No. 21-591

Donald J. Fowler v. Securities and Exchange Commission

Lower Court: Second Circuit
Docketed: 2021-10-22
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: civil-penalties civil-penalty civil-procedure constitutional-limits disgorgement excessive-penalties private-agreement sec-enforcement statute-of-limitations subject-matter-jurisdiction
Key Terms:
Punishment Securities Jurisdiction
Latest Conference: 2021-12-03
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Where 28 U.S.C. § 2462 permits tolling of 5-year statute of limitations by private agreement

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED 1. Where 28 U.S.C. § 2462 provides in relevant part that, “[e]xcept as otherwise provided by Act of Congress, an action, suit or proceeding for the enforcement of any civil fine, penalty, or forfeiture, pecuniary or otherwise, shall not be entertained unless commenced within five years from the date when the claim first accrued...,” may the district court exercise subject matter jurisdiction over an action commenced more than five years after accrual of the claim, where the parties by private agreement purport to have tolled the five-year period? 2. May the district court enter a civil penalty in an SEC enforcement action that is more than 18 times the disgorgement amount (before interest), thereby exceeding the $150,000 cap set by Congress in 15 U.S.C. § 77t(d)(2), without contravening the Constitutional prohibition against excessive penalties reflected in the Court’s prior decisions?

Docket Entries

2021-12-06
Petition DENIED.
2021-11-16
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/3/2021.
2021-11-08
Waiver of right of respondent Securities and Exchange Commission to respond filed.
2021-10-19
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due November 22, 2021)

Attorneys

Donald J. Fowler
Kenneth Marc BialoEmmet, Marvin & Martin, LLP, Petitioner
Kenneth Marc BialoEmmet, Marvin & Martin, LLP, Petitioner
Securities and Exchange Commission
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent