Not Precedential

NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
___________
No. 11-1500
___________
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
v.
MATTHEW MINOR
*MICHAEL MINOR; SONYA SAWYER,
Appellants
*(Pursuant to Rule 12(a), Fed. R. App. P.)
____________________________________
On Appeal from the United States District Court
for the District of Delaware
(D.C. Criminal No. 1-08-cr-00105-001)
District Judge: Honorable Leonard P. Stark
____________________________________
Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a)
December 16, 2011
Before: RENDELL, FUENTES and WEIS, Circuit Judges
(Opinion filed: January 6, 2012 )
_________
OPINION
_________
PER CURIAM.
I.
On June 3, 2010, the District Court entered an Amended Final Order of
1
Forfeiture in an ancillary proceeding connected to the criminal prosecution of defendant

Matthew Minor. The appellants, Michael Minor (Minor) and Sonia Sawyer (Sawyer) -Matthew Minors nephew and common-law wife, respectively -- sought to challenge that
order, which affected a parcel of land and a motor vehicle in which they claimed to
possess a legal interest. They filed motions for relief from judgment pursuant to Fed. R.
Civ. P. 60(b), which the District Court denied. We will affirm.
II.
As the parties are familiar with the background of this case, we will recount only
those facts pertinent to this appeal. Defendant Matthew Minor was indicted in July of
2008 on various drug-related charges. The United States sought the criminal forfeiture
of, inter alia, an Acura and the property at 72 S. Broad in Penns Grove, New Jersey. 1
Matthew Minor pleaded guilty on December 15, 2008, and the District Court entered a
Preliminary Order of Forfeiture.
Shortly thereafter, Minor and Sawyer represented by Matthew Minors CJA
counsel, whom they had privately retained -- commenced an ancillary proceeding under
21 U.S.C. 853(n)(2), asserting interests in the Acura and in 72 S. Broad. Following
discovery, the Government moved to dismiss the claims, arguing that neither Minor nor
1
The appellants continue to argue that an amount of forfeited United States currency is
also in controversy. The record indicates that a claim for this currency was not filed in
the relevant ancillary proceeding, although appellant Sawyer argues that she did file a
claim with the DEA; Sawyer also asserts that her attorney failed to raise the forfeiture of
currency in her initial filings, contrary to her instructions. As we will not reach the merits
of the forfeiture order, whether this claim was properly preserved is irrelevant.
2
Sawyer had an interest in the property and therefore lacked standing to contest the
forfeiture. While the appellants attorney assured them he was handling the matter, there
is no indication that he ever took steps to file a response to the Governments motion. In
the events that followed, Matthew Minor (but not Minor or Sawyer) asked his attorney to
withdraw, the District Court entered the Amended Final Order of Forfeiture, and the
attorney was granted permission to withdraw from all representationin both the
criminal and ancillary proceedingson June 8.
Allegedly taken by surprise by both the withdrawal of their attorney and the
adverse resolution of the Governments unopposed motion to dismiss, the appellants
responded by filing a flurry of submissions, both counseled and pro se, in the District
Court, including motions under Rules 60(b)(1) and 60(b)(6) for relief from judgment.
The District Court held a hearing on the Rule 60 motions on December 21, 2010,
and ultimately denied relief. Announcing his reasoning from the bench, the District
Judge acknowledged that the Rule 60 determination was a fairly close call, but did not
believe that the claimants had met their burden. The Judge emphasized that he was
mindful of the need to weigh the value of finality in judgments versus the opportunity
for parties to be heard. In this case, and exercising his discretion, the Judge decided to
strike the balance in favor of finality in these circumstances. He also did not agree
with the claimants that the forfeiture ruling was a default judgment.
Following the denial of 60(b) relief, Minor and Sawyer filed two timely notices of
appeal. The first appeal was voluntarily withdrawn. The second is presently before this
3
Court and is not ripe for disposition. 2

We review the District Courts order for abuse of discretion. Budget Blinds, Inc.
v. White, 536 F.3d 244, 251 (3d Cir. 2008). An abuse of discretion occurs when the
district courts decision rests upon a clearly erroneous finding of fact, an errant
conclusion of law, or an improper application of law to fact. Agere Sys. v. Advanced
Envtl. Tech. Corp., 602 F.3d 204, 216 (3d Cir. 2010) (citation, quotation omitted). Rule
60 may not be used as a substitute for an appeal. Fiorelli, 337 F.3d at 288.
To prevail under Rule 60(b)(1) requires a showing of mistake, inadvertence,
surprise, or excusable neglect. In determining excusable neglect, a court must consider
four factors: (1) prejudice to the adverse party; (2) length of the delay and its potential
impact on the judicial proceedings; (3) reason for the delay, including whether it was
within the reasonable control of the movant; and (4) whether the movant acted in good
faith. In re Cendant Corp. Prides Litig., 311 F.3d 298, 300 (3d Cir. 2002). Because of
the language and structure of Rule 60(b), a partys failure to file on time for reasons
beyond his or her control is not considered to constitute neglect. Pioneer Inv. Servs. v.
We have jurisdiction over the appeal from the denial of the Rule 60 motions pursuant
to 28 U.S.C. 1291. To the extent that appellants argue that we can exercise jurisdiction
over the Amended Final Order of Forfeiture, entered June 3, 2010, because that order did
not satisfy the separate judgment requirement of Fed. R. Civ. P. 58(a) and therefore
was not actually entered until November 1, 2010, we reject that argument. Even if Rule
58 did apply in the criminal forfeiture context, the June 3 order would have complied
with its requirements. See LeBoon v. Lancaster Jewish Cmty. Ctr. Assn, 503 F.3d 217,
224 (3d Cir. 2007); In re Cendant Corp. Secs. Litig., 454 F.3d 235, 24243 (3d Cir.
2006).
4
Brunswick Assocs., 507 U.S. 380, 394 (1993) (internal quotations omitted).
At the outset, the appellants are incorrect when they describe the forfeiture order
as a default judgment. A default judgment is one entered against a defendant who has
failed to plead or otherwise defend against the plaintiffs claim. Blacks Law Dictionary
480 (9th ed. 2009). Such a judgment may, in some circumstances, be set aside . . . under
Rule 60(b). Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(c); see, e.g., Thorpe v. Thorpe, 364 F.2d 692, 694 (D.C.
Cir. 1966). Here, the appellants were involved in the action, and their attorneys failure
to respond to the motion to dismiss did not transform the adverse judgment into one
obtained via default. 3 The appellants cannot, therefore, take advantage of the general
disfavoring in the law of awarding judgments by default. Lorenzo v. Griffith, 12 F.3d
23, 27 n.4 (3d Cir. 1993).
And in the absence of default, we cannot conclude that the District Court abused
its discretion in denying 60(b)(1) relief. The Judge correctly identified the applicable
rule, and focused on the prejudice to the Government resulting from the delay in the case;
moreover, he observed that [t]here were things that could have been done to prevent this
case from getting as complex and difficult and burdensome as it has become. We detect
The appellants argue that United States v. Contents of Accounts Nos. 3034504504 &
144-07143, 971 F.2d 974 (3d Cir. 1992), should control for the proposition that a
successful motion to dismiss based on standing renders the resulting judgment a
default. That case is distinguishable: it involved a civil forfeiture in rem, not a
criminal forfeiture under 853; and the Government filed a motion for default judgment
following its successful motion to strike for lack of standing. Id. at 97576. No such
explicit default is present here.
5
no errors warranting reversal.

With regard to 60(b)(6) relief, the appellants were required to demonstrate
extraordinary circumstances to justify relief from judgment. Gonzalez v. Crosby, 545
U.S. 524, 535 (2005) (collecting cases). To meet this burden, there must be a showing
that without relief from the judgment, an extreme and unexpected hardship will result.
Budget Blinds, 536 F.3d at 255 (internal quotations omitted). While this case is certainly
unusual, we cannot conclude that the District Court abused its discretion in finding the
situation to be not so extraordinary as to warrant relief, especially given the general
proposition that clients must be held accountable for the acts and omissions of their
attorneys. See Pioneer, 507 U.S. at 396. Nor can we say, as a matter of law, that the
conduct of appellants counsel should compel reversal of the District Courts exercise of
its discretion. Cf. Boughner v. Secy of Health, Educ. & Welfare, 572 F.2d 976, 97779
(3d Cir. 1978) (reversing 60(b)(6) determination when counsel had demonstrated a
repeated pattern of failing to respond to pleadings). 4 We will therefore affirm the District
Courts judgment.
Indeed, the appellants cannot escape the fact that they had numerous opportunities to
seek timely, appropriate relief, but did not do so. Most strikingly, they had two chances
to effect a timely appeal of the actual June 3 order, both of which were squandered. See
also United States v. Stazola, 893 F.2d 34, 37 (3d Cir. 1990) (conducting plenary review
of aspects of 853(n) proceedings). Nor does the record reflect impediments to retaining
the assistance of counsel. While we sympathize with the appellants regarding the initial,
unexpected abandonment by counsel, the mess that this case has become is not excused
by the mere fact of counsels alleged dereliction of duty.
6

Not Precedential

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Not Precedential

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Not Precedential

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

NOT PRECEDENTIAL

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

Forfeiture in an ancillary proceeding connected to the criminal prosecution of defendant

Court and is not ripe for disposition. 2

no errors warranting reversal.

You might also like