Opinion ID: 148165
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Disposition of Procedural Claims

Text: Although we generally review a grant or denial of a motion to alter or amend a judgment under Rule 59(e) for abuse of discretion, when the Rule 59(e) motion seeks review of a grant of summary judgment, we apply a de novo standard of review. Cockrel v. Shelby County Sch. Dist., 270 F.3d 1036, 1047 (6th Cir.2001). In granting Plaintiffs' Rule 59(e) motion, the district court essentially reconsidered and granted summary judgment in favor of Plaintiffs. Accordingly, we apply a de novo standard of review. A motion to alter or amend a judgment must be filed no later than 10 days after the entry of the judgment. Fed.R.Civ.P. Rule 59(e) (emphasis added). A court may grant a motion to alter or amend judgment only if there was (1) a clear error of law; (2) newly discovered evidence; (3) an intervening change in controlling law; or (4) a need to prevent manifest injustice. Intera Corp. v. Henderson, 428 F.3d 605, 620 (6th Cir.2005) (citing GenCorp, Inc. v. Am. Int'l Underwriters, 178 F.3d 804, 834 (6th Cir.1999)).
Because the district court erroneously denied Plaintiffs' summary judgment motions after finding that Defendants continued to violate the Establishment Clause and that no triable issues of fact remained, the district court had not yet entered judgment when it granted Plaintiffs' motion to alter or amend judgment. Thus, Plaintiffs' motion was effectively a motion for reconsideration of summary judgment and [t]he district court was therefore free to reconsider or reverse its decision for any reason. Cameron v. Ohio, 344 Fed.Appx. 115, 118 (6th Cir.2009) (citing Russell v. GTE Gov't Sys. Corp., 141 Fed.Appx. 429, 436 (6th Cir. 2005)). However, this Court has also found that it may be proper for the [d]istrict [c]ourt to entertain a motion to alter or amend a judgment under Rule 59(e) even though it was filed prior to the actual entry of judgment. Smith v. Hudson, 600 F.2d 60, 62 (6th Cir.1979). Under the stricter Rule 59(e) standard, Plaintiffs were entitled to have the judgment altered in view of the district court's clear error of law in declining to enter a permanent injunction in its September 28, 2007 order. Thus, regardless of whether Plaintiffs' motion should have been classified under Rule 59(e) or Rule 54(b), the district court did not err in reconsidering its earlier decision and determining that Plaintiffs were entitled to a permanent injunction.

We generally review a district court's denial of a motion for relief from judgment pursuant to Rule 60(b) only for an abuse of discretion. Massi v. Walgreen Co., 337 Fed.Appx. 542, 545 (6th Cir.2009) (citing Davis v. Jellico Cmty. Hosp., Inc., 912 F.2d 129, 133 (6th Cir.1990)). When this Court reviews for abuse of discretion, it will reverse only when it is firmly convinced that a mistake has been made. Bush v. Rauch, 38 F.3d 842, 848 (6th Cir.1994) (internal citations omitted). To overcome this deferential standard of review over a motion for relief from judgment, a party must demonstrate that the district court committed a clear error of judgment, such as applying the incorrect legal standard, misapplying the correct legal standard, or relying upon clearly erroneous findings of fact. In re Ferro Corp. Derivative Litig., 511 F.3d 611, 623 (6th Cir.2008).
Because the district court entered judgment in the same decision that it construed Defendants' renewed motion for summary judgment as one for relief from judgment under Rule 60(b), it was reasonable for the district court to construe the entry of judgment as coming before the conversion of Defendants' motion. Furthermore, a district court has broad discretion to manage its docket. Reed v. Rhodes, 179 F.3d 453, 471 (6th Cir.1999). A district court's decision whether a late filing results from excusable neglect is subject to review for abuse of discretion. Allen v. Murph, 194 F.3d 722, 723-24 (6th Cir.1999). Defendants filed their renewed motion for summary judgment more than one year after the deadline for dispositive motions had passed without seeking leave to file. Defendants sought to introduce new facts the 2007 resolutions that were passed after and in response to the district court's summary judgment decisionmore than one year after the close of discovery. Accordingly, based on the district court's power to manage its own docket, the court had ample discretion to strike Defendants' late renewed motion for summary judgment. By converting Defendants' renewed summary judgment motion to a Rule 60(b) motion for relief from judgment and considering Defendants' new facts and arguments, the district court was giving Defendants the benefit of the doubt. Finally, we decline to review the district court's subsequent denial of Defendants' motion for relief from final judgment because we lack jurisdiction. Defendants filed their notice of appeal on September 2, 2008 from the district court's order of August 4, 2008, in which it converted Defendants' motion. The district court did not deny Defendants' Rule 60(b) motion until September 30, 2008. Thus, this order denying relief from judgment was not and could not have been appealed pursuant to Defendants' September 2, 2008 notice of appeal. After the district court's September 30, 2008 denial of relief from judgment, Defendants had 30 days under Fed. R.App. P. 4(a)(1)(A) to file a notice of appeal of that order. However, Defendants failed to do so. This failure deprives this Court of jurisdiction over Defendants' attempt to appeal from the September 30, 2008 order.