Taylor v. Sutton ( 1998 )


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  •                               UNPUBLISHED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
    No. 97-6435
    CHARLIE M. TAYLOR,
    Plaintiff - Appellant,
    versus
    ERNEST R. SUTTON; HOWARD HEADMAN,
    Defendants - Appellees.
    Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern Dis-
    trict of North Carolina, at Raleigh. James C. Fox, District Judge.
    (CA-95-706-5-F)
    Submitted:   March 26, 1998                 Decided:   April 6, 1998
    Before WIDENER and MOTZ, Circuit Judges, and BUTZNER, Senior
    Circuit Judge.
    Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
    Charlie M. Taylor, Appellant Pro Se. Neil Clark Dalton, NORTH
    CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Raleigh, North Carolina, for
    Appellees.
    Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
    See Local Rule 36(c).
    PER CURIAM:
    Appellant appeals the district court's order denying his mo-
    tion for new judgment and motion to set aside summary judgment for
    Appellees on Appellant's 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim. Because we find
    that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying
    Appellant's motion to set aside judgment, we affirm.
    This court reviews a district court's denial of a Fed. R. Civ.
    P. 60(b) motion to set aside judgment for an abuse of discretion.
    NOW v. Operation Rescue, 
    47 F.3d 667
    , 669 (4th Cir. 1995). The
    motion is not intended to be used as a substitute for a timely and
    proper appeal. See Ackermann v. United States, 
    340 U.S. 193
    , 198
    (1950). A party seeking relief under Rule 60(b) must show "``timeli-
    ness, a meritorious defense, a lack of unfair prejudice to the op-
    posing party, and exceptional circumstances.'" Dowell v. State Fire
    & Cas. Auto. Ins. Co., 
    993 F.2d 46
    , 48 (4th Cir. 1993) (quoting
    Werner v. Carbo, 
    731 F.2d 204
    , 206-07 (4th Cir. 1984)).
    In his motion, Appellant merely restates his conclusory alle-
    gations that Appellees violated his civil rights by transferring
    him in retaliation for filing grievances against prison medical
    staff. Because Appellant failed to make the required showing for
    relief under Rule 60(b), we affirm the district court's order. We
    dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions
    are adequately presented in the materials before the court and
    argument would not aid the decisional process.
    AFFIRMED
    2