DocketNumber: No. 04-15418
Citation Numbers: 191 F. App'x 528, 191 Fed. Appx. 528, 191 F. App’x 528
Judges: Fletcher, Hall, Pregerson
Filed Date: 6/29/2006
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 11/23/2022
MEMORANDUM
Plaintiff-Appellant Gary Victor Dubin appeals the district court’s dismissal of his action for “fraud upon the court” under Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Dubin seeks to restore his name and recover money in connection with two matters that he has litigated in the District of Hawaii and this court over the last twelve years.
Several of Dubin’s claims for fraud upon the court arise out of his 1994 criminal convictions for willful failure to file income tax returns.
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, by their own terms, apply only to
Dubin also asserts a claim for fraud upon the court based on the Rule 11 sanction that Judge Ezra imposed in a civil bankruptcy matter. See Kunimoto v. Fidell, 2001 WL 1480656 (9th Cir.2001). He names Judge Ezra, bankruptcy trustee John Candon, and the Bank of Hawaii as defendants. This claim fails as to Judge Ezra based on judicial immunity and as to the other defendants based on Dubin’s failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
A judge is immune from civil actions for damages and claims for “declaratory, injunctive and other equitable relief.” Mullis v. U.S. Bankr.Court, 828 F.2d 1385, 1394 (9th Cir.1987). A judge may be liable: (1) where his actions were taken in clear absence of all jurisdiction, or (2) when he commits a “non-judicial act.” See Stump v. Sparkman, 435 U.S. 349, 357, 360, 98 S.Ct. 1099, 55 L.Ed.2d 331 (1978). Neither of those exceptions existed here. Judge Ezra’s ultimate act—the imposition of Rule 11 sanctions—was unquestionably a judicial act, and it was made in accordance with appropriate jurisdiction. The dismissal of claims against Judge Ezra based on judicial immunity was proper.
Finally, the claims against bankruptcy trustee John Candon and the Bank of Hawaii must be dismissed for failure to state a claim. Dubin maintains that Can-don and the Bank were only included in this action as “nominal defendants” to facilitate recovery of the Rule 11 sanctions. Dubin’s complaint does not ascribe any wrongdoing to either Candon or the Bank, nor does it allege that they played any part in the alleged fraud upon the court. Accordingly, we conclude that it was proper for the district court to dismiss the action as to Candon and the Bank of Hawaii for failure to state a claim.
For the foregoing reasons, the district court is AFFIRMED.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and may not be cited to or by the courts of this circuit except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
. See Kunimoto v. Fidell, 2004 WL 1109485 (9th Cir.2004); Kunimoto v. Fidell, 2001 WL 1480656 (9th Cir.2001); United States v. Dubin, 1998 WL 4734 (9th Cir.1998); United States v. Dubin, 1995 WL 764141 (9th Cir.1995).
. These claims involve the following defendants: District Judges Manuel Real and David Alan Ezra, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Osborne and John Peyton, the United States, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and IRS Investigator Charles Banfe. Judge Ezra is also involved as a defendant regarding the civil Rule 11 sanctions matter discussed below.
. We further note that: (1) defendants Peyton and Banfe may not have been timely served with process under Rule 4(m) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure; (2) defendants Peyton and Osborne may be protected by prosecutorial immunity; (3) Judges Real and Ezra are likely entitled to absolute judicial immunity. We state no opinion as to those defenses. We instead affirm based on subject matter jurisdiction because it is customary for a court to "first resolve doubts about its jurisdiction over the subject matter” before considering other jurisdictional defenses or defenses on the merits. Ruhrgas AG v. Marathon Oil Co., 526 U.S. 574, 578, 119 S.Ct. 1563, 143 L.Ed.2d 760 (1999).
. We observe that the claims against both Candon and the Bank might have also been
. We note, as the district court did, that we must accept as true Dubin's factual allegations for purposes of the motions to dismiss. See Zimmerman v. Or. Dept. of Justice, 170 F.3d 1169, 1171 (9th Cir.1999).