Opinion ID: 611025
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Timeliness and Mootness

Text: 7 Buckingham contends that we do not have jurisdiction over this appeal. He argues that the government's appeal from the injunctive portion of the judgment below is moot, and that the remainder of the appeal is untimely. The government agrees that any issue as to the injunction is moot, but argues that its appeal of the district court's order granting back pay, reasonable attorney's fees, and costs is timely and presents a live issue before this court.
8 On September 4, 1991, Buckingham resigned from the Postal Service. On November 20, 1990, the collective bargaining agreement, upon which the MOU at issue here was based, apparently expired. 1 Thus, Buckingham contends, the Postal Service's appeal of the injunction is moot. The Postal Service agrees that the injunction must be dissolved as moot and requests a Munsingwear order vacating the injunctive portion of the district court's order. See United States v. Munsingwear, 340 U.S. 36, 71 S.Ct. 104, 95 L.Ed. 36 (1950). While we concur with both parties that any issue as to injunctive relief is moot, we mention this only to give guidance to the district court on remand. Our reversal of the district court's sua sponte entry of summary judgment for Buckingham, upon which the injunction was based, obviates the need for any further discussion of the injunction, 2 as well as the need for a Munsingwear order.
9 If the government timely appealed the district court's award to Buckingham of back pay, attorney's fees, and costs, we must review the decision below to determine whether that award was in error. The government argues that its Amended Notice of Appeal, filed November 4, 1991, meets the formal requirements for a proper notice of appeal, even though it was captioned incorrectly. See Smith v. Barry, --- U.S. ----, ----, 112 S.Ct. 678, 681, 116 L.Ed.2d 678 (1992). Buckingham contends that this was not a proper notice of appeal and that no proper notice was filed. Both the Postal Service and Buckingham are under the impression that the final judgment from which the Postal Service had to appeal was the district court's September 18, 1991 order stipulating the amount of back pay, attorney's fees, and costs. 10 Both parties are confused as to the date of the final order. The final judgment for the purposes of filing an appeal was the July 23, 1991 order denying the Postal Service's Rule 59(e) motion to alter or amend the judgment. See Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(4). The Postal Service's September 18, 1991 Notice of Appeal was a timely appeal to that final judgment, and thus our jurisdiction is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1291.