Opinion ID: 786897
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Events Leading to Involuntary Dismissal

Text: 25 For some reason, Drake did not file this final amended complaint within 60 days. According to Drake's brief on appeal, this was an inexcusable mistake on the part of Drake's then-counsel of which Drake was unaware. 26 On July 25, 2001 — nine months after the 60-day deadline — the district court ruled on motions for partial summary judgment that the parties had previously filed. It denied Drake's motion, but granted defendants' motion. Defendants had attacked Drake's § 3729(a)(1), (a)(2) & (a)(7) claims to the extent that they relied on allegations of Norden failing to follow its own written policy on the capitalization of fixed assets. Defendants argued, and the court agreed, that these allegations would not make out a violation of the False Claims Act even were they true. The court therefore dismissed Drake's claims to the extent that they relied on these allegations. At the same time, it made clear that plaintiff still had other viable claims. It noted that Drake had not amended his complaint within 60 days as required by its previous direction, but it did not indicate what the consequences to plaintiff of that failure would be. 27 On January 31, 2002 the district court's clerk sent notice to Drake that there had been no action taken in the case for six months, and that the case was therefore subject to dismissal under the court's local rules of procedure unless Drake submitted a satisfactory explanation for his delay within 20 days. Drake's counsel responded within 20 days by filing a third amended complaint and explaining that the delay had been caused by the complexity of the claims, the large amount of discovery and motions, and scheduling conflicts. 28 Defendants then moved to strike the third amended complaint and dismiss the case for failure to prosecute under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b). The district court granted that motion on February 19, 2003, and entered judgment for defendants two days later. 1 Drake moved to amend or alter the judgment and/or for relief from the judgment, and the district court denied this motion on June 17, 2003. From the order of dismissal and the order denying reconsideration, plaintiff appeals.