Martinez v. Hoke

Decision Date20 October 1994
Docket NumberNo. 94-2179,94-2179
Citation38 F.3d 655
PartiesHector A. MARTINEZ, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Robert HOKE, Superintendent, Eastern Correctional Facility, Respondent-Appellee.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit

Hector A. Martinez, pro se.

Nancy F. Talcott, Brooklyn, NY, for respondent-appellee.

Before OAKES, KEARSE, and MINER, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

Petitioner Hector A. Martinez has moved for a certificate of probable cause to permit him to appeal from a judgment entered in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, I. Leo Glasser, Judge, denying his petition for a writ of habeas corpus, and has moved for the appointment of counsel in connection with such an appeal. For the reasons that follow, we sua sponte dismiss the appeal for lack of appellate jurisdiction, and we therefore deny the motions as moot.

Under Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(1), a notice of appeal in a civil case to which the United States is not a party must be filed within 30 days of entry of the judgment from which appeal is taken. This requirement is "mandatory and jurisdictional." Griggs v. Provident Consumer Discount Co., 459 U.S. 56, 61, 103 S.Ct. 400, 403, 74 L.Ed.2d 225 (1982) (per curiam) (internal quotes omitted); Browder v. Director, Illinois Department of Corrections, 434 U.S. 257, 264, 98 S.Ct. 556, 560-61, 54 L.Ed.2d 521 (1978). A court of appeals has no authority to extend the time for filing a notice of appeal. See, e.g., Fed.R.App.P. 26(b); Matarese v. LeFevre, 801 F.2d 98, 105 (2d Cir.1986), cert. denied, 480 U.S. 908, 107 S.Ct. 1353, 94 L.Ed.2d 523 (1987).

The district court has the power, upon a showing of excusable neglect, to extend the time for filing a notice of appeal if the motion for such an extension is filed not later than 30 days after the expiration of the time provided by Rule 4(a)(1). See Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(5); Campos v. LeFevre, 825 F.2d 671, 672-76 (2d Cir.1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 1014, 108 S.Ct. 718, 98 L.Ed.2d 667 (1988). The district court lacks jurisdiction under Rule 4(a)(5) to grant a motion that is filed beyond the 30-day extension period. See, e.g., Melton v. Frank, 891 F.2d 1054, 1056 (2d Cir.1989) ("If ... the motion to extend is not filed within subdivision (a)(5)'s grace period, the district court is without power to grant an extension.").

In addition to the power granted in Rule 4(a)(5), if the district court finds that a party entitled to receive notice of the entry of a judgment did not receive such notice from the clerk of the court or from any other party within 21 days of entry of the judgment, the court may, upon motion and in the absence of prejudice to any other party, "reopen the time for appeal for a period of 14 days from the date of entry of the order reopening the time for appeal." Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(6). However, such a motion for reopening of the time for appeal may be granted only if it was "filed within 180 days of entry of the judgment ... or within 7 days of receipt of such notice, whichever is earlier." Id. (emphasis added). Thus, even where a party did not receive notice of entry of the judgment within 21 days of entry, the district court lacks jurisdiction under Rule 4(a)(6) to reopen the time for appeal if the motion for such a reopening is made more than seven days...

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  • Cordon v. Greiner, 00 Civ. 8927(WK).
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York
    • July 29, 2003
    ...that the petitioner had received notice of the entry of a separate judgment in a habeas corpus proceeding); cf. Martinez v. Hoke, 38 F.3d 655, 656-657 (2d Cir.1994) (measuring a petitioner's compliance with Rule 4(a)(6) from the date upon which he received notice of the entry of the distric......
  • Brown v. Lilly
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (2nd Circuit)
    • August 18, 2011
    ...to extend the deadline for filing [a] notice of appeal.” Matarese v. LeFevre, 801 F.2d 98, 105 (2d Cir.1986); see also Martinez v. Hoke, 38 F.3d 655, 656 (2d Cir.1994). Moreover, the Clerk of Court or her representative is authorized to decide only “routine, unopposed procedural motions,” L......
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    • June 17, 1997
    ...the date of entry of the order granting the motion, whichever is later, but may not extend it further. See, e.g., Martinez v. Hoke, 38 F.3d 655, 656 (2d Cir.1994) (per curiam); Matarese v. LeFevre, 801 F.2d at 104-05; Moore v. Nelson, 611 F.2d 434, 436 n. 4 (2d Cir.1979); In re Orbitec Corp......
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    ...H & R Block, Inc., 182 F.3d 144 (2nd Cir.1999); Canfield v. Van Atta Buick/ GMC Truck, Inc., 127 F.3d 248 (2nd Cir.1997); Martinez v. Hoke, 38 F.3d 655 (2nd Cir.1994); In re Cosmopolitan Aviation Corporation, 763 F.2d 507 (2nd Since the claimants also argue that their failure to file a time......
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