Opinion ID: 204027
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Defendants' motion for judgment on the pleadings

Text: In light of our decision, the district court re-opened the case on June 22, 2006. Approximately two months later, on August 30, 2006, the Municipality filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings, arguing that plaintiffs failed to state a theory of political discrimination that, even with evidentiary support, would constitute a violation of said parties' First Amendment rights. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(c). Plaintiffs opposed the motion and asked the court to impose sanctions pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1927, because of defendants' unreasonable and vexatious multiplication of proceedings. [2] On December 1, 2006, the district court denied the Municipality's motion for judgment on the pleadings, noting our ruling in the first appeal that the complaint adequately pleaded a First Amendment retaliation claim. It also granted plaintiffs' motion for sanctions because we had already decided that defendants' arguments lacked merit. [3] Quoting our decision in Cruz v. Savage, 896 F.2d 626, 632 (1st Cir. 1990), it noted that [t]his is the type of multiplying of proceedings that § 1927 is designed to avoid.... Counsel for the Municipality acted `in disregard of whether his conduct constitute[d] harassment ... thus displaying a serious and studied disregard for the orderly process of justice.' The court went on to say: Filing a motion for judgment on the pleadings, based in arguments already rejected by a court of higher level is clearly vexatious conduct that disregards the orderly process of justice and must be sanctioned.... If the Municipality, or its Counsel, disagreed with the First Circuit's decision, it should have filed a [petition for] certiorari before the United States Supreme Court. [4] The district court ordered the defendants to pay $2,000 to the plaintiffs in satisfaction of excess costs, expenses, and attorneys' fees they reasonably incurred in relitigating an issues previously ruled on by a higher court.