Opinion ID: 2764315
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Postjudgment Motions and Rulings

Text: Plaintiffs first moved for attorney’s fees on June 21, 2011, one day before the district court entered judgment. The district court dismissed plaintiffs’ motion for attorney’s fees with instructions to refile after it ruled on postjudgment motions. On June 29, 2011, plaintiffs moved to amend the judgment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (or “Rule”) 59(e) to include prejudgment interest and provide for joint and several liability among Triche and Buhler. On July 20, 2011, Triche timely filed his renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law under Rule 50(b) as to plaintiffs’ claims under Rule 10b-5 and the Louisiana Securities Law. 4 On August 19, 2011, Triche filed a motion to amend the judgment and for a new trial based on the district court’s statement upon reading the verdict that the jury had not found the required elements to hold Triche liable to four of the plaintiffs. 5 The district court denied Triche’s motions for judgment as a matter of law and for a new trial on September 28, 2012. In its ruling, the district court stated that “the verdict form sets forth all necessary elements for a finding of liability against [Triche]” and explained that its initial comment that the jury 4 Triche’s Rule 50(b) motion stated that “Plaintiffs’ state Blue Sky Law claims are considered subsumed within the federal law claims for purposes of this motion.” Triche’s contention on appeal that he did not have the opportunity to contest his liability under Louisiana law in front of the district court is therefore disingenuous. His Rule 50(b) motion clearly sought to dispose of both the state and federal claims at issue during the trial. His failure to adequately brief the district court on the Louisiana Securities Law was a consequence of his own misunderstanding of the elements of a claim under that statute. 5 The district court purportedly granted Triche an extension of time beyond the twenty-eight day deadline to file his Rule 59 motion, but that deadline is jurisdictional and cannot be extended by the court. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(b)(2); Gribble v. Harris, 625 F.2d 1173, 1174 (5th Cir. 1980). 7 Case: 14-30146 Document: 00512880807 Page: 8 Date Filed: 12/23/2014 No. 14-30146 did not find the requisite elements to impose liability was “in error as there were sufficient elements to hold [Triche] liable under state law, not federal law.” (emphasis in original). The court further elucidated that “[t]his is because the missing element concerned activity in interstate commerce, which is not required for a finding of liability under state law.” On September 30, 2012, plaintiffs filed their second motion for attorney’s fees. On July 2, 2013, in a document titled “Ruling and Order,” the district court granted plaintiffs’ Rule 59(e) motion with respect to prejudgment interest, but denied the motion’s request to declare Triche and Buhler jointly and severally liable. The court again stated that “only the elements for liability under state law were found by the jury,” and concluded that defendants could not be held jointly and severally liable under Louisiana law. The court ordered plaintiffs “to file a motion and proposed order within 14 days of this Ruling specifying the amounts owed by each defendant to each plaintiff, including interest.” The July 2, 2013 Order also denied plaintiffs’ second motion for attorney’s fees for failure to submit time sheets in compliance with Local Rule 54.2, but invited them to refile the motion in accordance with the rule. On July 12, 2013, Triche moved to toll the appeal deadline until the court ruled on plaintiffs’ refiled motion for attorney’s fees pursuant to Rule 58 and Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure (or “FRAP”) 4(a)(4)(A)(iii). The district court granted the motion the same day and stayed the running of the appeals deadline until the court ruled on any refiled motion in an “Amended Final Judgment.” On August 5, 2013, plaintiffs filed a “Motion for Reconsideration.” In this motion, plaintiffs renewed their request for attorney’s fees, argued that the district court erred in denying their Rule 59(e) motion for joint and several liability, and provided a proposed judgment for each plaintiff that included the 8 Case: 14-30146 Document: 00512880807 Page: 9 Date Filed: 12/23/2014 No. 14-30146 damages assessed against Triche in the jury verdict “plus legal interest from [the date the promissory note was issued] until paid.” On February 4, 2014, the district court issued a “Ruling, Order and Judgment.” The district court denied plaintiffs’ fee motion for again failing to comply with Local Rule 54.2 and denied plaintiffs’ request for reconsideration—treating it as a motion under Rule 60(b)—of the court’s refusal to impose joint and several liability. The ruling also included judgments for each of the plaintiffs against Buhler and Triche. The judgments, for the first time, specified that that prejudgment interest would be paid at the statutorily-prescribed state rate from the date of the issuance of the promissory note until June 22, 2011—the date of the initial judgment—and thereafter at the federal postjudgment rate, “until paid.” Triche filed a notice of appeal on February 14, 2014. On appeal, Triche argues that the district court erred by denying his motions for judgment as a matter of law and giving incomplete jury instructions. Triche also claims that there was insufficient evidence for the jury to find him liable under the state or federal securities laws. Plaintiffs moved to dismiss Triche’s appeal as untimely and argue that the jury’s verdict on the federal claim should be reinstated.