Source: https://casetext.com/case/isbell-enterprises-v-citizens-cas-co
Timestamp: 2019-03-23 00:57:05
Document Index: 255342926

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 234']

Isbell Enterprises v. Citizens Cas. Co, 431 F.2d 409 | Casetext
Isbell Enterprises v. Citizens Cas. Co.
431 F.2d 409 (5th Cir. 1970)
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Isbell Enterprisesv.Citizens Cas. Co.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth CircuitAug 14, 1970
"Touching the Adventures and Perils which we, the said Underwriters, are contented to bear and take upon us, they are of the Seas, Men-of-War, Fire, Lightning, Earthquake, Enemies, Pirates, Rovers, Assailing Thieves, Jettisons, Letters of Mart and Counter-Mart, Surprisals, Takings at Sea, Arrests, Restraints, and Detainments of all Kings, Princes and Peoples, of what nation, condition or quality soever, Barratry of the Master and Mariners and of all other like Perils, Losses and Misfortunes that have or shall come to the Hurt, Detriment or Damage of the said Vessel, c., or any part thereof * * *." So goes the Marine Hull Insurance Policy. So goes also — really went — this case which began as a maritime action by Shipowner against the Underwriter for the constructive total loss of the fishing vessel Captain Cracker arising from actions by a crew member who, without authority, single-handedly took her to sea from under the very eyes of three Shipyard people. With all of the romance that the quaint language of a Hull Policy conjures up, it looked fairly certain that in this latter day we would have to determine whether a crew member, obviously under mental aberrations, whose condition was diagnosed as a schizophrenic reaction of the acute undifferentiated type, and whose pre-Odyssey behavior was characterized by a psychiatrist witness as a psychotic state, could have, as the District Court held, the "willfulness" associated with barratry of master or crew and if, strictly speaking, he did not, then whether such taking was within the coverage for "all other like perils, losses, and misfortunes".
Isbell Enterprises, Inc. of which Elliff was the general manager.
Citizens Casualty Co. of New York.
Marine Mart, Inc., of which Zimmerman was the general manager of repairs.
The District Court held alternatively that it was, relying on Feinberg v. Insurance Company of North America, 1 Cir., 1958, 260 F.2d 525, 527.
But this was not to be. For the Underwriter for its own good and sufficient reasons capitulated, paid off Shipowner's claim, to concentrate its attack on the District Judge's denial of recovery against Shipyard, impleaded as a defendant, F.R. Civ.P. 14, on the theory that as bailee, it had failed to redeliver or in any event was negligent. We affirm.
See Advisory Committee Notes to Rule 14(a) and new 14(c) incorporating old Admiralty Rule 56.
Before getting to the merits we think it appropriate to update, perhaps for the last time, the Court's experience in judicial screening of cases which includes as a major element the disposition of a case as a class Summary II on the briefs without oral argument. The system was instituted on December 13, 1968. Thus our experience covers nearly two years and full statistical data is available for the 18 months comprising the last half of FY 1969 and all of FY 1970.
We say perhaps for the last time because this was updating in conjunction with Murphy v. Houma Well Service, 5 Cir., 1969, 409 F.2d 804, Part I and Huth v. Southern Pacific Co., 5 Cir., 1969, 417 F.2d 526, Part I. This will adequately inform the Bench, the Bar, litigants, scholars and that vast body of people now naturally concerned in good judicial administration about this remarkable judicial tool.
Cases determined to warrant oral argument are classed as III (15 minute argument) and IV (full F.R.A.P. 30 minute argument). We ignore as statistically and operationally insignificant Class I (frivolous appeals).
Except where otherwise indicated FY 1969 is used to identify our first 6 month experience. It refers to the period January 1-June 30, 1969, plus the tag end period December 13-December 31, 1968.
The system and its operation are fully outlined in Murphy and Huth (see note 6, supra). The procedure continues to work with increasing judicial efficiency. As the figures reflect there has been a substantial increase in the number and percentage of cases classed as Summary II for disposition without oral argument. From 32.7% for FY 1969 this has increased to 38.1% for the full FY 1970. There has likewise been a slight percentage increase of 3% in class III (limited argument) with a sharp decline of 8% in Class IV.
Classification Breakdown in Numbers and Percentages
F.Y. 1969 F.Y. 1970 Class Number % Number % II 218 32.7 452 38.1 III 265 39.7 506 42.7 IV 184 27.6 229 19.2 ___ _____ ___ _____ TOTAL 667 100.0 1187 100.0
As the classification undoubtedly is affected to some extent by the nature of the cases making up our docket from time to time, it is interesting to see some rather marked changes in a relatively short space of time. Although the percentage of direct criminal appeals has decreased in relation to the overall docket (see notes 10 and 12, infra) there has been a percentage increase in relation to the overall docket of 5.5% in habeas and § 2255 cases with a slight decrease of 1.7% in the civil cases. Of course, there is a spectacular numerical increase in the total docket year after year. See note 15.
Subject F.Y. 1969 F.Y. 1970 Number % Number % Criminal 177 26.5 270 22.7 Habeas 2255 85 12.7 216 18.2 Civil 405 60.8 701 59.1 ___ _____ ____ _____ 667 100.0 1187 100.0
Of great importance is the internal make-up by general type of the cases which were classed as Summary II and which comprised 32.7% and 38.1% respectively (see note 9, supra). Of the cases classed Summary II, direct criminal appeals have run from 26.8% to 29.0%. There has been an expected increase in the number of Summary II habeas corpus and § 2255 cases, but there has been a decrease of some 7.7% in Summary II civil cases for causes not readily identifiable. But the percentage of the general types of cases making up the docket (see note 9, supra) or the percentage of particular types of cases (civil, criminal, etc.) classed as Summary II (see note 11, supra) does not tell the whole story about what is being accomplished. Thus of the 270 direct criminal appeals in FY 1970 (see notes 10 and 12, infra) 131 were classed Summary II (48.5%) in contrast to that of the first period, FY 1969, when, out of 177 cases (see note 12, infra only 31.6% were classed Summary II. This means that approximately half of the direct criminal appeals are now being disposed of with no delay. As we pointed out in Huth (note 6, supra, 417 F.2d 529), shortening the time between conviction and final disposition in criminal cases is a matter of great public concern. And in this area the screening process accomplishes much since all delay between the last brief and the submission to a panel is avoided.
Summary II by Type of Case Number and Percentage
FY 1969 FY 1970 Overall Number % Number % % Habeas § 2255 56 25.7 141 31.2 29.5 Direct Criminal 58 26.8 131 29.0 28.2 Civil 104 47.5 180 39.8 42.3 ___ ___ 218 425
RECAP No. Summary II Total Cases Screened FY 1969 218 667 FY 1970 452 1187 ___ ____ 670 1854
Another area of great public concern is that of post-conviction cases. Although this category comprises but approximately 18% of the whole docket (see note 10, supra) out of the 216 habeas and § 2255 cases 141, nearly 66% were classed Summary II (see note 12, infra). But expedited disposition is not limited to such cases. For example in the civil cases over 24% of private civil, 27% of tax, 37% admiralty, and 30% U.S. civil cases were classed Summary II (see note 12, infra).
Although, as indicated, there are shifts in the internal make-up of the docket and in the nature of cases classed Summary II, this system continues to operate with an across-the-board-even-handedness over the full spectrum of the Court's docket. This includes civil cases of all kinds along with direct criminal appeals and post-conviction habeas corpus and § 2255 matters.
Cases Screened and Classed Summary II by Subject Matter
FY 1969 FY 1970 Total Total Total Total Type of Case Number Summary Number Summary II II
Direct Criminal 177 58 270 131 Habeas Corpus 63 39 158 93 § 2255 22 17 58 48 Civil Private Civil 209 54 391 94 U.S. Civil 68 20 93 28 Tax 29 5 65 18 B.R. 10 5 24 8 NLRB 44 10 57 13 Other Agency 4 — 9 3 Civil Rights 25 4 32 5 Admiralty 16 6 30 11 ___ ___ ____ ___ 667 218 1187 452
And for a like period this has accounted for a substantial number of opinions approximately a fourth of which are signed.
Summary II Opinions
F.Y. 1969 F.Y. 1970 Per Curiam 109 326 Signed 41 100 ___ ___ Total 150 426
F.Y. 1969* F.Y. 1970 Per Curiam 525 633 Signed 604 638 ____ ____ Total 1129 1271
* Full 12 month period.
Of course the need to explore all procedures with inventive judicial resourcefulness continues. As reflected in NLRB v. Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, 5 Cir., 1970, 430 F.2d 966 Part I, outlining the Court's reasons for adopting Rule 21 for affirmance without opinion, the volume of new cases already exceeds even very recent projections so that for the Fifth Circuit and many of the other Courts of Appeals the outlook is portentous.
Survey 1967 and Resurvey 1970, see note 5 Amalgamated.
See note 4, 430 F.2d 966, 968. In but six years our volume has increased from 1073 in FY 1965 to 1794 actual cases in FY 1970 (all consolidations and cross appeals have been eliminated). The FY 1970 increase over FY 1969 (1489) was the largest numerical increase ever, and the largest precentage (20.5%) since FY 1963.
1970 Upward Revision F.Y. Survey Fifth Circuit 1971 1,852 1,961 1972 2,006 2,124 1973 2,159 2,286 1974 2,311 2,447 1975 2,464 2,609
See No. 6, Amalgamated for Shafroth 1970 resurvey projections for all Courts of Appeals. Against a 1970 nationwide input of 9,850 cases, FY 1975 will see 13,801, with like spectacular increases for the District of Columbia (1,478), Fourth (1,820) and Ninth (2,166) Circuits.
Our own experience has borne out our hopes and convictions that judicial screening would be a workable, fair method which would markedly increase our output and enable us to at least keep abreast of this flood tide. The system has so far successfully passed muster on review in cases directly attacking the procedure of classification and disposition as Summary II on briefs without oral argument.
See notes 4 and 11 of Amalgamated. As the following table shows, there has been an exponential increase in the number of cases filed, but since 1967 the court has disposed of more cases than filed the preceding year, and the carryover to the succeeding year has been disproportionately smaller:
No. Cases No. Cases Year Filed Disposed Of Pending Cases 1960 584 554 278 1961 639 514 403 1962 717 598 522 1963 876 765 633 1964 1033 931 735 1965 1073 878 930 1966 1099 1028 1001 1967 1189 1171 1019 1968 1347 1290 1076 1969 1489 1496 1069 1970 1794 1682 1181
United States v. Ambers, 5 Cir., 1969, 416 F.2d 942, cert. denied, 1970, 396 U.S. 1039, 90 S.Ct. 686, 24 L.Ed.2d 683; In re Louisiana Loan Thrift Corp., 1969, 5 Cir., 416 F.2d 898, cert. denied, 1970, Holahan v. Reynolds, 397 U.S. 912, 90 S.Ct. 912, 25 L.Ed.2d 93.
With the continuance of standardized editorial headnotes in the published reports indicating for both civil and criminal cases that the summary calendar classification is a judicial determination that oral argument is not required, we do not think it is any longer necessary for each Summary II opinion, either in the text or by footnote, to contain the statement long employed, or shortened variations of it.
For civil cases, see e.g.,
1. Appeal and Error 826
1. Criminal Law 1132
For the future we will follow a simplified procedure by which the published opinion will simply bear the caption "Summary Calendar". Without more — by note or text — this will amount to a shorthand incorporation of the statements, reasons and explanatory comments found in Murphy, Huth and this case for the use of Summary II disposition.
Underwriter's best theory was the simple but awesome one of conversion: vessel delivered by Shipowner to Shipyard as bailee; Shipyard allowed one other than Shipowner to take her away. The rule has sound roots ashore and we agree with others, David Crystal, Inc. v. Cunard Steam-Ship Company, 1963, SDNY, 223 F. Supp. 273, 286, that it has sufficient buoyancy for admiralty as well. When clear precedents are lacking "in the law of the sea, admiralty judges often look to the law prevailing on the land * * *" Igneri v. Cie. de Transports Oceaniques, 2nd Cir., 1963, 323 F.2d 257, 1963 AMC 2318.
Restatement 2d Torts (1965) § 234: "A bailee, agent, or servant who makes an unauthorized delivery of a chattel is subject to liability for conversion to his bailor, principal, or master unless he delivers to one who is entitled to immediate possession of the chattel."
On the negligence theories, Southport Transit Co. v. Avondale Marine Ways, 5 Cir., 1956, 234 F.2d 947, 1956 AMC 1498, we likewise conclude that the fact findings are warranted. Clearly the Shipyard is not to be held accountable just by what the two Hurtados knew. Perhaps it was a dereliction for them not to advise Zimmerman of the strange behavior which all can now see was so indicative. But it is hardly a welder's obligation. And the outsider — Shipowner or Underwriter as subrogee — is scarcely in a position to make out a claim that these two mechanics in the lower hierarchical strata of Shipyard's organization breached a duty owing Shipowner-Underwriter in not reporting these incidents.
That reduces it essentially to what Zimmerman could see. Since the record more than suggests that he was an experienced shipyard person familiar with the operation of the class of vessels built and repaired by it, the Judge was entitled to conclude that by actively assisting in cutting the spring line Zimmerman was acting under the good faith belief that for some reason Shipowner was having the vessel removed before repairs were completed. The Judge applied the correct principles, see Commercial Molasses Corporation v. New York Tank Barge Corporation, 1941, 314 U.S. 104, 62 S.Ct. 156, 86 L.Ed. 89, 1941 AMC 180, to impose on the bailee the duty of going forward with the explanation which the Court then held was adequate. Negligence was, after all, a question of fact.
What the owner candidly states would not have been done may not be turned into something else by one — Underwriter — who as subrogee takes the Flotsam with the jetsam. Compania Anonima Venezolana de Navegacion v. A.J. Perez Export Co., 5 Cir., 1962, 303 F.2d 692, 1962 AMC 1710, cert. denied 1962, 371 U.S. 942, 83 S.Ct. 321, 9 L.Ed.2d 276.