FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT SEPTEMBER 12, 2005 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ 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

________________________ N o. 05- 10656 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 1 - 0 1 4 1 6 - CV - T- 1 7 - TBM S O P H I A J . G I B B O N S , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s R E G I N A T W I G G , L O R E T T A S C H W A R T Z - N O B E L , R A N D O M P U B L I S H I N G O F C A N A D A , R A N D O M P U B L I S H I N G O F N E W Y O R K , V I L L A R D B O O K S , C O L U M B I A P I C T U R E S , T R I - S T A R V I D E O , e t a l., D e f e n d a n ts - A p p e lle e s .

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( S e p t e m b e r 12, 2005)2

B efo re T JO F L A T , H U L L an d W IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: S ophi a J . G i bbons br i ngs thi s c a s e t o us f orthe thi r d t i m e . I n G i bbons v. T w i gg, N o. 02- 11252 ( de c i de d S e pt e m be r30, 2002) ( 11th C i r . 2002) ( u n p u b l i s h e d ) ( G i b b b o n s I ) , w e a f f i rme d th e d i s tr i c tc o u r t ’ s d i s mi s s a l o f h e rc l a i ms br oughtunde r42 U . S . C . § 1983, a nd r e m a nde d the c a s e f ora de t e rm i na t i on of w h e th e rth e d is tr ic t c o u r t h a d d iv e r s ity ju r is d ic tio n o v e rh e rs ta te la w c la im s . O n rem and, G i bb on s m ov ed the courtt o rec use, as se rt i ng thati tshow ed bi as a nd pr e j udi c e t ow a r ds he ra s a r e s ul tof “ s e ve r a l hi ghl y que s t i onabl e a nd i nc ons i s t e ntrul i ngs ” e nt e r e d a ga i ns the rdur i ng the c our s e of the pr oc e e di ngs . T he courtdeni ed her m ot i on . O n Jun e 17, 20 03 , the courtdi sm i ss ed her s t at e l aw cl ai m s fo r l ack o f d i v ersi ty j u ri sd i ct i o n , fi n d i n g th atR eg i n a T w i g g , l i k e G i b b o n s, w a s a r e s i de ntof

F l or i da . T he c our tba s e d i t s de c i s i on on a f f i da vi t s f i l e d by T w i gg i n w h i ch sh e i n d i cat ed , am o n g o th er th i n g s, th atsh e h ad a F l o ri d a d ri v er’ s l i cen se unt i l 1999, w he n s he obt a i ne d a G e or gi al i c e ns e , buttha ts he r e ne w e d he rF l or i da l i c e ns e on June 4, 2002. G i bbons appe a l e d the c our t ’ s j udgm e nt , a nd w e a f f i rm e d. In G i bb on s v. T w i gg , N o. 03 -136 18 (dec i ded M ar ch 16 , 20 04 ) ( 11 th C i r. 2004) ( unpubl i s he d) ( G i bbons I I ) , w e a f f i rm e d the di s tr i c tc our t ’ s de c i s i on di s m i s s i ng appe l l a nt ’ s s t a t e l a w c l a i m s , buti ns truc t e d the c our tt o c orr e c tthe3

do cketshee tentryt o i nd i ca t e thatthe di sm i ss al w as w i tho utprej ud i ce . O n J a n u a ry 1 9 , 2 0 0 5 , G i b b o n s mo v e d th e d i s tr i c tc o u r tp u r s u a n tt o Fl a . R. C i v. P . 1. 540( b) t o s e ta s i de the or de rof di s m i s s a l ( tha tw a s be f or e us i n G i bbons I I ) . B e c a u s e th e F lo r id a R u le s o f C iv il P r o c e d u r e d o n o t ap p ly in f e d e r a l c iv il c a s e s a nd G i bbons w a s pr oc e e di ng pr o s e , the c our ttr e a t e d the m ot i on a s ha vi ng be e n f i l e d pur s ua ntt o F e d. R . C i v. P . 60( b) ( 2) a nd ( 3) . T hos e R ul e 60( b) prov i si on s autho ri ze the di stri ctcourtt o rel i eve aparty f rom the j ud gm entent er ed agai nsti ton grou nd s of new l y di sc ov er ed evi dence or fr aud and m ustbe i nv ok ed w i thi n one y e a ra f

t e rthe j udgm e nti s r e nde r e d. T he c our tde ni e d G i bbons ’ s m ot i on as u n ti m ely. G ib b o n s n o w ap p ea ls, ch allen g in g th at ru li n g an d th e c o u rt’s pr e vi ous de ni a l of

he rm ot i on t o r e c us e . W e r e vi e w both rul i ngs f orabus e of di s c r e t i on. B ec ause G i bb on s f

i l ed her m ot i on t o setas i de the order of di sm i ss al m ore th a n o n e y e a ra f

te rth e d is tr ic t c o u r t e n te r e d its ju d g m e n t, th e m o tio n w a s u n tim e ly a n d th e c o u r t d id n o t ab u s e its d is c r e tio n in d e n y in g it. A s f or the re cusa l i ss ue, i ti s obv i ou s thatG i bb on s c ou l d h ave r ai se d that i ss ue i n h erappeal i n G i bb on s I I, bu tshe di d n ot . T here fore , she has abando ned he rc l a i m tha tthe di s tr i c tc our ts houl d ha ve r e c us e d. S e e M a r t i n, 289 F . 2d a t416- 417 ( di s r e ga r di ng a r gum e ntm a de by appe l l a nton s e c ond appe a l w he n the4

a r gum e ntc oul d ha ve be e n a s s e r t e d i n the f i r s tappe a l ) ; s e e a l s o U ni t e d S t a t e s v. F i al l o-Ja com e, 87 4 F . 2d 14 79 , 14 82 (11th C i r. 19 89 ) ( ho l di ng thatcr i m i nal de f e nda ntw a i ve d hi s r i ghtt o r a i s e i s s ue s on hi s s e c ond appe a l tha tc oul d ha ve b e e n r a is e d d u r in g h is f ir s t ap p e a l) . AF F I RME D.