Opinion ID: 741729
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Impact of Law of the Case on the Jeffries IV Opinion

Text: 30 We are mindful of the danger of reducing law of the case to a set of categorical rules, mechanically applied. Law of the case is not a limitation on judicial power, but rather a guide to discretion. United States v. Alexander, 106 F.3d 874, 876 (9th Cir.1997). It is not a doctrine of inescapable application. Ferreira v. Borja, 93 F.3d 671, 674 (9th Cir.1996), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 117 S.Ct. 972, 136 L.Ed.2d 856 (1997). Law of the case would certainly not prevent a panel from changing its decision pursuant to a proper motion for reconsideration or a petition for rehearing, for example. Given this and the fact that law of the case is not binding on an en banc court, 11 Wood contends we should ignore the issue and decide this case directly on the merits. Although we recognize the discretionary nature of the doctrine, the manner in which panels apply law of the case is an important consideration for en banc review. If, as Wood argues, a panel's discretion is completely unbounded, the coherence and stability of the canon's application largely disappear. Of particular importance in this context is how law of the case should be applied when subsequent panels have relied on the initial decision. In this instance, two Ninth Circuit panels have relied and expanded on Jeffries III. See Lawson, 60 F.3d at 612; Thompson, 74 F.3d at 1575 n. 1. When this occurs, a panel must be exceedingly careful in altering the law of its earlier opinion. Otherwise, intra-circuit conflict may arise, posing serious difficulties. Indeed, to reach its decision properly, the Jeffries IV panel would have had to reverse Lawson, which would be impermissible. Only an en banc panel may overturn existing Ninth Circuit precedent. Murray v. Cable Nat'l Broadcasting Co., 86 F.3d 858, 860 (9th Cir.1996), cert denied, --- U.S. ----, 117 S.Ct. 689, 136 L.Ed.2d 613 (1997). 12 Of additional significance is that further appellate review of Jeffries III was sought and denied prior to the panel's change of heart. The State's suggestion for en banc review of Jeffries III was rejected and its petition for a writ of certiorari by the United States Supreme Court was declined. Blodgett v. Jeffries, 510 U.S. 1191, 114 S.Ct. 1294, 127 L.Ed.2d 647 (1994). 31 Thus, even aside from the fact that the Jeffries IV panel erred on the merits of the prejudicial information question, it should not have exercised its discretion to depart from its prior decision given the reliance on the Jeffries III opinion by subsequent panels, the further appellate proceedings in Jeffries III, and the guidelines set forth in Leslie Salt. Accordingly, we withdraw the Jeffries IV opinion and further hold that the district court was correct in issuing a writ vacating the verdict for aggravated first degree murder and the sentence of death. 32