, however, did not file his notice of appeal until 

July 8, 2016. The notice of appeal is signed by Plaintiff and dated July 5, 2016. The postage 

meter stamp on the envelope used to mail Plaintiff's notice of appeal is also dated July 5, 2016. In 

light of the well-established vagaries of mailing procedures within penal institutions as recognized 

by the "mail box rule," the court will consider Plaintiff's notice of appeal to be filed July 5, 2016. 

On July 27, 2016, Plaintiff filed a motion in the Ninth Circuit for an extension of time to 

file his notice of appeal. (Ninth Circuit Case no. 16-16213, Docket no. 3.) The Ninth Circuit has 

referred the motion for an extension of time to this court. (Doc. 23.) Pursuant to Rule 4(a)(5), 

Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, 

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

(A) The district court may extend the time to file a notice of appeal if:

(i) a party so moves no later than 30 days after the time prescribed by this Rule 4(a) 

expires; and

(ii) regardless of whether its motion is filed before or during the 30 days after the time 

prescribed by this Rule 4(a) expires, that party shows excusable neglect or good cause.

In this case, the time for Plaintiff to file a notice of appeal expired on June 27, 2016. Plaintiff filed 

his motion for an extension of time thirty days later on July 27, 2016. Thus, the motion was 

timely as to Rule 4(a)(5)(A)(i). Plaintiff, however, provides no explanation for the tardiness of his 

notice of appeal in his motion for an extension of time.

1

 Absent any explanation, this court must 

find that Plaintiff has shown neither excusable neglect nor good cause for the tardy filing of his 

notice of appeal. "Federal Courts are without authority to fashion equitable exceptions to FRAP 

4's time limits, even where the outcome is indisputably unfair." Wagan v. Alameida, 506 

Fed.Appx. 532, 532 (9th Cir. 2009), citing Bowes v. Russell, 551 U.S. 205, 127 S.Ct. 2360, 2366 

(2007) (holding that the time limits specified in FRAP 4 are mandatory and jurisdictional).

Accordingly, Plaintiff's motion for an extension of time to file his notice of appeal is 

HEREBY DENIED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 9, 2016

______________________________________

NANDOR J. VADAS

United States Magistrate Judge

 

1

The court notes that in his motion, Plaintiff incorrectly describes this action as a petition filed 

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 2241. This is a civil rights action filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 

Section 1983.

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