Opinion ID: 797179
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Is it Appropriate to Remand the Case for Further Proceedings?

Text: 17 Notwithstanding the sua sponte dismissal of his complaint against most of the defendants, Abbas received notice and an opportunity to be heard on his tolling arguments in the district court. Abbas's claims against Dixon and Selsky survived sua sponte dismissal and proceeded in district court. Dixon and Selsky moved to dismiss Abbas's claims on statute of limitations grounds. Through the course of the proceedings on the motion to dismiss, Abbas had a full and fair opportunity to brief, and to offer affidavits in support of, his tolling arguments. 3 The District Court ultimately rejected Abbas's arguments on the merits. In addition, Abbas, through very capable pro bono counsel, had the opportunity to, and did, raise his tolling arguments on appeal. 18 We have considered Abbas's tolling arguments with the benefit of a full record and we find them to be without merit. Abbas asserts that the statute of limitations should be tolled for the period of time during which he pursued his Article 78 proceeding in state court. We have held, however, that a plaintiff's pursuit of a state remedy, such as an Article 78 proceeding, does not toll the statute of limitations for filing a claim pursuant to section 1983. See Meyer v. Frank, 550 F.2d 726, 728-30 (2d Cir.1977); see also Williams v. Walsh, 558 F.2d 667, 673 (2d Cir.1977). 19 Abbas also asserts several grounds for tolling the statute of limitations under New York law. Although federal law determines when a section 1983 claim accrues, state tolling rules determine whether the limitations period has been tolled, unless state tolling rules would defeat the goals of section 1983. Pearl v. City of Long Beach, 296 F.3d 76, 80 (2d Cir.2002). Here, New York tolling rules apply. 20 Abbas contends that his claims are timely because they were filed less than three years after Dixon reversed the disposition of his disciplinary appeal. Even assuming (without deciding) that the limitations period for prisoner suits under section 1983 is tolled while a prisoner engages in mandatory exhaustion of administrative remedies, and that Abbas's allegations in his disciplinary hearing could be deemed to satisfy the Prison Litigation Reform Act's exhaustion requirement for his various claims, his argument is unavailing. The disciplinary hearing and his appeal were concluded more than three years before he filed his suit. The filing of the Article 78 petition did not toll the limitations period, and the discretionary reconsideration and reversal of a disciplinary decision does not restart the statute of limitations unless a new hearing is ordered and new evidence is received. Arce v. Selsky, 233 A.D.2d 641, 642, 650 N.Y.S.2d 48 (N.Y.App.Div.1996). 21 In this case, the administrative decision became final when Abbas exhausted his administrative appeals because, at that point, Abbas had no additional administrative steps available to fight the disciplinary charges. See Essex County v. Zagata, 91 N.Y.2d 447, 453, 672 N.Y.S.2d 281, 695 N.E.2d 232 (1998) (holding that an agency decision is final when the decision may not be prevented or significantly ameliorated by further administrative action or by steps available to the complaining party) (internal quotations omitted). In addition, because Dixon summarily reversed the disciplinary charges without holding a new hearing or receiving new evidence, the reversal of discipline did not start the statute of limitations clock ticking anew. See Arce, 233 A.D.2d at 642, 650 N.Y.S.2d 48. Moreover, Abbas has not claimed that Dixon's reversal of the disciplinary decision caused him any harm, nor could he. If anything, Abbas benefitted from Dixon's decision. Thus, the reversal neither constituted actionable conduct by Dixon, nor reinstituted the harmful effects of earlier actionable conduct by any of the defendants. 22 Finally, Abbas argues that the statute of limitations should be equitably tolled for several reasons: (1) because he diligently, but unsuccessfully, requested outside assistance from several sources; (2) because prison officials placed him in keeplock for a substantial period of time; 4 (3) because he was confused about whether the Supreme Court's decision in Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477, 114 S.Ct. 2364, 129 L.Ed.2d 383 (1994), required him to obtain a favorable termination of his prison disciplinary proceedings prior to challenging the proceedings in a section 1983 action; 5 and (4) because the prison officials brought false disciplinary charges against him to prevent him from filing his federal claim. 23 Under New York law, the doctrines of equitable tolling or equitable estoppel may be invoked to defeat a statute of limitations defense when the plaintiff was induced by fraud, misrepresentations or deception to refrain from filing a timely action. Doe v. Holy See (State of Vatican City), 17 A.D.3d 793, 794, 793 N.Y.S.2d 565 (N.Y.App.Div.2005) (internal quotations omitted); Kotlyarsky v. New York Post, 195 Misc.2d 150, 757 N.Y.S.2d 703, 706 (N.Y.Sup.Ct.2003). Due diligence on the part of the plaintiff in bringing [an] action, however, is an essential element of equitable relief. Holy See, 17 A.D.3d at 796, 793 N.Y.S.2d 565. The plaintiff bears the burden of showing that the action was brought within a reasonable period of time after the facts giving rise to the equitable tolling or equitable estoppel claim have ceased to be operational. Id. If a plaintiff cannot articulate[] any acts by defendants that prevented [him] from timely commencing suit then he has failed to meet [his] burden of showing that [he was] wrongfully induced by defendants not to commence suit. Id. As such, even if we were to agree with Abbas that he was the victim of fraud, misrepresentations or deception, Abbas has failed to show that any of those circumstances prevented him from timely filing his complaint. Abbas's tolling arguments are thus without merit.