Opinion ID: 1250930
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Fraud upon the court

Text: Fraud upon the court is that type of fraud that defile[s] the court itself, or is a fraud perpetrated by officers of the court so that the judicial machinery can not perform in the usual manner its impartial task.... Gifford v. Bowling, 86 S.D. 615, 200 N.W.2d 379, 384 (1972) (quoting 7 Moore's Federal Practice ¶ 60.33). See also Matter of Estate of Althen, 429 N.W.2d 745 (S.D.1988). In order to set aside a judgment because of fraud upon the court under Rule 60(b), it is necessary to show an unconscionable plan or scheme which is designed to improperly influence the court in its decision. Courts have found fraud upon the court only where there has been the most egregious conduct involving a corruption of the judicial process itself. Gifford, 200 N.W.2d at 384. Examples of such conduct include bribery of judges, employment of counsel to `influence' the court, bribery of the judiciary, and the involvement of an attorney (an officer of the court) in the perpetration of fraud. Id. None of these are alleged in this case. Williams contends that Sherman's failure to disclose USD of Wyoming's true financial and corporate status amounts to fraud upon the court. The fraud Williams alleges is not fraud in the procurement of a judgment ( See Wooster v. Wooster, 399 N.W.2d 330, 334 (S.D.1987)), but rather Sherman's nondisclosure of his corporation's true status. Nondisclosure by a party is not enough to support a finding of fraud upon the court. 11 C. Wright & A. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 2870 (1973). While Sherman's nondisclosure was sufficient to sustain a finding of misrepresentation or fraud under SDCL 15-6-60(b)(3), it does not rise to the level necessary to constitute an unconscionable scheme to corrupt the judicial process itself. Consequently, Williams' allegation that Sherman committed fraud upon the court so as to allow vacating a judgment as provided for in SDCL 15-6-60(b) by independent action was not established.