Task: songer_stateclaim

What follows is an opinion from a United States Court of Appeals. You will be asked a question pertaining to some threshold issue at the trial court level. These issues are only considered to be present if the court of appeals is reviewing whether or not the litigants should properly have been allowed to get a trial court decision on the merits. That is, the issue is whether or not the issue crossed properly the threshhold to get on the district court agenda. The issue is: "Did the court dismiss the case because of the failure of the plaintiff to state a claim upon which relief could be granted?" Answer the question based on the directionality of the appeals court decision. If the court discussed the issue in its opinion and answered the related question in the affirmative, answer "Yes". If the issue was discussed and the opinion answered the question negatively, answer "No". If the opinion considered the question but gave a mixed answer, supporting the respondent in part and supporting the appellant in part, answer "Mixed answer". If the opinion does not discuss the issue, or notes that a particular issue was raised by one of the litigants but the court dismissed the issue as frivolous or trivial or not worthy of discussion for some other reason, answer "Issue not discussed". If the opinion considered the question but gave a "mixed" answer, supporting the respondent in part and supporting the appellant in part (or if two issues treated separately by the court both fell within the area covered by one question and the court answered one question affirmatively and one negatively), answer "Mixed answer". If the opinion either did not consider or discuss the issue at all or if the opinion indicates that this issue was not worthy of consideration by the court of appeals even though it was discussed by the lower court or was raised in one of the briefs, answer "Issue not discussed".The issue hereby considered also pertains to cases where the court concluded that there was no proper cause of action.

PER CURIAM.
This appeal is from a judgment and conviction of contempt of court arising from the appellant’s conduct as defense counsel in a criminal case. On three occasions during the trial, the appellant disclosed to the jury that in an earlier trial there had been a hung jury. In the Certificate of the Contempt Proceedings, the trial judge stated:
“The defendant’s counsel, each time he made and repeated the hung jury disclosure, did so designedly in an effort to serve the chances of a favorable fate for his client, but with present knowledge that what he did was fraught with potential prejudice to the due administration of the law, and his action was done with the prospect in mind that such hung jury factor might well be conducive, if not to an acquittal, at least to another hung jury and further delay, or maybe in time a dismissal by the Government. The means adopted to pursue said desired end, however, are deemed beyond proper lawyer zeal. The defendant’s counsel, as an able and experienced lawyer, knew that if he had sought beforehand to have the Judge pass on the propriety of making hung jury comments, it would have been forbidden by the Court.”
The district court found the attorney guilty of contempt of court and imposed a fine of $100. The contemnor paid this sum immediately and was given a receipt for it by a deputy clerk of court. The next day the appellant filed this appeal.
In his original brief the appellant contends that the acts reflected in the record are insufficient to constitute the offense of contempt requiring summary proceedings pursuant to 18 U.S.C.A. § 401. In a supplemental brief and affidavit the appellant belatedly asserts that he did not intend to pay the fine; that he intended to place the $100 “in deposit pending an appeal as to the contempt proceeding”. The Trial Court stated in the Record: “He has paid said fine.” The affidavit of the deputy clerk who received the money states that the contemnor told him “at the time he paid the $100 that it was in payment of a fine for contempt.” The receipt had no reference to a “deposit pending appeal”, although some days later these words were added to the office copy on instructions of the Clerk of Court.
We find it unnecessary to discuss the merits of this appeal. The satisfaction of the judgment by the payment of the fine rendered this ease moot. Murrell v. United States, 5 Cir. 1958, 253 F.2d 267, cert. den’d 358 U.S. 841, 79 S.Ct. 65, 3 L.Ed.2d 76.
The appeal is dismissed.

Question: Did the court dismiss the case because of the failure of the plaintiff to state a claim upon which relief could be granted?
A. No
B. Yes
C. Mixed answer
D. Issue not discussed
Answer:

Answer: D