Opinion ID: 794887
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Progression of 7960 Case—Naming Both Defendants

Text: 11 In Tartt's counsel's motion to reconsider the dismissal of the 7960 action, Tartt argued that the Hospital's dismissal seriously injures [Tartt's] ability to present a full picture to this Court of the `joint-actions' of the [Hospital] and [NSA] . . . . Apparently Tartt's full-picture argument was insufficient to apprise the district court that the named defendants in the suits were different. In a minute order entered on January 31, 2003 (the same day the 7959 suit was dismissed), the district court denied Tartt's motion for reconsideration, again citing redundancy. Even though both were issued the same day, Tartt appealed the order denying his motion to reconsider, but not, as we explained in the previous section, the judgment dismissing the 7959 action. 12 In an unpublished order dated October 21, 2003, we noted the district court's mistaken belief that the parties were identical in each suit and vacated the dismissal of the 7960 suit and remanded it for further proceedings. Tartt v. Nw. Cmty. Hosp., 79 Fed.Appx. 219 (7th Cir.2003) (unpublished order). We explained that by previous order, we limited this appeal to a review of the district court's January 31, 2003, order denying Dr. Tartt's motion to reconsider based on the fact that the motion, filed more than ten days after the entry of judgment, did not toll the time to appeal. Treating Tartt's motion to reconsider as a late-filed motion to alter or amend a judgment under Rule 60(b), we concluded, Because it appears from the record that the district court erred in dismissing for redundancy Case No. 00-C-7960, the case with both defendants, rather than Case No. 00-C-7959, the case naming only NSA, we remand the case for further proceedings pursuant to Rule 60(b)(1). 13 On remand, the district court granted Tartt's request to file his second amended complaint in the 7960 case, which he did on April 23, 2004. Tartt alleged two counts: the first against NSA and the second against the Hospital. Both counts once again alleged violations of USERRA and Title VII. On May 27, 2004, the defendants moved to dismiss Tartt's second amended complaint on res judicata grounds, arguing Tartt was seeking to re-litigate the claims of the 7959 case which had been dismissed with prejudice on January 29, 2003. Alternatively, the defendants claimed Tartt had failed to state a claim. On October 1, 2004, the district court dismissed the 7960 action citing res judicata and, out of an abundance of caution, the merits. Tartt appeals the dismissal of the 7960 suit.