FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT Febr uar y 28, 2006 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

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________________________ D . C . D o ck etN o . 0 4 -8 0 7 8 2 -C V -W JZ S T E P H E N N . M A R T Y A K , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s J U D I T H A . M A R T Y A K , S A N D R A M C S O R L E Y , H o n o r ab le , F if te e n th J u d ic ia l C ir c u it C ou rtof F l ori da, i n h er o f f ic ia l c ap a c ity , FI FT EE NTH J UD I CI AL CI RC UI T C O U R T O F F L O R ID A , T he H on orabl e E dw a r d F i ne , C hi e f

J udge , i n h is O f f ic ia l C ap a c ity , J A M E S Z I N G A L E , C h a irm a n , E xecut i ve D i re ct or F l ori da D ep artm en to f R ev en u e i n h i s O f f ic ia l c ap a c ity , F L O R I D A D E P A R T M E N T O F R E V E N U E , D e f e n d a n ts - A p p e lle e s .2 ________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( F e b r u ar y 28, 2006) B efo re B L A C K , B A R K E T T an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: S t e phe n N . M a rty a k appe a l s a n or de ra w a r di ng a tt orne y ’ s f e e s t o hi s e xw if e , J u d ith A . M a rty a k , f

o rM r . M a rty a k ’s im p r o p e rr e m o v a l o f as ta te c a s e to f e d e r a l c o u rt . Se e 2 8 U . S. C. § 1 4 4 7 ( c ) . W e a f f i rm. I n 1 9 9 1 , J u d ith A . M a rty a kin itia te d d is s o lu tio n o f m a rr ia g e p r o c e e d in g s in F l o ri d a st at e co u rtag ai n stM r. M artyak , an d al i m o n y w as aw ard ed i n fav o r o f M s. M a rty a k. M r . M a rty a k br oughts e ve r a l appe a l s i n F l or i dac ourt s c ha l l e ngi ng the j udgm e nt , butthe a w a r d of a l i m ony w a s a f

f i rm e d i n e a c h appe a l . I n A ugus t2005, M r. M artya k fi l ed a not i ce of re m ov al i n federa l di stri ctcourtand sou gh tre vers al o f th e a l i mo n y a w a r d o n th e g r o u n d th a ti tv i o l a t e d s e v e r a l p r o v i s i o n s o f th e U . S. C ons t i tut i on. T he di s tr i c tc ourtc onc l ude d tha tM r . M a rty a k’ s c l a i m s s ought fe dera l re vi ew of a f

i nal st at e c ou rtj ud gm entand i tl ac ked subj ec tm att er j u r i s d i c t i o n t o r e v i e w th e c l a i ms u n d e rth e Ro o k e r - Fe l d ma n d o c tr i n e . Se e D . C. C ou rtof A pp ea l s v. F el dm an, 46 0 U . S . 46 2, 47 6, 10 3 S . C t . 13 03 , 13 11 (198 3);3

R ooke rv. F i de l i ty T rus tC o. , 263 U . S . 413, 416, 44 S . C t . 149, 150 ( 1923) . T he di s tr i c tc ourtr e m a nde d the c a s e t o s t a t e c ourta nd, be c aus e M r . M a rty a k s ought re m ov al i n v i ol at i on of w el l -s ett l ed l aw , ordered M r. M artya k t o p ayM s. M artya k $ 8 8 5 0 i n att o rn ey’ s fees. W e r evi ew an order aw ar di ng att orney’ s f ee s f or abuse of di sc re t i on . F ow l er v. S af ec o Ins. C o. of A m . , 91 5 F . 2d 61 6, 61 7 (11 th C i r. 19 90 ). S ec t i on 14 47 (c ) pr ovi de s , “ A n or de rr e m a ndi ng the c a s e m a y r e qui r e pa y m e ntof j us tc os t s a nd a ny a c tua l e xpe ns e s , i nc l udi ng a tt orne y f e e s , i nc urr e d a s ar e s ul tof the r e m ova l . ” 28 U . S . C . 1447( c ) . “ C e ntr a l t o the de t e rm i na t i on of w he the ra tt orne y s ’ f

e e s s houl d be g ran t ed i s th e p ro p ri ety o f th e d efen d an t ’ s d eci si o n t o rem o v e. ” G arci a v . A m fel s, Inc. , 25 4 F . 3d 58 5, 58 7 (5th C i r. 20 01 ). M r. M artya k’ s r em ov al of the ca se w as cl earl y i m prop er . “ [A ] U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rthas no autho ri ty t o revi ew fi nal j ud gm ent s of ast at e c ou rti n j ud i ci al pr oc e e di ngs . ” P ow e l l v. P ow e l l , 80 F . 3d 464, 466 ( 11th C i r . 1996) ( quot i ng F e ld m a n , 4 6 0 U .S . a t 4 8 2 , 1 0 3 S . C t. a t 1 3 1 5 ) . T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt d id n o t ab u s e its di s c r e t i on. A FFI R M ED .