Filed: Sep. 29, 2014
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 14-1426 ANDRE J. MCSWAIN, Plaintiff – Appellant, v. LAURENE POWELL JOBS; APPLE INC; GOOGLE INC., Defendants - Appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, at Greensboro. Catherine C. Eagles, District Judge. (1:13-cv-00890-CCE-JLW) Submitted: September 25, 2014 Decided: September 29, 2014 Before WILKINSON and AGEE, Circuit Judges, and DAVIS, Senior Circuit Judge. Affirmed in
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 14-1426 ANDRE J. MCSWAIN, Plaintiff – Appellant, v. LAURENE POWELL JOBS; APPLE INC; GOOGLE INC., Defendants - Appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, at Greensboro. Catherine C. Eagles, District Judge. (1:13-cv-00890-CCE-JLW) Submitted: September 25, 2014 Decided: September 29, 2014 Before WILKINSON and AGEE, Circuit Judges, and DAVIS, Senior Circuit Judge. Affirmed in ..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 14-1426
ANDRE J. MCSWAIN,
Plaintiff – Appellant,
v.
LAURENE POWELL JOBS; APPLE INC; GOOGLE INC.,
Defendants - Appellees.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle
District of North Carolina, at Greensboro. Catherine C. Eagles,
District Judge. (1:13-cv-00890-CCE-JLW)
Submitted: September 25, 2014 Decided: September 29, 2014
Before WILKINSON and AGEE, Circuit Judges, and DAVIS, Senior
Circuit Judge.
Affirmed in part, dismissed in part by unpublished per curiam
opinion.
Andre J. McSwain, Appellant Pro Se. William Andrew Copenhaver,
Ronald R. Davis, James Aaron Dean, WOMBLE CARLYLE SANDRIDGE &
RICE, PLLC, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Rodrick John Enns,
ENNS & ARCHER, LLP, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Jacqueline
Elizabeth Young, PERKINS COIE LLP, San Francisco, California,
for Appellees.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Andre McSwain appeals the district court’s order
dismissing his complaint for failure to state a claim and
denying his self-styled motions to strike, its order denying his
motions to alter or amend and for sanctions, and its order
denying his motion for recusal of the magistrate judge and
district judge assigned to his case. For the reasons that
follow, we affirm in part and dismiss in part.
First, we conclude that we lack jurisdiction over the
district court’s underlying dismissal order, because McSwain’s
notice of appeal was not timely as to that order. See Fed. R.
App. P. 4(a)(1)(A), (a)(5), (a)(6). “[T]he timely filing of a
notice of appeal in a civil case is a jurisdictional
requirement.” Bowles v. Russell,
551 U.S. 205, 214 (2007).
McSwain’s motion for reconsideration, appropriately construed as
a Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b) motion, see In re Burnley,
988 F.2d 1, 3
(4th Cir. 1992), was not effective to toll the appeal period
from the underlying judgment. See Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(4)(A).
Accordingly, we dismiss this portion of the appeal for lack of
jurisdiction.
Turning to the denial of McSwain’s post-judgment
motions, we limit appellate review to those issues raised in the
informal brief. 4th Cir. R. 34(b). We conclude that the
district court did not abuse its discretion in determining that
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McSwain failed to make the requisite showing for Rule 60(b)
relief or for recusal. See Cent. Tel. Co. of Va. v. Sprint
Commc’ns Co. of Va.,
715 F.3d 501, 515 (4th Cir.) (standard of
review for recusal decisions), cert. denied, 134 S. Ct. 423
(2013); Aikens v. Ingram,
652 F.3d 496, 501 (4th Cir. 2011) (en
banc) (standard of review for Rule 60(b) motions); Belue v.
Leventhal,
640 F.3d 567, 572-74 (4th Cir. 2011) (discussing
requirements for judicial recusal); Dowell v. State Farm Fire &
Cas. Auto. Ins. Co.,
993 F.2d 46, 48 (4th Cir. 1993) (describing
requirements for relief under Rule 60(b)). Accordingly,
although we grant leave to proceed in forma pauperis, we affirm
the district court’s rulings in these orders. We dispense with
oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are
adequately presented in the materials before this court and
argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED IN PART;
DISMISSED IN PART
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