Source: https://m.openjurist.org/670/f2d/440
Timestamp: 2020-04-07 14:55:53
Document Index: 99999525

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 1291', '§ 1292', '§ 1292', '§ 1292', '§ 1291', '§ 1292', '§ 102', '§ 102', '§ 1292', '§ 1292', '§ 1291']

670 F2d 440 Kershner v. Mazurkiewicz | OpenJurist
670 F. 2d 440 - Kershner v. Mazurkiewicz
670 F2d 440 Kershner v. Mazurkiewicz
670 F.2d 440
9 Fed. R. Evid. Serv. 1369
KERSHNER, Royce, Ryan, Bernard, on their own behalf and on
MAZURKIEWICZ, J. F., Superintendent; Gerber, Gary R.,
Librarian, SCI at Rockview, Bellefonte, Pa., Appellees.
Reargued Nov. 23, 1981.
Kerchner's name was docketed as Kershner, but except for the caption we will use the correct spelling of his name in this opinion. See Ford Motor Credit Co. v. Milhollin, 444 U.S. 555, 555 n*, 100 S.Ct. 790, 790-91 n*, 63 L.Ed.2d 22 (1980)
While there is a claim that there was a failure to provide § 1983 forms for prisoners, the failure to provide enough § 1983 forms was found by the Magistrate to be nothing more than a "temporary short fall (which) resulted ... (when) a check disclosed that there were only 5 sets of forms on hand. Gerber felt he had to limit the number of forms given to Ryan, until supplies could be replenished, when one considers that there are 850 men in the prison (sic) ... Moreover, this court can take notice that many handwritten civil rights complaints, not on the required forms, are filed in this district." Appendix at 60. We cannot conclude that these findings were clearly erroneous
It must be emphasized that this case comes to us as an appeal from the denial of a preliminary injunction. It does not arrive with a detailed record. No testimony has been taken, and the case was decided on the basis of sparse affidavits. What may be error on an appeal from a final order may not constitute error at the present posture of review. Continental Group Inc. v. Amoco Chemicals Corp., 614 F.2d 351, 357 (3d Cir. 1980)
Section 1291 provides: "The courts of appeals shall have jurisdiction of appeals from all final decisions of the district courts ... except where a direct review may be had in the Supreme Court." 28 U.S.C. § 1291 (1976)
See note 7 infra & accompanying text
This issue was specifically reserved in Gardner v. Westinghouse Broadcasting Co., 437 U.S. 478, 479 n.3, 98 S.Ct. 2451, 2453 n.3, 57 L.Ed.2d 364 (1978)
Section 1292(a) also extends appellate jurisdiction to interlocutory orders appointing receivers, or refusing orders to wind up receiverships or to take steps to accomplish the purposes thereof, such as directing sales or other disposals of property, 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a)(2); interlocutory decrees of such district courts or the judges thereof determining the rights and liabilities of the parties to admiralty cases in which appeals from final decrees are allowed, 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a)(3); and judgments in civil actions for patent infringement which are final except for accounting, 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a)(4)
See also Deckert v. Independence Shares Corp., 311 U.S. 282, 286-87, 61 S.Ct. 229, 232-233, 85 L.Ed. 189 (1940), in which the Supreme Court, citing Smith, held that the Court of Appeals "properly examined the interlocutory order denying the motions to dismiss, although generally it could consider such an order only on appeal from a final decision" because " '(i)f insuperable objection to maintaining the bill clearly appears, it may be dismissed and the litigation terminated' " (quoting Meccano, Ltd. v. Wanamaker, 253 U.S. 136, 141, 40 S.Ct. 463, 465, 64 L.Ed. 822 (1920))
See also Loya v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 583 F.2d 1110, 1113 (9th Cir. 1978) (footnote omitted), in which the court held that the order refusing to certify the class was not appealable under either § 1291, citing Coopers & Lybrand v. Livesay, 437 U.S. 463, 98 S.Ct. 2454, 57 L.Ed.2d 351 (1978), or § 1292(a)(1): "We need not decide now if we would adopt the Jenkins holding. Under its own terms it cannot apply to the present case. In Jenkins the failure to certify the class 'directly controlled' the later decision to refuse a preliminary injunction. In the instant case, the district court granted partial summary judgment denying injunctive relief for reasons independent of whether the suit was maintained individually or as a class action."
Similarly, if inquiry into the preliminary injunction issue reveals that the case has no merit and that judicial resources would be wasted were the case to continue, it would appear salutary to dismiss the action in its entirety. See Smith v. Vulcan Iron Works, supra; Hurwitz v. Directors Guild of America, Inc., supra. The present case does not raise this issue, however
This test has been adopted by at least one authority. See C. Wright, Law of Federal Courts § 102, at 513 (3d ed. 1976) ("(R)eview quite properly extends to all matters inextricably bound up with the remedial decision and the court, if it sees fit, may consider and decide the merits of the case and may order dismissal of the action"). In contrast, the second edition of Professor Wright's treatise read: "It is settled that an appeal from an order granting or refusing an injunction brings before the appellate court the entire order, not merely the propriety of injunctive relief, and that the appellate court may consider and decide the merits of the case and may order dismissal of the action." C. Wright, Law of Federal Courts § 102, at 459 (2d ed. 1970). We can infer that the change in Professor Wright's approach occurred in response to such cases as Sanders, supra, and Jenkins, supra
Our holding today in no way impairs the vitality of such cases as Latrobe Steel Co. v. United Steelworkers, 545 F.2d 1336 (3d Cir. 1976) and United States v. Spectro Foods Corp., 544 F.2d 1175 (3d Cir. 1976), in which we held that "an appellate court may consider the matter of a civil contempt in connection with an appeal from the underlying preliminary injunction." Latrobe Steel, 545 F.2d at 1340
Of course, there may be an appeal at this stage in the litigation when the district court certifies such an appeal under § 1292(b). See note 7 supra
To simplify the exposition of my approach, I have assumed that the district court's disposition of the class action certification motion is contained in one order, and its disposition of the request for injunctive relief is contained in another. My analysis would apply with equal force, however, where the two determinations are contained in the same order, as they are in this case. Thus, alternatively stated, I would hold that § 1292(a)(1) confers jurisdiction to review only that portion of the order granting or denying injunctive relief, and that we may not review any portion of the order that is not independently appealable
In Deckert v. Independence Shares Corp., 311 U.S. 282, 61 S.Ct. 229, 85 L.Ed. 189 (1940), the United States Supreme Court held that, when reviewing an interlocutory order granting or denying injunctive relief, an appellate court "is not limited to mere consideration of, and action upon, the order appealed from", but may review the district court's denial of defendant's motion to dismiss if "insuperable objection to maintaining the bill clearly appears". Id. at 287, 61 S.Ct. at 232. See Smith v. Vulcan Iron Works, 165 U.S. 518, 525, 17 S.Ct. 407, 410, 41 L.Ed. 810 (1906); Ex parte Nat'l Enameling Co., 201 U.S. 156, 162, 26 S.Ct. 404, 406, 50 L.Ed. 707 (1905) ("If an injunction is granted by an interlocutory order and the order is taken on appeal to the Circuit Court of Appeals, and that court is of the opinion that the patent on its face is absolutely void, it would be a waste of time and an unnecessary continuance of litigation to simply enter an order setting aside the injunction and remanding the case for further proceedings."). As the majority observes, these cases establish an independent exception to § 1291, applicable only when it appears, upon review of an appealable interlocutory order, that the equitable action lacks merit, and permits the court to dismiss the case entirely
The majority cites the Second Circuit's decisions in Sanders v. Levy, 558 F.2d 636, 643 (2d Cir. 1976), adhered to on this point en banc, 558 F.2d 646, 647-48 (2d Cir. 1977), rev'd on other grounds sub nom. Oppenheimer Fund, Inc. v. Sanders, 437 U.S. 340, 98 S.Ct. 2380, 57 L.Ed.2d 253 (1978) and Marcera v. Chinlund, 595 F.2d 1231, 1236 n.8 (2d Cir.), vacated on other grounds sub nom. Lombard v. Marcera, 442 U.S. 915, 99 S.Ct. 2833, 61 L.Ed.2d 281 (1979). If these cases are cited with approval, I disagree. I do not believe we may review a class action determination in conjunction with an appealable interlocutory order merely because there is a "sufficient overlap in the factors relevant." Sanders, 558 F.2d at 643
Because it is not necessary to review an order of civil contempt in order to review an appealable injunction on which it is based, I recognize that my formulation appears to conflict with our prior decisions in that area. See, e.g., Latrobe Steel Co. v. United Steelworkers, 545 F.2d 1336, 1340 (3d Cir. 1976) ("an appellate court may consider the matter of civil contempt in connection with an appeal from the underlying preliminary injunction"); United States v. Spectro Foods, 544 F.2d 1175 (3d Cir. 1976). Nor do I believe that these cases are easily reconcilable with the majority's approach. This circuit has never set forth in detail the rationale for its treatment of civil contempt orders, and I do not believe it is necessary either to embrace or reject this longstanding rule until it is properly before the court in banc