T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on a nd i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T I n r e : I N TERN A TI O N A L BU SI N ESS PRO PERTI ES,

D ebt or, A R T H U R G . L A W R E N C E , pa rtne rof Int ernat i on al B usi ness P ropert i es and as an I n d iv id u a l, A p p e lla n t, v . C OU NT Y O F R I VE R S I DE ; T OM MUL L E N; C AT HE DR AL C I T Y; CATHEDRAL C I TY R E DE VE L OP ME NT AG E NC Y,

A p p el l ees, UN I TE D STATE S T RUST EE ,

T ru s te e . N o. 09- 60041 B AP No . 0 8 - 0 1 1 2 9 - Mo HD ME MOR AN DU M *

A p p e a l f r o m th e N in th C ir c u it B ankrup t cyA pp el l at e P anel H ol l ow e l l , M ont a l i a nd D unn, B a nkrupt c yJudge s , P r e s i di ng 

# FI LED MA Y09 2 011 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALST he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). 2 S ubm i tt e d M a y3, 2011 ** P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: P R E G E R S O N , F IS H E R an dB E R Z O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. A rth u rG . La w r e n c e ap p e a l s th e Ba n k ru p t c yA p p e l l a t e Pa n e l ’ s ( BA P) di s m i s s a l of

hi s appe a l f

orf a i l ur e t o pr os e c ut e a nd the B A P ’ s de ni a l of hi s m ot i ons f orr e c ons i de r a t i on. W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on unde r28 U . S . C . § 158( d) , w e r e vi e w f or a n ab u s e o f

d is c r e tio n , se e I

n re M orriss ey , 34 9 F . 3d 11 87 , 11 90 (9th C i r. 20 03 ), a n dw e a f

f i rm. L a w r e n c e r e c e iv e dr e p e a te dw a rn in g s f r o m th e B A P th a t h is ap p e a l w o u ld be di sm i ss ed i f he f

ai l ed t o p rose cut e. H e r ec ei ved w arni ng s i n tw o b ri ef i ng orders in Ju n e 2 0 0 8 a n dA p r il 2 0 0 9 . I n as e p a r a te A p r il 2 0 0 9 o r d e r , th e B A P s a idth a t,

“ G i ven the age of these appeal s, the part i es have had suffi ci entt i m e t o p re pare th e ira r g u m e n ts ” ; th e o r d e ra ls o w a rn e dth a t “R e q u e s ts f o re x te n s io n o f

tim e w ill no tbe vi ew ed favo rabl y. ” I n a M ay20 09 order, the B A P w arned L aw re nce that hi s c on t i nu ed fa i l ure t o com pl y w i th h i s obl i gat i on t o d es i gn at e the re cord “ m ay re su ltin d ism issa l o f th e ap p ea l o r s u m m ary a ff irm an ce o f th e b an k ru p tcy c o u rt’s deci si on . ” A nd i n ano ther M ay20 09 order, the B A P grant ed L aw re nce an e x te n s io n o f

tim e in w h ic h to f

ile h is o p e n in g b r ie f

w ith th e c le a ra d m o n itio n th a t:3

“ I f M r . L a w r e nc e doe s notf i l e a nd s e rve hi s ope ni ng br i e f a nd e xc e rpt s by F R I D A Y , J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 0 9 , h is ap p e a l . . . w i l l b e DI S MI SS E D f o rf a ilu r e to prosec ut e w i tho utf

urther not i ce to the pa rt i es ” ( e m pha s i s a dde d) . I nde e d, L aw re nce und er st oo d and ac ce pt ed thatno m ore e xt ensi on s w ou l d b e gi ven be y ond J une 12, 2009: i n hi s M a y2009 r e que s tt o e xt e nd the de a dl i ne f or desi gn at i ng the re cord un t i l June 12 , he w rot e thathe w as as ki ng for a“ f i nal ex te ns i on . . . f

o rth e f ilin g o f th e o p e n in g b r ie f

a n dth e o th e rd o c u m e n ts r e q u ir e dto b e f ile din th is ap p e a l” ( e m p h a s is a d d e d ) . L a w r e n c e n o n e th e le s s f a ile dto f ile e i the rhi s ope ni ng br i e f

orthe de s i gna t i on of

r e c or d on June 12, i ns t e a d f i l i ng a m ot i on f oral e ngthy , thr e e - m onth e xt e ns i on. T he B A P ga ve s ound r e a s ons f orthe di s m i s s a l , a nd L a w r e nc e ha s not r e butt e d the m . T he B A P not e d c orr e c t l ytha tthe appe a lha d be e n pe ndi ng f or14 m onths a nd tha tL a w r e nc e the r e f or e ha d ha d “ a m pl e t i m e t o pr e pa r e hi s ope ni ng bri ef . ” A l tho ug h the bri ef

i ng sc hedu l e w as suspended for a t i m e pendi ng fi nal a c tio n in th e b a n k ru p tc yc o u rt, L a w r e n c e h a d“k n o w n s in c e M a y2 0 0 8 th a t h is b r ie f w o u ldu ltim a te lyb e d u e .” T h e B A P a ls o n o te dc o rr e c tlyth a t, “w h ile u n ab le t o pr e pa r e abr i e f

f orthi s appe a l , ” L a w r e nc e ha d be e n “ abl e t o f i l e hi s ope ni ng bri ef ” i n ano ther app ea l . Itm akes no di ff er ence w hether L aw re nce f i l ed the bri ef i n th e rel at edcase o n h i s o w n o r w i th th e h el p o f o th ers.4

A c c or di ngl y , w e hol d tha tthe B A P di d notabus e i t s di s c r e t i on by di s m i s s i ng L a w r e nc e ’ s appe a l f orf a i l ur e t o pr os e c ut e a nd byde ny i ng hi s m ot i ons for r ec on si dera t i on . B ec ause w e a ff i rm the B A P ’ s di sm i ss al , w e do n otconsi der L a w r e n c e ’s c h a lle n g e s to th e b a n k ru p tc yc o u rt’s d e c is io n s . See M orriss ey , 349 F . 3d a t1190. L aw re nce’ s m ot i on s f

or j ud i ci al no t i ce and t o aug m entthe re cord on appeal a r e d e n ie da s m o o t. AF F I RME D.