Background
Andrew W. Bell, proceeding pro se, appealed the district court’s dismissal of his case. Following the appeal, the Eleventh Circuit ordered the district court to rule on Bell’s pending motion for reconsideration. The district court subsequently granted the motion, vacated the dismissal, and reopened the case.
The court’s reasoning
The court held that because the district court vacated the dismissal that was the subject of the appeal, the appeal is now moot. The court cited Mobley v. Palm Beach Cnty. Sheriff Dep’t, 783 F.3d 1347, 1352 (11th Cir. 2015), for the proposition that an order reopening a case and reinstating the original complaint moots an appeal of an earlier order dismissing that complaint. The court further noted that it lacks authority to adjudicate moot controversies.
What it means going forward
The appeal is terminated without a decision on the merits, and all pending motions are denied as moot.