Opinion ID: 504696
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: posture and disposition of the individual cases

Text: 25 Although the district court's orders of dismissal must be vacated, this does not end the matter before the court. For more than one year the government has treated all 62 of these cases as if they were identical. Before the district court issued its orders of dismissal, however, the cases were in a variety of postures. We note with displeasure the United States' failure to call the court's attention to the differences in these various cases. In particular, we are deeply concerned by the fact that a substantial number of these defendants were never served with process. In the interest of securing an orderly and fair disposition of these cases, we must account for the fact that they are by no means identical. 26 Accordingly, the orders of dismissal for failure to state a claim must be vacated. The consolidated cases are remanded for disposition as follows: 27 (1) In the following cases, in which service was perfected as to all defendants, the district court shall direct the United States to make available to it the administrative record developed by INS: United States v. Pupo, No. 85-1000-CIV-HASTINGS; 13 United States v. Diaz, No. 85-1015-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Machado, No. 85-1262-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Lluis, No. 85-1338CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Alvarez, No. 85-1367-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Garcia, No. 85-1456-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Camblor, No. 85-1518-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Gatchell, No. 85-1587-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Matilla, No. 85-1768-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Voight, No. 85-1887-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. RM Charters, Inc., No. 85-1926-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Jones, No. 85-2100-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Perez-Rodriguez, No. 85-2315-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Torres-Ruiz, No. 85-2391-CIV-HASTINGS. If it appears from examination of the administrative record in any of these cases that INS did not recognize the defendants' right to avail themselves of the defenses outlined in Pollgreen and Lyden, the district court shall remand such cases to INS for further consideration in light of those decisions. If it appears from the administrative record in any of these cases that such record is any way factually incomplete, so as to impair the district court's ability to determine the propriety of the fines imposed by INS, the district court shall remand such cases to INS for the purposes of completing the record. 14 In cases where remand to INS is deemed inappropriate, the district court shall proceed to adjudication. 28 (2) In all those cases in which service was never perfected as to any defendant, the district court shall order the United States to perfect service within 120 days as required by Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(j). 15 Should the United States not so perfect service, the district court shall dismiss the action, in accordance with the aforementioned rule. Cases falling into this category are: United States v. Stone, No. 85-1089-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Aleman, No. 85-1439-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Curbelo, No. 85-1529-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Gonzalez, No. 85-1179-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Medrano, No. 85-1621-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Resler, No. 85-1642-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Filgueikas, No. 85-1902-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Barrs, No. 85-2047-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Prado, No. 85-2079-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Abreu, No. 85-2111-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Marrero, No. 85-2136-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Gonzales-Ferrell, No. 85-2179-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Exposito, No. 85-2214-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Jimenez, No. 85-2225CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Vidal, No. 85-2252-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Nunez-Paez, No. 85-2304-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Gonzalez, No. 85-2357-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Young, No. 85-2407-CIV-HASTINGS. 29 (3) In all those cases in which service was perfected as to one or more, but not all, defendants, the district court shall treat properly served defendants in accordance with paragraph (1) of this section. Defendants who have not been served shall be treated in accordance with paragraph (2) of this section. Cases falling into this category are: United States v. Campbell, No. 85-1221-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Pedrera, No. 85-1428-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Mitchell, No. 85-1470-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Minnick, No. 85-1653-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Tobias Leiva, No. 85-1789-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Arocha, No. 85-1869-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Marquez, No. 85-1938-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Lopez, No. 85-1979-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Wyles, No. 85-2158-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Corton, No. 85-2190-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Davis, No. 85-2380-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Torres, No. 85-2418-CIV-HASTINGS. 30 (4) In United States v. Krot Enterprises, No. 85-2288-CIV-HASTINGS, service was not perfected as to defendant Krot Enterprises. Service was perfected as to defendant George Vivas but the United States, pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 41(a)(1)(i), voluntarily dismissed him from the case prior to the district court's sua sponte dismissal of the action. Defendant Krot Enterprises shall be treated in accordance with paragraph (2) of this section. 31 (5) In United States v. Sharp, No. 85-2335-CIV-HASTINGS, the defendant filed a motion to quash service prior to the district court's order of dismissal. The district court shall consider the merits of this motion and proceed in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section. 32 (6) In United States v. Lopez-Aguiar, No. 85-2036-CIV-HASTINGS, service was perfected as to defendant Rodriguez, but not as to defendant Lopez-Aguiar. Defendant Rodriguez shall be treated in accordance with paragraph (1) of this section. In a motion to dismiss filed prior to the district court's orders of dismissal, defendant Lopez-Aguiar challenged the sufficiency of process. The district court shall consider the merits of this contention and proceed in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section. 33 (7) In United States v. Rodriguez, No. 85-1127-CIV-HASTINGS, service was perfected as to defendant Bacallao, but not as to defendant Rodriguez. The United States moved for a default judgment against defendant Bacallao, which motion was granted and then vacated by the district court. The district court shall treat defendant Rodriguez in accordance with paragraph (2). The district court's order vacating the entry of default judgment against defendant Bacallao is hereby vacated. Defendant Bacallao shall be permitted to ask the court to reconsider its entry of default judgment in accordance with Fed.R.Civ.P. 55(c), 60(b). 34 (8) The consent judgment entered by the district court in United States v. Martinez, No. 85-1610-CIV-HASTINGS, prior to its order of dismissal, is to be enforced according to its terms unless the parties, upon notice, seek modification of such order and the district court determines that reasons exist for modification. 35 (9) In United States v. Mesa, No. 85-1285-CIV-HASTINGS, a default judgment was entered and then vacated in light of the district court's decision to dismiss all 62 complaints. Accompanying the United States' motion for a judgment of default is the final decision of the INS District Director who determined that the defendant was liable for a portion of the noticed fines. From this limited portion of the administrative record, it is clear that INS improperly assessed the validity of the defendant's claimed defenses. The district court shall remand this case to INS for further consideration in light of Pollgreen and Lyden. 36 (10) In United States v. Pantoja, No. 85-1054-CIV-HASTINGS, the United States moved for default judgment against defendant Ernesto Pantoja; the district court clerk entered a judgment of default. It is clear from that portion of the administrative record which accompanied the United States' motion for default judgment that the decision of the INS District Director to impose a fine against defendants Ernesto Pantoja and Eugenio Pantoja was based, at least in part, on an erroneous interpretation of section 1323. The district court shall vacate the default judgment and remand the case to INS for further consideration in light of Pollgreen and Lyden. 37 (11) In United States v. Gutierrez, No. 85-1205-CIV-HASTINGS, the district court clerk entered a default judgment against the defendant. The district court shall consider the propriety of this default judgment; if the court determines that a default judgment was not in order, it shall proceed in accordance with paragraph (1) of this section. 38 (12) In United States v. Barredo, No. 85-1356-CIV-HASTINGS, it is clear from the decision of the District Director of INS, attached to the defendant's motion to dismiss, that INS relied on an erroneous interpretation of section 1323. The district court shall remand this case to INS for further consideration in light of Pollgreen and Lyden. 39 (13) In United States v. Culmer, No. 85-1399-CIV-HASTINGS, it is clear from the decision of the District Director of INS, attached to a memorandum of law filed by defendant Culmer, that INS relied on an erroneous interpretation of section 1323. The district court shall remand this case to INS for further consideration in light of Pollgreen, and Lyden. 40 (14) In each of the following cases, the defendants, by way of answer or motion to dismiss, claim that they were plaintiffs in declaratory actions (apparently Pollgreen and Lyden ) involving the subject fines: United States v. Sims, No. 85-1142-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Impollomeni, No. 85-1239-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Hager, No. 85-1308-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Phelps, No. 85-1410-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Paan, No. 85-1493-CIV-HASTINGS; United States v. Lynn, No. 85-2241-CIV-HASTINGS. The district court shall determine the validity of these claims. If it appears that the United States' right to impose a fine against these defendants (for the same conduct which is the subject of the instant actions) has been adjudicated or is otherwise under the consideration of INS or a court of law, the district court shall dismiss these actions. Otherwise, the defendants shall be treated in accordance with section (1) of this section. 41 (15) The records in United States v. Diaz, No. 85-1845-CIV-HASTINGS, and United States v. Rourk, No. 85-1296-CIV-HASTINGS, are incomplete or contain improperly filed documents. The district court shall require the United States to demonstrate that the defendants in this case were duly served with process. The district court shall then proceed according to paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section. 42 We note that the records in many of these cases may be incomplete or contain incorrect information due to their sheer volume and the burdens that they have imposed upon the district court and the court clerk. Should the district court determine that any of the foregoing classifications and descriptions of these cases is incorrect, it shall proceed in a manner consistent with this opinion. We note further that in only one of the 62 cases has a defendant had an active role in the briefing and arguing of these appeals. One law firm filed a brief on behalf of the remaining defendants, but with one exception, there is no indication that these defendants chose to adopt the position taken therein. Moreover, there are indications that the service list contains clerical errors and is out of date. 16 The district court is directed to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that no defendant's rights are impaired as a result of a lack of notice. 43 VACATED and REMANDED with instructions.