Opinion ID: 756201
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Filing restrictions imposed in order of final judgment

Text: 19 As part of its final judgment order, the district court enjoined appellant from filing any further pleadings in this case, or any further suits in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, 20 except when represented by an attorney licensed to practice law in the federal bar and in the state of New Mexico who shall affirm in any pleading filed by [appellant] that good grounds in law exist therefor, or by the prior approval of a federal district judge, in the district of New Mexico, who may give approval in writing for [appellant] to file any proceeding or pleadings pro se. 21 R. Vol. IV, doc. 199 at 4. 22 Appellant argues that this injunction is overbroad, because it prohibits him from filing any further suits pro se in New Mexico federal district court. Given the history of this case, we conclude that the order is both overbroad and insufficiently restrictive. It is overbroad, because it restricts appellant from filing any action pro se in the New Mexico federal district court against any defendant without permission. It is insufficiently restrictive, on the other hand, to definitively bring to a halt appellant's filing of frivolous and vexatious pleadings concerning the subject matter and defendants in this case. We will remand to the district court to modify its order concerning filing restrictions. We further announce our intention to impose our own filing restrictions on appellant with regard to this case. 23 Federal courts have the inherent power to regulate the activities of abusive litigants by imposing carefully tailored restrictions under appropriate circumstances. See Tripati v. Beaman, 878 F.2d 351, 352 (10th Cir.1989). Injunctions restricting further filings are appropriate where (1) the litigant's lengthy and abusive history is set forth; (2) the court provides guidelines as to what the litigant may do to obtain its permission to file an action; and (3) the litigant receives notice and an opportunity to oppose the court's order before it is implemented. See id. at 353-54. 24 1. Appellant's lengthy and abusive filing history 25 The record on appeal, and our own files and records concerning this case, reveal appellant's lengthy and abusive filing history. After the district court entered its order requiring appellant to sign the settlement agreement, appellant instead filed over fifty further vexatious, largely meritless pleadings. After the district court dismissed this case and imposed filing restrictions, appellant pursued further litigation against defendants in the Western District of Texas. That court has now dismissed his complaint for lack of jurisdiction. 26 Appellant has filed three appeals in this court concerning this case. In his previous two appeals, appellant filed many frivolous or successive pleadings. After we dismissed his appeal in No. 94-2236 for lack of jurisdiction, appellant filed, in succession, a petition for rehearing, a petition for writ of error, and a motion for relief from judgment pursuant to Fed.R.C.V.P. 60. In an order dated July 11, 1995, we cautioned appellant that this court would not accept any subsequent motions requesting further review of the dismissal order. See Judd v. University of N.M., No. 94-2236 (10th Cir. July 11, 1995). Nevertheless, appellant persisted in attempting to obtain untimely review, by filing two amended notices of appeal, and an appeal to this court from a magistrate judge's denial of his request for counsel. This court entered an order informing appellant that it would not entertain any additional requests to review the untimely issues of his appeal, and admonished him that any additional filings would result in sanctions. See id. (order of Sept. 5, 1995). 27 In the present appeal, appellant has filed numerous successive motions for preliminary injunction pending appeal and amendments thereto, necessitating multiple orders of this court denying relief. See Judd v. University of N.M., No. 97-2273 (10th Cir. Sept.23, 1997) (order denying injunction); (10th Cir. Oct. 3, 1997) (order denying injunction); (10th Cir. Oct. 22, 1997) (order). He has also filed in this court a pleading entitled Petition for Multidistrict Litigation Under 28 U.S.C. ( § ) 1407, announcing his intention to consolidate the dismissed action in the Western District of Texas with the present appeal. Appellant has a pattern of filing frivolous and/or successive pleadings, both in this court and the district court. 2. Overbreadth of district court order 28 Although appellant has a history of vexatious filings in this case, the district court's order imposing filing restrictions is overbroad. Appellant's lengthy and abusive filing history is limited to pleadings filed in this case or against these defendants and is therefore inadequate to justify a restriction imposed on all future filings pertaining to any subject matter and any defendant. The filing restriction order should be specifically tailored to filings pertaining to the parties and subject matter of this case. See, e.g., Van Sickle v. Holloway, 791 F.2d 1431, 1437 (10th Cir.1986) (prohibiting complaints raising same or similar allegations in case at bar); Castro v. United States, 775 F.2d 399, 408 (1st Cir.1985) (barring further pleadings in case or further litigation with regard to specific subject matter); Shuffman v. Hartford Textile Corp. (In re Hartford Textile Corp.), 681 F.2d 895, 897-98 (2d Cir.1982) (same). 29 3. Underinclusiveness of district court's order 30 In addition to being overbroad, the district court's order may also be underinclusive. It allows appellant to file further proceedings in this case with the assistance of an attorney or with leave of court. In light of appellant's abuse of the federal court system with regard to these parties and subject matter, a more aggressive remedy appears to be needed. On remand, the district court should consider whether its order concerning filing restrictions should be phrased to bar appellant absolutely from filing any further pleadings in this case, and any further cases in the District of New Mexico, against appellees relating to the subject matter of this case. See, e.g., Castro, 775 F.2d at 408. 31 Before imposing any additional sanctions, the district court should give appellant notice and the opportunity to oppose its order. See Tripati, 878 F.2d at 354. An in-person hearing is not required for this purpose; appellant may communicate his objections in writing. See id. 1 4. Filing restrictions in this court 32 We have detailed appellant's lengthy and abusive filing history in this court. Because appellant has abused the appellate process in a manner similar to his abuse of the district court process, we impose the following reasonable filing restrictions upon him. See Werner v. State of Utah, 32 F.3d 1446, 1448-49 (10th Cir.1994). 33 This court will not accept any further filings from appellant pertaining to this appeal. The clerk of this court shall return any such filings, unfiled, to appellant. Moreover, this court will not accept any further appeals or original proceedings relating to the parties and subject matter of this case filed by appellant. 34 Appellant shall have ten days from the date of this order to file written objections, limited to fifteen pages, to these proposed sanctions. If appellant does not file objections, the sanctions shall take effect twenty days from the date of this order. If appellant does file timely objections, these sanctions shall not take effect until after this court has ruled on his objections. The filing restrictions shall apply to any matter filed after that time. 35 The judgment of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico is AFFIRMED, with the exception of that portion of the order placing filing restrictions on appellant, which is REVERSED and REMANDED for further proceedings in light of this order and judgment. Appellant is ENJOINED from further filings in this court pertaining to this appeal, or these parties and subject matter, except as noted herein.