Court Opinion

ID: 4708007
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-07-30 16:00:35.130811+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:16:26.761015
License: Public Domain

United States Court of Appeals
        For the Eighth Circuit
    ___________________________

            No. 20-2430
    ___________________________

            Robert Campo

               Plaintiff - Appellant

                  v.

      U.S. Department of Justice

              Defendant - Appellee
    ___________________________

            No. 20-2439
    ___________________________

            Ferissa Talley

               Plaintiff - Appellant

                  v.

       U.S. Department of Labor

              Defendant - Appellee
    ___________________________

            No. 20-2494
    ___________________________

            Ferissa Talley

                       Plaintiff
                                 Jack R. T. Jordan

                                    Contemnor - Appellant

                                         v.

                            U.S. Department of Labor

                                     Defendant - Appellee
                                  ____________

                     Appeals from United States District Court
                for the Western District of Missouri - Kansas City
                                 ____________

                             Submitted: June 17, 2021
                               Filed: July 30, 2021
                                  [Unpublished]
                                  ____________

Before GRUENDER, BENTON, and STRAS, Circuit Judges.
                          ____________

PER CURIAM.

      For quite a while, Jack Jordan has been trying to get various emails that the
United States government has in its possession. Rather than suing on his own behalf,
as he did previously, he now represents others who seek them. Each of the cases
ended at summary judgment, and the district court1 imposed sanctions in one based
on Jordan’s litigation abuses. We affirm.

      1
        The Honorable Beth Phillips, Chief Judge, United States District Court for
the Western District of Missouri, and the Honorable Ortrie D. Smith, United States
District Judge for the Western District of Missouri.
                                        -2-
      First, we agree with the district court that no genuine issue of material fact
remained for trial. See 8th Cir. R. 47B; Townsend v. Murphy, 898 F.3d 780, 783
(8th Cir. 2018) (“We review a grant of summary judgment de novo.”). In each case,
the United States fully complied with the Freedom of Information Act, see 5 U.S.C.
§ 552, and in one of them, res judicata provided an alternative basis for summary
judgment.

       Second, the district court had good reason to sanction Jordan for his abusive
conduct, including by imposing $1,500 in fines, setting filing restrictions, and
alerting the bar disciplinary authorities to his behavior. The court had the power to
take these actions, see, e.g., Fed R. Civ. P. 11(c); Chambers v. NASCO, Inc., 501
U.S. 32, 43–46, 50 (1991), which did not violate his First or Fifth Amendment rights,
see Gentile v. State Bar of Nevada, 501 U.S. 1030, 1071–74 (1991); Bill Johnson’s
Rests., Inc. v. NLRB, 461 U.S. 731, 743 (1983); Coonts v. Potts, 316 F.3d 745, 753
(8th Cir. 2003).
                         ______________________________

                                         -3-