The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has rejected a litigant’s bid to reopen his police civil rights lawsuit based on claims he was disadvantaged by the untimely death of his attorney, prominent civil rights litigator William Buckman.

Dwight Mitchell’s excessive force lawsuit against the New Jersey State Police was originally dismissed in March 2014. Buckman, who headed a Moorestown firm, died seven months later, in what police said was a suicide. Mitchell claims he last spoke to Buckman in August 2014, and the lawyer assured him at the time that his case was proceeding well.