Securities & Exchange Commission v. Hermil, Inc.

VANCE, Circuit Judge:

The central issue in this appeal is whether there exists an ambiguity in the district court’s 1982 final judgment so that five years later the court could restructure the original order of relief among the parties by “interpreting” the judgment. Because we find no ambiguity in the language of the original judgment, we hold that the district court lacked authority to alter its judgment. We therefore vacate the district court’s 1987 order attempting to do so, and hold that the original 1982 decree should be enforced.

*1152I.

This case has lingered in federal court for sixteen…