Source: https://m.openjurist.org/546/f2d/693
Timestamp: 2020-02-26 01:30:55
Document Index: 799374476

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1361', '§ 1331', '§ 1343', '§ 1361', '§ 1331', '§ 34', '§ 1331', '§ 1981', '§ 1981', '§ 1981', '§ 1981', '§ 1343', '§ 1343', '§ 701', '§ 3766']

546 F. 2d 693 - City of Milwaukee v. Saxbe
546 F2d 693 City of Milwaukee v. Saxbe
546 F.2d 693
13 Fair Empl.Prac.Cas. 1425,
12 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 11,235
CITY OF MILWAUKEE, Plaintiff-Appellant,
William SAXBE, in his capacity as Attorney General of the
United States of America, his officers, agents, officials
and employees, their successors and all others acting in
concert or cooperation with them or at their direction or
control, Defendants-Appellees.
The question whether or not there is subject matter jurisdiction in a case is open to challenge at any time and at any level of adjudication of the cause. Rule 12(h)(3), Fed.R.Civ.P.; Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Ry. v. Swan, 111 U.S. 379, 4 S.Ct. 510, 28 L.Ed. 462 (1884). The district court ruled that it possessed jurisdiction of the action by virtue of 28 U.S.C. § 1361, and the Attorney General submits that this ruling was erroneous. We agree. City notes, however, that the district court did not pass upon the question of 28 U.S.C. § 1331 or 28 U.S.C. § 1343(4) jurisdiction. City argues that the district court had judicial power under those statutory provisions to adjudicate the merits of the cause. The law of this circuit tends to support the appellant's contention, but the matter is not completely free of doubt. Accordingly, we shall review the decisional law in order to put the jurisdictional question in proper perspective.4
A. Section 1361 Jurisdiction
In Holmes v. United States Board of Parole, 541 F.2d 1243 (7th Cir. 1976), this court held that the plaintiff's allegations regarding arbitrary classification as a special offender, the denial of a hearing in order to contest the evidence upon which the special offender classification was based, and the denial of parole based upon official consideration of the challenged special offender classification sufficiently alleged a clear, ministerial, and nondiscretionary duty as to establish jurisdiction under the mandamus statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1361. Citing Lovallo v. Froehlke, 468 F.2d 340, 343 (2d Cir. 1972), cert. denied, 411 U.S. 918, 93 S.Ct. 1555, 36 L.Ed.2d 310 (1973), this court recognized that
Holmes, supra at 1247 n. 5. Accord, City of Highland Park v. Train, 519 F.2d 681, 691 (7th Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 424 U.S. 927, 96 S.Ct. 1141, 47 L.Ed.2d 337 (1976).
B. Section 1331 Jurisdiction
City cites Gautreaux v. Romney, 448 F.2d 731 (7th Cir. 1971), in support of its argument that the district court possessed subject matter jurisdiction by virtue of 28 U.S.C. § 1331. Although the Attorney General has cited no contrary authority in this court, the record discloses that in a memorandum filed in the district court, the Attorney General asserted that the complaint did not allege facts from which a monetary value of the claim in excess of the jurisdictional amount could be inferred, relying on this court's decision in Giancana v. Johnson, 335 F.2d 366 (7th Cir. 1964), cert. denied, 379 U.S. 1001, 85 S.Ct. 718, 13 L.Ed. 702 (1965).
In Calvin v. Conlisk, 520 F.2d 1, 8-9 (7th Cir. 1975) (Calvin I ), vacated, 424 U.S. 902, 96 S.Ct. 1093, 47 L.Ed.2d 307 (1976), the panel's opinion recognized that the Gautreaux affirmance could be viewed as a departure from the "tough" approach taken to the valuation of constitutional rights by this court in Giancana, supra. The Calvin I opinion5 stated that a reconciliation of Gautreaux and Giancana was not necessary for a disposition of the appeal under consideration, inasmuch as the panel was able to conclude independently that the rights which the plaintiffs alleged would be protected by the success of the suit were satisfactorily shown to be worth $10,000. The opinion observed that there had been considerable discussion in the cases and among the commentators regarding the question of the monetary worth, for purposes of establishing the jurisdictional amount under Section 1331, of an action seeking an injunction against allegedly unconstitutional conduct.
Some courts compute the amount on the basis of the value to the plaintiff of the right he seeks to protect. See, e. g., Glenwood Light & Water Co. v. Mutual Light, Heat & Power Co., 239 U.S. 121, 126, 36 S.Ct. 30, 60 L.Ed. 174 (1915). Others look to the pecuniary result to either party which the judgment would produce. See, e. g., Ronzio v. Denver & R. G. W. R.R., 116 F.2d 604, 606 (10th Cir. 1940). This is the preference of Professor Wright, see C. Wright, Federal Courts § 34, at 119 (2d ed. 1970), and the rule we favor. Tatum v. Laird, supra, 144 U.S.App.D.C. 72, at 76 & n. 6, 444 F.2d 947, at 951 & n. 6.
An application of the "either party" Ronzio test would sustain jurisdiction in the present case. Under that decision, the test for determining the amount in controversy is the pecuniary result to either party which the judgment would directly produce. We have no difficulty in concluding that a judgment requiring the Attorney General to investigate the hiring and promotional practices of the outlying suburban communities and of initiating, on a nondiscriminatory basis, pattern and practice suits against them would vastly exceed the jurisdictional amount. On the other hand, measuring the amount in controversy by the value of City's right to be free from discriminatory prosecution would, at least on the present record, likely defeat the existence of § 1331 jurisdiction. See generally Senate Select Com. on Pres. Campaign Activities v. Nixon, 366 F.Supp. 51, 59-61 (D.D.C.1973).
In the present case, unlike Giancana, supra, there was an express allegation that the amount in controversy exceeded the jurisdictional minimum. It is important to note that the "good faith" test, see St. Paul Mercury Indemnity Co. v. Red Cab Co., 303 U.S. 283, 288, 58 S.Ct. 586, 82 L.Ed. 845 (1938); see also Bell v. Preferred Life Assur. Society, 320 U.S. 238, 64 S.Ct. 5, 88 L.Ed. 15 (1943), is not applicable in the present case. The basic reasons for a different approach in injunction suits has been stated thus:
In damage cases the plaintiff stands to gain whatever the court may award him, so the amount is necessarily a matter of speculation before trial, unless there are legal limits to the possible award. But in an injunction suit, for example, the amount at stake is an objective fact, often as ascertainable before as after trial, and the good-faith test does not apply; if challenged, the plaintiff must prove the amount is sufficient. See, e. g., Hague v. CIO, 307 U.S. 496, (59 S.Ct. 954, 83 L.Ed. 1423) (1939) (Roberts, J., concurring).
C. Section 1343(4) Jurisdiction
In Baker, supra, black plaintiffs asserted violations of the Fifth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Amendments and 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1985(3), invoking jurisdiction under Section 1343(4) against private parties, federal officials, and certain federal agencies. This court refused to accept the Government's position that neither it nor its instrumentalities were subject to suits for damages under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1982 for violations of the Fifth and Thirteenth Amendments. We find nothing in the recent Supreme Court decisions construing the reach of 42 U.S.C. § 1981, see Runyon v. McCrary, 427 U.S. 160, 96 S.Ct. 2586, 49 L.Ed.2d 415 (1976); McDonald v. Santa Fe Trail Transp. Co., 427 U.S. 273, 96 S.Ct. 2574, 49 L.Ed.2d 493 (1976), which requires modification or reconsideration of our Baker ruling. Nor do our more recent decisions require holding at this point that City's allegations of Fifth Amendment and § 1981 violations were insufficient to make out jurisdiction under § 1343(4).6 Accordingly, we hold that the district court had subject matter jurisdiction by virtue of 28 U.S.C. § 1343(4).III. Sufficiency of the Complaint
Initially, we note that City argues that the district court's dismissal of the action for failure to state a claim was erroneous because of its acceptance of the administrative convenience of the Attorney General as a full and complete defense to the claim and its taking judicial notice of the limited resources of the Attorney General as a factual basis making his selection of the City of Milwaukee for prosecution a reasonable one.7 City's formulation of the issues on appeal misconstrues the function of this appellate tribunal. It is our task to review final judgments, not to pass upon the cogency or the lack thereof of any particular rationale upon which the district court may rely. It is well settled that on appeal a litigant is entitled to rely on any ground for affirmance, whether or not passed upon by the trial court. Dandridge v. Williams, 397 U.S. 471, 475 n. 6, 90 S.Ct. 1153, 25 L.Ed.2d 491 (1970). Accord, Moraine Products v. ICI America, Inc.,538 F.2d 134, 149 (7th Cir. 1976), petitions for cert. filed, 45 U.S.L.W. 3193 (September 15, 1976) (Nos. 390, 391).
A. The Fifth Amendment Claim
An allegation that the effect of enforcement decisions is racial discrimination is insufficient as a matter of law. In Washington v. Davis, 426 U.S. 229, 96 S.Ct. 2040, 48 L.Ed.2d 597 (1976), the Supreme Court clarified the proper constitutional rule. The Court expressed disagreement with a series of civil rights cases which had rested on or expressed the view that proof of discriminatory racial purpose was unnecessary in making out a constitutional violation. Id. at 242-248, 96 S.Ct. at 2040. It is now clear that the decisional law has not embraced the proposition that an "official act, without regard to whether it reflects a racially discriminatory purpose, is unconstitutional solely because it has a racially disproportionate impact." Id. at 239, 96 S.Ct. at 2047. (Emphasis in original.) In the light of Washington v. Davis, we hold that City's assertion of a Fifth Amendment violation by the Attorney General does not state a claim for which relief can be granted. We note that City's brief to this court disclaims any design on its part to assert its claim as a defense to any action on the part of the Attorney General to enforce equal employment opportunities for minorities as it relates to the City of Milwaukee. The claim allegedly was interposed for the purpose of alleviating the segregative effect resulting from the asserted discriminatory enforcement policy and practice of the defendants. On the basis of these assertions, we conclude that the district court properly dismissed the action on the merits rather than allowing City to replead.
B. The Statutory Claims
The concept of broad prosecutorial discretion has often been discussed in the cases. See, e. g., Peek v. Mitchell, 419 F.2d 575 (6th Cir. 1970); Newman v. United States, 127 U.S.App.D.C. 263, 382 F.2d 479 (1967); Smith v. United States, 375 F.2d 243 (5th Cir. 1967), cert. denied, 389 U.S. 841, 88 S.Ct. 76, 19 L.Ed.2d 106; United States v. Cox, 342 F.2d 167 (5th Cir. 1965), cert. denied, 381 U.S. 935, 85 S.Ct. 1767, 14 L.Ed.2d 700. Our decision in Falk, supra, was never intended to authorize judicial review of prosecutorial decisions in a case where insufficient allegations of intentional, purposeful, or unconstitutional prosecutorial selectivity are present.
We also note that this court in Sanders v. Weinberger, 522 F.2d 1167, 1169-71 (7th Cir. 1975), cert. granted sub nom. Matthews v. Sanders, 426 U.S. 905, 96 S.Ct. 2225, 48 L.Ed.2d 829 (1976), recognized that Section 10 of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 701-706, authorizes judicial review of final agency action for which there is no other adequate remedy in a court except when statutes preclude judicial review or the challenged action is committed to agency discretion by law. This court in Sanders followed those circuits holding that Section 10 contains an independent grant of subject matter jurisdiction without regard to the amount in controversy
The vacation of the judgment by the Supreme Court led to Calvin v. Conlisk, 534 F.2d 1251 (7th Cir. 1976) (Calvin II ), which affirmed and remanded the order appealed from. Although Calvin I has no technical precedential value, the opinion therein rendered does provide some assistance in approaching the valuation question present in this case
42 U.S.C. § 3766(c)(3) provides: