Opinion ID: 1684698
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: independent civil action.

Text: Civil Rule 60.02 is an available remedy in a criminal case. Fanelli v. Commonwealth, 423 S.W.2d 255, 257 (Ky.1968). The rule was adopted as a substitute for the common law writ of coram nobis, a procedure for addressing errors in matter[s] of fact which (1) had not been put into issue or passed on, (2) were unknown and could not have been known to the party by the exercise of reasonable diligence and in time to have been otherwise presented to the court, or (3) which the party was prevented from so presenting by duress, fear, or other sufficient cause. Gross v. Commonwealth, 648 S.W.2d 853, 856 (Ky.1983). In summary, CR 60.02 is not a separate avenue of appeal to be pursued in addition to other remedies, but is available only to raise issues which cannot be raised in other proceedings. McQueen, 948 S.W.2d 415, 416. Thus, it is available only to resolve issues that could not have been raised at trial, on direct appeal, or by a motion for relief under RCr 11.42. Gross, 648 S.W.2d at 856. Appellant asserts and we agree that CR 60.02 is an appropriate vehicle by which to seek relief from a judgment that is no longer valid because it violates a constitutional right that was not recognized as such when the judgment was entered. However, a CR 60.02 motion is not a separate action but a continuation or reopening of the same proceeding that culminated in the judgment under attack. Fanelli, 423 S.W.2d at 257. Thus, the parties would necessarily be the same. Appellant has filed a separate civil action, not a CR 60.02 motion. Civil Rule 60.03 permits an independent action for relief from a judgment on appropriate equitable grounds. However, [r]elief shall not be granted in an independent action if the ground of relief sought has been denied in a proceeding by motion under Rule 60.02 .... CR 60.03. Generally, claimants seeking equitable relief through independent actions must meet three requirements. Claimants must (1) show that they have no other available or adequate remedy; (2) demonstrate that movants' own fault, neglect, or carelessness did not create the situation for which they seek equitable relief; and (3) establish a recognized groundsuch as fraud, accident, or mistake for the equitable relief. Campaniello Imports, Ltd. v. Saporiti Italia S.p.A., 117 F.3d 655, 662 (2nd Cir.1997) (emphasis added). Further, an independent action for equitable relief from a judgment is unavailable if the complaining party has, or by exercising proper diligence would have had, an adequate remedy in the original proceedings. Charles A. Wright, Arthur R. Miller & Mary K. Kane, 11 Fed. Prac. & Proc. Civ.2d § 2868, at n. 9 (2004 pocket part). The same principle applies in federal habeas proceedings to prevent a grave miscarriage of justice. Buell v. Anderson, 48 Fed.Appx. 491, 498-99 (6th Cir.2002) (quoting United States v. Beggerly, 524 U.S. 38, 47, 118 S.Ct. 1862, 1868, 141 L.Ed.2d 32 (1998)), cert. denied, 536 U.S. 989, 123 S.Ct. 30, 153 L.Ed.2d 892 (2002). Since an independent action under CR 60.03 is an attack upon a judgment, the original parties to the judgment must be named as party defendants. Kurt A. Philipps, Jr., 7 Kentucky Practice, Rules of Civil Procedure Annotated, CR 60.03, cmt. 1, at 453 (5th ed.1995). Appellant's separate civil action was not properly brought under CR 60.03 because Appellant did not name the Commonwealth as the party defendant. However, the Attorney General, who also defended the previous appeals of the original action, the denial of the RCr 11.42 motion, and the denial of the federal habeas corpus petition, has assumed the defense of this action. For that reason and because this is a death penalty case, we choose not to dismiss it on the technical grounds of counsel error or failure to join indispensable parties. Rather, we will treat the action as having been properly brought under CR 60.03. Cf. Wallace v. Commonwealth, 327 S.W.2d 17, 18 (Ky. 1959) (treating complaint for a writ of coram nobis as a motion for relief under CR 60.02(6) [1] ). Civil Rule 21 (Misjoinder and nonjoinder of parties) provides: Misjoinder of parties is not ground for dismissal of any action. Parties may be dropped or added by order of the court on motion of any party or of its own initiative at any stage of the action and on such terms as are just.... (Emphasis added.) Pursuant to CR 21, we have, by separate order, substituted the Commonwealth of Kentucky as party defendant/appellee in place of Haeberlin. Nevertheless, for reasons explained infra, Appellant is not entitled to relief from his death sentence because he has not alleged an error that was unknown and could not have been known to him by the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time of his trial, RCr 11.42 motion, or petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Gross, 648 S.W.2d at 856; cf. Collins v. Commonwealth, 297 S.W.2d 54, 57 (Ky.1956) (writ of coram nobis will not lie where advantage could have been taken of the alleged error at the trial, as where the facts complained of were known before or at the trial or could by due diligence have been ascertained). Nor has he made a prima facie showing of mental retardation that would warrant an evidentiary hearing.