CRAIG M. KELLISON, Magistrate Judge.
Plaintiff, a prisoner proceeding pro se, brings this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Pending before the court are several motions plaintiff has filed indicating that this case was closed in error. The court has interpreted these motions as a motion for reconsideration. Defendants were ordered to respond to the plaintiff's motions, and those responses have been submitted.
The court may grant reconsideration of a final judgment under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 59(e) and 60. Generally, a motion for reconsideration of a final judgment is appropriately brought under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e).
Alternatively, under Rule 60(b), the court may grant reconsideration of a final judgment and any order based on, among other things: (1) mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect; (2) newly discovered evidence which, with reasonable diligence, could not have been discovered within ten days of entry of judgment; and (3) fraud, misrepresentation, or misconduct of an opposing party. A motion for reconsideration on any of these grounds must be brought within a reasonable time and no later than one year of entry of judgment or the order being challenged.
The basis of plaintiff's motion appears to be mistake or clear error.
On March 29, 2016, the undersigned conducted a settlement conference in one of plaintiff's other cases in this court, case number 2:14-cv-0306-EFB, at High Desert State Prison, as well as a Lassen County Superior Court case, number JC57685. Plaintiff was present and participated in the negotiations with the undersigned acting as mediator between plaintiff and defense counsel who appeared by video conference. During the negotiations, the parties included this case in a global settlement, settling all three cases. Thereafter, the defendants obtained plaintiff's approval of a stipulated dismissal, which was filed with the court on April 4, 2016. Judgment was then entered and this case was closed. Plaintiff now seeks to reopen this case, arguing there was an error and this case was not included as one of the cases settled at the settlement conference.
In response, counsel for the defendants set forth their recollection as to the events during the settlement conference. Counsel recalls it was plaintiff's suggestion to settle this case as part of a global settlement of all of plaintiff's cases. As such, the defendants offered a larger settlement in consideration of settling all three cases. Counsel present for the defendants in the settlement conference case then contacted counsel for the defendants in this case, who approved the global settlement. In support of the defendants' version of events, counsel has provided the court with a declaration of Deputy Attorney General Aseil Mohmoud, who participated in the settlement conference on behalf of the defendants in a third case, the Lassen County Superior Court case. Defense counsel sets forth the events of the day, including the negotiation of a global settlement of all three of plaintiff's cases, and explained that because the agreed upon settlement included a transfer of property the settlement agreements had to be modified. Plaintiff was later presented with settlement agreements for the three cases, which he agreed to and signed.
The court's recollection of the events concurs with the defense counsel's. This is supported by the stipulations for dismissal plaintiff signed. As plaintiff indicates, the parties were separated during the negotiations, with the undersigned communicating with them individually. This is typically how settlement conferences are conducted so the parties may discuss their case freely without the opposing party present. The negotiator then communicates between the parties. Following the successful negotiation, plaintiff was presented with three separate stipulations for dismissal, and it was explained to plaintiff what he was agreeing to and what he was getting in exchange for the three stipulated dismissals. Plaintiff stated he understood and agreed to the global settlement.
Plaintiff's claim
Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff's motions for reconsideration (Docs. 33, 34, 35, 36, 40) are denied.