Source: http://ca.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20070820_0000636.SCA.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2017-01-22 08:27:42
Document Index: 358275854

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157', '§ 157']

| In re Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego
In re Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego
IN RE, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF SAN DIEGO, A CORPORATION SOLE, DEBTOR.JACOB OLIVAS, AN INDIVIDUAL; PATRICK OLIVAS, AN INDIVIDUAL, PLAINTIFFS,v.DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO EDUCATION AND WELFARE CORPORATION, ET AL., DEFENDANTS.
Bankruptcy Case No. 07-00989-LA11
Adversary Case No. 07-90078
The Debtor, the Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego ("Debtor"), has filed a motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(d) to withdraw the reference to the bankruptcy court of 127 personal injury tort adversary actions involving allegations of sexual abuse. The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors ("Committee") has filed an opposition.*fn1 In addition, some of the plaintiffs in the individual adversary actions have filed oppositions joining in the arguments raised by the Committee. The Debtor has filed a reply.*fn2
A hearing was held before Chief Judge Irma E. Gonzalez on August 17, 2007. Susan Boswell, Gerald Kennedy, and Geraldine Valdez appeared on behalf of the Debtor. James Stang and Robert Orgel appeared on behalf of the Committee. Victor Vilaplana appeared on behalf of the Organization of Parishes for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego. Andrea Leavitt, Irwin Zalkin, Christine Bauer, and Laurence Drivon appeared on behalf of some of the individual plaintiffs in the adversary actions. Upon consideration, for the reasons set forth herein, the Debtor's motion is DENIED.
The Debtor moves to withdraw the reference based upon the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 157(d). That section provides as follows:
The Debtor argues this Court must withdraw the reference under the second sentence of § 157(d), or alternatively that it has shown cause allowing this Court to withdraw the reference under the first sentence of § 157(d).
The Debtor argues its challenge to the constitutionality of SB1779 requires withdrawal of the reference for the sexual abuse adversary actions under the second sentence of § 157(d). As set forth above, § 157(d) requires the district court to withdraw the reference to the bankruptcy court of any matter which requires "consideration of both title 11 and other laws of the United States regulating organizations or activities affecting interstate commerce." The Debtor must show: (1) that the adversary proceedings require "material consideration of non-bankruptcy federal law," and (2) that the non-bankruptcy federal law to be considered "regulat[es] organizations or activities affecting interstate commerce." Security Farms v. International Brotherhood, 124 F.3d 999, 1008 (9th Cir. 1997); In re American Freight System, Inc., 150 B.R. 790, 793 (D. Kan. 1993).*fn3
Congress intended the mandatory withdrawal provision to be construed narrowly so as not to create an "escape hatch" by which most bankruptcy matters could easily be removed to the district court. In re Vicars Ins. Agency, Inc., 96 F.3d 949, 952 (7th Cir. 1996). "[S]ending every proceeding that required passing 'consideration' of non-bankruptcy law back to the district court would 'eviscerate much of the work of the bankruptcy courts'." Id. (quoting In re Adelphi Institute, Inc., 112 B.R. 534, 536 (S.D.N.Y. 1990)); see also In re American Freight System, Inc., 150 B.R. 790, 793 (D. Kan. 1993) ("consideration of the non-Code law must entail more than its routine application to the facts"). As a result, the majority of courts require that "the issues in question require more than the mere application of well-settled or 'hornbook' non-bankruptcy law; 'significant interpretation of the non-Code statute must be required." In re Vicars Ins. Agency, Inc., 96 F.3d at 953; see also Lifemark Hospitals v. Liljeberg Enterprises, Inc., 161 B.R. 21, 24 (E.D. La. 1993).
The Debtor's challenge to the constitutionality of SB1779 is not the type of issue which requires withdrawal of the reference under the second sentence of § 157(d). First, the Court does not believe resolution of the Debtor's constitutional challenges will require "more than the mere application of well-settled or 'hornbook' non-bankruptcy law." In re Vicars Ins. Agency, 96 F.3d at 953. Both the state courts and Judge Hayes in the Melanie H. case have rejected the Debtor's facial constitutional challenges to SB1779 under the due process, ex post facto, and bill of attainder clauses of the U.S. Constitution. Although the Debtor would like to reopen the litigation of the constitutionality of SB1779, the remaining constitutional issue to be litigated in these adversary actions is whether the statute, as applied, violates the due process clause. The contours of the right to due process are well-established in this area, and the Court does not believe resolution of the "as applied" constitutional challenge will require "material consideration" or "significant interpretation" of the United States Constitution.
More importantly, however, the Debtor's constitutional challenge to SB1779 does not "require consideration of both title 11 and other laws of the United States regulating organizations or activities affecting interstate commerce." In arguing that the mandatory withdrawal provision of &sect; 157(d) applies to its constitutional challenge to the state statute, the Debtor either reads out of the statute the language "regulating organizations affecting interstate commerce," or misunderstands the significance of Congress' reference of the Commerce Clause. Congress invokes its power under the Commerce Clause to regulate conduct, which would otherwise be a matter of local concern. United States v. Allen, 341 F.3d 870, 881-82 (9th Cir. 2003). In this way, Debtor is correct that &sect; 157(d)'s use of the phrase "affecting interstate commerce" is a term of art implying that Congress sought to exercise its Commerce Clause power broadly. United States v. Gillies, 851 F.2d ...