Zarrin v. Beit-Dashtoo ( 1996 )


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  • UNPUBLISHED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
    YOUSSEF ZARRIN,
    Plaintiff-Appellant,
    v.
    No. 95-2734
    YOURI BEIT-DASHTOO; NAHID
    ABMADPOUR,
    Defendants-Appellees.
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Alexandria.
    Claude M. Hilton, District Judge.
    (CA-94-1701-A)
    Submitted: May 16, 1996
    Decided: May 30, 1996
    Before RUSSELL, LUTTIG, and WILLIAMS, Circuit Judges.
    _________________________________________________________________
    Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
    _________________________________________________________________
    COUNSEL
    Eric Stanley Wiener, Arlington, Virginia; Martin F. McMahon, MAR-
    TIN F. MCMAHON & ASSOCIATES, Washington, D.C., for Appel-
    lant. Mary Jean Fassett, CONLON, FRANTZ, PHELAN, KNAPP &
    PIRES, Washington, D.C., for Appellees.
    _________________________________________________________________
    Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See
    Local Rule 36(c).
    _________________________________________________________________
    OPINION
    PER CURIAM:
    Plaintiff Youssef Zarrin appeals from a consent judgment entered
    in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Vir-
    ginia.* The judgment dismissed a lawsuit Zarrin filed to bar the
    enforcement of a construction contract. Because the district court
    entered the judgment with the consent of the parties, we affirm with-
    out reaching the merits.
    Although the notice of appeal specifically appeals from only the
    court's final Agreed Order of Dismissal entered on August 21, 1995,
    Zarrin's brief challenges the court's earlier orders to stay proceedings
    pending arbitration and denying Zarrin's motion for reconsideration
    of that order. Where the notice of appeal designates specific rulings
    being appealed, this court has no jurisdiction to review other judg-
    ments or issues which are not expressly referred to or impliedly
    intended for appeal. C.A. May Marine Supply Co. v. Brunswick Corp.,
    
    649 F.2d 1049
    , 1056 (5th Cir.) (disallowance of attorney fees not
    appealed when notice of appeal referred only to denial of motion for
    a new trial), cert. denied, 
    454 U.S. 1125
     (1981).
    Even if the notice of appeal could be construed to include the ear-
    lier orders, Zarrin's appeal is barred. The district court's final order,
    entitled "Agreed Order of Dismissal," states in part that "Plaintiff's
    claims, in their entirety, against the Defendants are hereby dismissed
    with prejudice." Counsel for both parties signed the order. It is well
    established that, in general, a party to a consent judgment waives any
    objections to matters within the scope of the judgment. Mock v. T.G.
    & Y. Stores Co., 
    971 F.2d 522
    , 526 (10th Cir. 1992); White v.
    Commissioner, 
    776 F.2d 976
    , 977 (11th Cir. 1985); Thonen v.
    Jenkins, 
    455 F.2d 977
    , 977 (4th Cir. 1972). Cf. Young-Henderson v.
    _________________________________________________________________
    *This court granted the parties' motions to submit on briefs.
    2
    Spartanburg Area Mental Health Ctr., 
    945 F.2d 770
    , 774-75 (4th Cir.
    1991) (recognizing that parties may utilize a consent order to bar
    appeals). Parties may obtain relief on appeal from a consent judgment
    only upon a showing of lack of consent, lack of federal jurisdiction,
    or mistake, or where the stipulation of judgment expressly recognizes
    the parties' intent to appeal. Swift & Co. v. United States, 
    276 U.S. 311
    , 324 (1928); Clark v. Housing Auth. of Alma , 
    971 F.2d 723
    , 726
    (11th Cir. 1992); Coughlin v. Regan, 
    768 F.2d 468
    , 470 (1st Cir.
    1985).
    None of the exceptions to the general rule barring appeals from
    consent orders apply here. Consequently, we affirm the district
    court's order dismissing the action.
    AFFIRMED
    3