Gaito v. Strauss
Gaito v. Strauss
Opinion of the Court
OPINION OF THE COURT
This is an appeal from the order of the United States District Court for the
To the extent that the complaint sought damages, we affirm on the basis of the District Court’s conclusion that the action was barred by applicable statutes of limitations. 249 F.Supp. at 931-933. This disposition makes unnecessary any discussion of the other grounds argued by appellant against the judgment of the District Court on the damage phase.
Appellant’s claim for equitable relief would not, however, be barred by these limitations. See 2 Moore, Federal Practice, § 307[3] (1965). But the District Court could not treat his civil rights complaint as a petition for habeas corpus since the warden of the state prison in which the appellant was incarcerated was not a party, nor does it appear that the complaint alleged other prerequisites for relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Moreover, as the District Court observed, no other form of equitable relief was applicable. 249 F.Supp. at 930.
Finally, the appellant notes specially in his reply brief that in the interim between the decision of the District Court and this appeal, the conviction of his co-defendant and brother, Frank Gaito, was vacated by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court because of the admission of an illegally obtained confession. Commonwealth ex rel. Gaito v. Maroney, 422 Pa. 171, 220 A.2d 628 (1966). This circumstance can have no bearing on the grounds for affirmance here.
Thus the order of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania of February 3, 1966 granting the motions to dismiss the complaint will be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Joseph GAITO v. Samuel STRAUSS, Edward E. Fagan, Ralph B. Miller, Gregory Scorzafave, Jr., Edward C. Boyle, William Clany Smith, Dennis Timpona, Mike Levine, Robert W. Duggan, Edwin J. Martin
- Cited By
- 14 cases
- Status
- Published