Opinion ID: 2999414
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Progression of 7959 Suit—NSA Only Named Defen-

Text: dant NSA moved to dismiss the 7959 case under Rule 12(b)(6) and subsequently moved for sanctions and dismissal under Rule 41(b) for Tartt’s alleged failure to prosecute. On January 29, 2003, the district court ruled on both motions, denying NSA’s request for sanctions and dismissing the 7959 suit under Rules 12(b)(6) and 41(b). Tartt did not immediately appeal the judgment. He did move the district court for an extension to file a motion to reconsider, which was granted on February 28, 2003. On March 14, 2003, Tartt sought leave to file another complaint. Due to numerous extensions requested by Tartt’s counsel, the district court did not rule on this motion until January 29, 2004. The court refused to consider Tartt’s motion, explaining, “[Tartt’s] attempt to re-litigate an issue previously determined by the court, without citing any basis for revisiting the issue and failing to properly present the motion is denied.” On March 12, 2004, Tartt filed a notice of appeal in the 7959 case, No. 04-1623, challenging the district court’s judgment of dismissal and subsequent refusal to allow Tartt to file a new complaint. We issued an order on March 18, No. 04-3939 5 2004, in which we noted the deadline to appeal the district court’s judgment had passed over a year before Tartt filed his notice of appeal. We directed Tartt to show cause why the appeal should not be limited to the district court’s order refusing to allow Tartt to amend, and why that order should not be summarily affirmed. In response, on April 4, 2004, Tartt moved for voluntary dismissal pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 42(b), which we granted on April 5, 2004. B. Progression of 7960 Case—Naming Both Defendants In Tartt’s counsel’s motion to reconsider the dismissal of the 7960 action, Tartt argued that the Hospital’s dismissal “seriously injures [Tartt’s] ability to present a full picture to this Court of the ‘joint-actions’ of the [Hospital] and [NSA] . . . .” Apparently Tartt’s “full-picture” argument was insufficient to apprise the district court that the named defendants in the suits were different. In a minute order entered on January 31, 2003 (the same day the 7959 suit was dismissed), the district court denied Tartt’s motion for reconsideration, again citing redundancy. Even though both were issued the same day, Tartt appealed the order denying his motion to reconsider, but not, as we explained in the previous section, the judgment dismissing the 7959 action. In an unpublished order dated October 21, 2003, we noted the district court’s mistaken belief that the parties were identical in each suit and vacated the dismissal of the 7960 suit and remanded it for further proceedings. Tartt v. Nw. Cmty. Hosp., 79 F.App’x 219 (7th Cir. 2003) (unpublished order). We explained that by previous order, “we limited this appeal to a review of the district court’s January 31, 2003, order denying Dr. Tartt’s motion to reconsider based on the fact that the motion, filed more than ten days after the entry of judgment, did not toll the time to appeal.” Treating Tartt’s motion to reconsider as a late-filed motion 6 No. 04-3939 to alter or amend a judgment under Rule 60(b), we concluded, “Because it appears from the record that the district court erred in dismissing for redundancy Case No. 00-C- 7960, the case with both defendants, rather than Case No. 00-C-7959, the case naming only NSA, we remand the case for further proceedings” pursuant to Rule 60(b)(1). On remand, the district court granted Tartt’s request to file his second amended complaint in the 7960 case, which he did on April 23, 2004. Tartt alleged two counts: the first against NSA and the second against the Hospital. Both counts once again alleged violations of USERRA and Title VII. On May 27, 2004, the defendants moved to dismiss Tartt’s second amended complaint on res judicata grounds, arguing Tartt was seeking to re-litigate the claims of the 7959 case which had been dismissed with prejudice on January 29, 2003. Alternatively, the defendants claimed Tartt had failed to state a claim. On October 1, 2004, the district court dismissed the 7960 action citing res judicata and, out of an abundance of caution, the merits. Tartt appeals the dismissal of the 7960 suit.