Court Opinion

ID: 9455704
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 19:30:37.353034+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:34:42.018799
License: Public Domain

COLEMAN, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent.
Dr. Mizell lost his surgical privileges because it was found that three of every four appendectomies performed by him had been unnecessary. In suits brought by the doctor, the Florida courts adjudged that this finding was grounded *476on due process and supported by substantial evidence. Dr. Mizell is bound by this, even in the Federal Courts. See Brown v. Chastain, 5 Cir., 1969, 416 F.2d 1012; Paul [Feder] v. Dade County, Florida, 5 Cir. [November 26, 1969] 419 F.2d 10; Granader v. Public Bank, 6 Cir., 1969, 417 F.2d 75, 82.
In Count II of the complaint Dr. Mizell sued the hospital district, two of its board members, and fourteen doctors for damages, actual and punitive, totalling $17,600,000. In my opinion the Federal Courts do not have jurisdiction of this damage count. See Eisen v. Eastman [2 Cir., November 28, 1969] 421 F.2d 560.
This case strikes me as being a pitiably poor vehicle upon which to inaugurate a judge-made rule that a plaintiff seeking asserted civil rights remedies may relitigate a substantially similar claim under the guise that it is a different cause of action.
In reality, as I view it, Burnett v. New York Central Railroad and Berry v. Pacific Sportfishing, Inc., cited in the majority opinion, are not authority for the action espoused by the majority. These cases involved federal causes of action with built in statutes of limitation. Without a liberal tolling rule the plaintiffs in those cases would have suffered dismissals, not on the merits but on technicalities. In Burnett, the Court held that the three year FELA limitation is tolled during the pendency of a timely state court suit dismissed for improper venue. Berry involved the Death on the High Seas Act, i. e. beyond state court jurisdiction. Dr. Mizell chose his forum and litigated to the last ditch. Losing in the state courts he is now permitted to start over. Federalism where art thou?
It is well settled that actions under Federal Civil Rights laws are governed by state statutes of limitations. This rule is now abrogated by judicial decree. With deference, I cannot concur in either the result' or the reasoning by which it is reached.
PER CURIAM:
A member of the Court, Judge Coleman, requested a poll of the Court on the matter of granting a hearing en banc in this case. With one vacancy on the Court, the result was 7 Judges in favor of an en banc hearing and 7 opposed.
A majority of the Circuit Judges who are in regular active service not having voted in favor of it, (Title 28, U.S.C., Section 46(c); Rule 35(a), Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure; Fifth Circuit Rule 12) the petition for rehearing en banc is denied.
On the petition for rehearing before the panel the petition for rehearing is denied, COLEMAN, Circuit Judge, dissenting.
Petition for rehearing and for rehearing en banc
Denied.