Source: https://www.scribd.com/doc/155429733/Doc-24-Order-Denied-Motion-to-Amend-Judgment-04-12-13
Timestamp: 2016-02-11 10:49:34
Document Index: 716729583

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1915', '§ 455', '§ 455', '§ 455', '§ 455', '§ 455']

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for lack of federal jurisdiction (Doc. 10). See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) and Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(3). Gillespie filed lengthy Objections to the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 18). In that document, (Id., p. 7, ¶ 11), Gillespie noted that the undersigned has listed a financial interest in Bank of America. He then referred to certain correspondence he had addressed to Bank of America, and to pending investigations and/or administrative proceedings allegedly involving Bank of America, none of which appeared to have any relationship to this case (Id., pp. 7-8, ¶¶ 12-17). Nevertheless, Gillespie declared on the strength of that evidence that Bank of America was “a real party in interest” (Id., p. 9, ¶ 18), and that the undersigned had a duty to recuse (Id., p. 26, ¶ 42). The Court overruled Gillespie’s objections to the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation; and, as he had recommended, the Court ordered that the case be remanded to the state court (Doc. 19). In that Order, the Court noted Gillespie’s suggestion of recusal but observed that Bank of America is not listed as a party and that despite his ipse dixit declaration that Bank of America is a party in interest, his proffered justification for that assertion did not support it.1
Of course, if it did appear that Bank of America had any interest in this litigation, the undersigned would be disqualified under 28 U.S.C. § 455(b)(4) and no motion would be required. The statute is self executing.
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Gillespie has now filed a motion to alter or amend judgment pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 59(e) (Doc. 21). In fact the motion does not seek to alter or amend the judgment at all. It is, instead, a motion to disqualify and, as such, is arguably moot. As noted, however, 28 U.S.C. § 455(b)(4) is self executing, and if the undersigned was disqualified before the judgment was entered, the judgment would no doubt be void. The Court will, therefore, address the motion on its merits. Although Gillespie’s motion makes several arguments – that adverse rulings are indicative of bias and that senior federal judges are unconstitutional – none merit further discussion except for his repeated assertion that Bank of America is a real party in interest. The record is still devoid of any evidence to support Gillespie’s claim. In fact, the only pertinent document that is of record tends to affirmatively refute it. Attached to the Plaintiff’s Complaint is an Assignment dated March 27, 2012, months before this litigation was commenced, whereby Bank of America assigned to the Plaintiff, Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc., “. . . all beneficial interest under that certain Mortgage described below together with the note(s) and obligations therein described and the money due and to become due thereon with interest and all rights secured or to accrue under said Mortgage.” (Doc. 2, p. 38). Of course, as a matter of pure conjecture, it is conceivable that Bank of America through some separate document or agreement may have retained some contingent interest in the subject note(s) and mortgage, but § 455 disqualifications cannot be
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justified by speculation and conjecture. There is, to be sure, an absolute and automatic duty to disqualify whenever it becomes established that the judge “has a financial interest . . . in a party to the proceeding. . . .” 28 U.S.C. § 455(b)(4). There is also a concomitant duty, however, not to disqualify under § 455 on the basis of a fanciful or wholly speculative assertion. Otherwise, judges could be tempted to invoke the statute as a basis for avoiding hard or distasteful cases, with resulting injury to the collegiality of the court, and lawyers could be tempted to invoke the statute on transparently thin grounds as a tool for forum shopping. In the language of the statute, the undersigned does not “know” that he has a financial interest in a party to the proceeding, and does not have any personal bias against Gillespie that would impel a sua sponte recusal. The Motion to Alter or Amend Judgment (Doc. 21) is DENIED.2 IT IS SO ORDERED. DONE and ORDERED at Ocala, Florida this 12th day of April, 2013.
The Court acknowledges that on April 10, 2013, Mr. Gillespie filed a Notice of Appeal with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals (Doc. 23). Nevertheless, the Court has retained jurisdiction to consider the present motion. See Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(4).