High Court Says Voluntarily Dismissed Actions Can Later Be Eligible for Reopening

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that voluntarily dismissed lawsuits can later be eligible for special judicial relief and reopening, even if they would ordinarily be barred by a statute of limitations.

In a Feb. 26 opinion, the unanimous high court, led by Justice Samuel Alito, held that Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b) allows courts to grant relief from a “final judgment, order, or proceeding,” which includes voluntary dismissals.

Gary Waetzig filed a federal age-discrimination lawsuit against his former employer Halliburton Energy Services Inc. He later submitted his claims for arbitration, and voluntarily dismissed his action …