Opinion ID: 795238
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: claims of dean plaintiffs

Text: 83 Also on appeal are claims by the Dean Plaintiffs. They ask us to review the district court's denial of reconsideration of their removal as class representatives and denial of their motion for recusal of Judge Brown. The district court included these rulings in its certification of a final judgment under Fed.R.Civ.P. 54(b). We review the rulings on both motions for an abuse of discretion. See Price v. Philpot, 420 F.3d 1158, 1167 n. 9 (10th Cir.2005) (motion to reconsider is reviewed for abuse of discretion regardless of whether it is construed as raised under Fed.R.Civ.P. 59 or 60); Fymbo v. State Farm Fire and Cas. Co., 213 F.3d 1320, 1321 (10th Cir.2000) (finding that individual is not adequate class representative is subject to abuse-of-discretion review); Higganbotham v. Oklahoma ex rel. Oklahoma Transp. Comm'n, 328 F.3d 638, 645 (10th Cir.2003) (denial of motion to recuse is reviewed for abuse of discretion). Neither decision by the district court was incorrect, let alone an abuse of discretion. 84 The district court based its initial ruling removing the Dean Plaintiffs as class representatives on their ongoing demand to be paid a consultant's fee of 15% of any attorney fees obtained by class counsel. In its denial of their motion to reconsider, the court stated that the Dean Plaintiffs' repeated public references to privileged conversations with class counsel only strengthened its initial conclusion that they put their own interests above those of the class. Given such conduct, we agree with the district court that the Dean Plaintiffs would not fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class as required by Rule 23(a)(4). See Rutter & Wilbanks Corp. v. Shell Oil Co., 314 F.3d 1180, 1187-88 (10th Cir.2002) (Resolution of two questions determines legal adequacy: (1) do the named plaintiffs and their counsel have any conflicts of interest with other class members and (2) will the named plaintiffs and their counsel prosecute the action vigorously on behalf of the class? (internal quotation marks omitted)). 85 Similarly, the district court did not err in denying the Dean Plaintiffs' motion for recusal. As the court thoroughly explained in its order, their unsubstantiated suggestions, speculations, [and] opinions, are insufficient to establish even the appearance of any bias, prejudice, or misconduct that would warrant judicial recusal. Rep. Aplts. Supp.App. Vol. 1 at 73 (Dist. Ct. Order of 1/7/2004); see Bryce v. Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Colo., 289 F.3d 648, 659-60 (10th Cir.2002) (discussing the standards for recusal). [A] judge ... has as strong a duty to sit when there is no legitimate reason to recuse as he does to recuse when the law and facts require. Bryce, 289 F.3d at 659 (internal quotation marks omitted). The district judge correctly recognized his duty to continue to sit in this case.