Bausch and Lomb_Opposition_2_RamirezWritofCert_2017-03-14
STATEMENT OF THE CASE Carlos Ramirez sued Bausch & Lomb, Inc., in Florida state court.2 (A.55). Bausch & Lomb removed the case to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida3 on the basis of diversity jurisdiction in September 2010. (A.55). After removal, Ramirez amended his complaint and proceeded exclusively under Florida's Private Whistleblower Act, Fla. Stat. § 448.101 et seq. (Id.). Ramirez was represented by counsel at all times during the proceedings before the district court. (A.55-68). The district court entered summary judgment in favor of Bausch & Lomb on August 10, 2012, and Ramirez, proceeding pro se, timely filed a notice of appeal with the Eleventh Circuit, in Case No. 12-14669-E. (A.65, 66). During that appeal, Ramirez failed to timely file record excerpts, and his appeal was dismissed on December 17, 2013. (R.A.1, 2). On December 31, 2013, Rsmirez submitted a motion to reinstate the appeal, pursuant to Eleventh Circuit Rules 42-2 and 42-3, claiming that a clerk at the district court had unintentionally misled him to believe that the record excerpts would be forwarded to the Eleventh Circuit by the district court. (R.A.3-10). The motion was granted and the appeal was reinstated on February 11, 2014. (R.A.11-12). The Eleventh Circuit later vacated the summary judgment order and remanded for further proceedings. (A.17-25). 2 Case No. 2010-CA-11240 (Fla. 13th Jud. Cir. Ct., in and for Hillsborough County). 3 Case No. 8:10-cv-02003-MSS-TGW (Hon. Mary S. Scriven). 5
After remand, the district court again entered summary judgment in favor of Bausch & Lomb on April 3, 2015. (A.4). Ramirez appealed again, pro se, on April 30, 2015. (A.53-54). As stated in the Petition (p. 3), Ramirez represented throughout the appeal that he had an unstable housing situation and that his access to computers was limited to the hours of operation for the public library system. (e.g., A.70). Ramirez received mail through general delivery at the local post office (A.3). Ramirez sometimes did not timely retrieve documents sent to him by the court. (e.g., Petitioner's Motion for Extension of February 11, 2016, p. 5, R.A.13-20). In September 2015, after receiving three extensions of time, Ramirez filed an initial brief and appendix. (A.48-49). Bausch & Lomb filed a response brief along with a motion to strike portions of Ramirez's brief and appendix, which included more than sixty pages of material not contained in the record on appeal. (A.50, 74-86). On January 29, 2016, the Eleventh Circuit struck Ramirez's brief and appendix in their entirety, along with Bausch & Lomb's brief, and directed Ramirez to file a corrected brief and appendix within 30 days. (A.26-27, 50-51). Ramirez sought and received two subsequent extensions of time, and, almost a year after Ramirez filed his notice of appeal, Ramirez's corrected initial brief and corrected appendix were due on April 11, 2016. (A.51). Ramirez submitted his 6
- Page 1 and 2: Ogletree Deakins Karen M. Morinelli
- Page 3 and 4: QUESTIONS PRESENTED I. D o Federal
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- Page 17 and 18: On November 21, 2016, Ramirez sough
- Page 19 and 20: filing by either party hence, the a
- Page 21 and 22: 2587, 542 U.S. 367, 381 (2004) (cit
- Page 23 and 24: F.3d 1337, 1341 n.2 (11th Cir. 2011
- Page 25 and 26: Simply calling a document a motion
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- Page 35 and 36: Dated March 13, 2017. Respectfully
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After rem<strong>and</strong>, the district court again entered summary judgment in favor of<br />
<strong>Bausch</strong> & <strong>Lomb</strong> on April 3, 2015. (A.4). Ramirez appealed again, pro se, on<br />
April 30, 2015. (A.53-54).<br />
As stated in the Petition (p. 3), Ramirez represented throughout the appeal<br />
that he had an unstable housing situation <strong>and</strong> that his access to computers was<br />
limited to the hours of operation for the public library system. (e.g., A.70).<br />
Ramirez received mail through general delivery at the local post office (A.3).<br />
Ramirez sometimes did not timely retrieve documents sent to him by the court.<br />
(e.g., Petitioner's Motion for Extension of February 11, 2016, p. 5, R.A.13-20).<br />
In September 2015, after receiving three extensions of time, Ramirez filed<br />
an initial brief <strong>and</strong> appendix. (A.48-49). <strong>Bausch</strong> & <strong>Lomb</strong> filed a response brief<br />
along with a motion to strike portions of Ramirez's brief <strong>and</strong> appendix, which<br />
included more than sixty pages of material not contained in the record on appeal.<br />
(A.50, 74-86). On January 29, 2016, the Eleventh Circuit struck Ramirez's brief<br />
<strong>and</strong> appendix in their entirety, along with <strong>Bausch</strong> & <strong>Lomb</strong>'s brief, <strong>and</strong> directed<br />
Ramirez to file a corrected brief <strong>and</strong> appendix within 30 days. (A.26-27, 50-51).<br />
Ramirez sought <strong>and</strong> received two subsequent extensions of time, <strong>and</strong>, almost<br />
a year after Ramirez filed his notice of appeal, Ramirez's corrected initial brief <strong>and</strong><br />
corrected appendix were due on April 11, 2016. (A.51). Ramirez submitted his<br />
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