A Rule 60(b)(2) motion to vacate a judgment in United States District Court is the topic of this blog post.
A Rule 60(b)(2) motion to vacate a judgment in United States District Court is filed using the grounds of newly discovered evidence. Rule 60(b)(2) refers to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Rule 60(b)(2) states in pertinent part that “(b) Grounds for Relief from a Final Judgment, Order, or Proceeding. On motion and just terms, the court may relieve a party or its legal representative from a final judgment, order, or proceeding for the following reasons: (2) newly discovered evidence that, with reasonable diligence, could not have been discovered in time to move for a new trial under Rule 59(b).” And Rule 60 also states that “(c) Timing and Effect of the Motion. (1) Timing. A motion under Rule 60(b) must be made within a reasonable time—and for reasons (1), (2), and (3) no more than a year after the entry of the judgment or order or the date of the proceeding.”
A district court may vacate a prior judgment where the court is presented with newly discovered evidence, an intervening change of controlling law, manifest injustice, or where the prior order was clearly erroneous. Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(1)-(6); United States v. Cuddy, 147 F.3d 1111, 1114 (9th Cir. 1998); School Dist. No. 1J, Multnomah County v. AcandS, Inc., 5 F.3d 1255, 1263 (9th Cir. 1993) see also Stewart v. Dupnik, 243 F.3d 549, 549 (9th Cir. 2000).
A Rule 60(B)(2) motion to vacate a judgment is appropriate if you can meet the burden required of the moving party as detailed in this blog post.
Requirements for a Rule 60(B)(2) motion to vacate a judgment in United States District Court.
The party filing a Rule 60(b)(2) motion to vacate a judgment in United States District Court must meet their burden of showing that,
The newly discovered evidence was discovered after the trial;
They exercised diligence to discover the evidence;
The evidence is not just cumulative or impeaching evidence;
The evidence is material;
The evidence would most likely produce a different result if the judgment were set aside, and
The evidence could not have been discovered in time to move for a new trial under Rule 59(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure which states that, “A motion for a new trial must be filed no later than 28 days after the entry of judgment.”
And several Circuit Courts of Appeal have also stated in published decisions that a Rule 60(b)(2) motion for relief from judgment is subject to the same standard as a motion under Rule 59 for a new trial on the grounds of newly discovered evidence.
If you become aware of new evidence that was material to your claim or defense and could not have been discovered earlier you need to contact an experienced civil litigation attorney as soon as possible to increase the probability that your motion will be granted as the law is settled in the Ninth Circuit and elsewhere that a district court has great discretion in deciding whether to grant a motion under Rule 60. It is subject to review only for abuse of discretion.
An experienced litigation attorney can evaluate your situation and determine whether filing a motion to vacate a judgment under Rule 60(b)(2) is appropriate.
Nathan Mubasher earned a post-doctorate LL.M. in International Financial Transactions with emphasis on Money Laundering and Compliance at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, a J.D. at American College of Law, and his B.A. at University of California, Riverside. He is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in California. He is also an active member of the American Health Lawyers Association and the California Society for Healthcare Attorneys. He has performed over 1,000 mediations and has Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) training from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
Contact attorney Nathan Mubasher for a consultation and evaluation of your case.
Schedule a consultation today with attorney Nathan Mubasher.
Call (800) 691-2721 and let’s talk about your options.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR NATHAN MUBASHER:
Law Offices of Nathan Mubasher
2621 Green River Rd, Ste 105 PMB 403
Corona, CA 92882
tel 1-800-691-2721 | fax 1-310-356-3660
www.mubasherlaw.com
DISCLAIMER:
Thank you for reading. I hope I could have been educational as I endeavor to provide my knowledge as a free public service. Please note that all the materials and information on this blog are general analyses made available for the public’s general informational purposes only. These analyses are not in any way intended to serve as specific legal advice to be applied in your particular situation. Although I am an attorney, absent a signed retention and engagement letter, I am not your attorney. There are no exceptions to this rule. Moreover, you shall not rely on the information I am providing you, as it is only for your general knowledge and educational purposes, since this information would likely change based on any additional facts. Thus the transmission and receipt of information on this blog by anyone does not form or constitute an attorney-client relationship. My knowledge of laws is limited to California. Anyone receiving any information on this blog should not act upon the information provided without first obtaining the services of professional legal counsel licensed in their respective jurisdiction. Best of luck.
nathanmubasher 