Opinion ID: 715048
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Power to Consider an Extraordinary Writ

Text: 20 As an initial matter, it is necessary to consider the parallel proceedings before me. Defendants have filed a notice of appeal from the district court's supplementary injunctive orders under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a)(1), and it is apparent that a single circuit judge may act on a stay pending appeal. Fed. R.App. P. 8(a); 10th Cir. R. 8.3. See also Fed.R.Civ.P. 62(g). 21 The more involved question is whether a single circuit judge may rule upon an extraordinary writ pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1651 and Fed. R.App. P. 21(a). Fed. R.App. P. 27(c) provides: 22 Power of a Single Judge to Entertain Motions. In addition to the authority expressly conferred by these rules or by law, a single judge of a court of appeals may entertain and may grant or deny any request for relief which under these rules may properly be sought by motion, except that a single judge may not dismiss or otherwise determine an appeal or other proceeding, and except that a court of appeals may provide by order or rule that any motion or class of motions must be acted upon by the court. The action of a single judge may be reviewed by the court. 23 10th Cir. R. 27.5.1 provides that Pursuant to Fed. R.App. P. 27(c), one judge may make any necessary interlocutory order relating to any unassigned case or proceeding pending in this court, preparatory to its hearing or decision and also specifies that a circuit judge may act upon various other types of applications. Plainly, 10th Cir. R. 27.5.1 does not specify that Fed. R.App. P. 21(a) applications must be acted upon by the court, Fed. R. App. P. 27, although it is true that Rule 21(a) applications are not mentioned in 10th Cir. R. 27.5.1. 24 A long line of cases supports the power of a single circuit judge to act on an application for an extraordinary writ in emergency situations. See Arrow Transp. Co. v. Southern Ry. Co., 372 U.S. 658, 662 n. 4, 83 S.Ct. 984, 986 n. 4, 10 L.Ed.2d 52 (1963); Ojeda Rios v. Wigen, 863 F.2d 196, 199 (2d Cir.1988) (chambers opinion of Newman, J.); In re Clark, 861 F.2d 263, 1988 WL 105310, at  2 (4th Cir. Oct. 4, 1988) (unpub. chambers opinion of Phillips, J.); Application of President & Directors of Georgetown College, Inc., 331 F.2d 1000, 1005-06 (D.C.Cir.) (chambers opinion of Wright, J.), reh'g en banc denied, 331 F.2d 1010 (D.C.Cir.), cert. denied, 377 U.S. 978, 84 S.Ct. 1883, 12 L.Ed.2d 746 (1964); Woods v. Wright, 8 Race Rel. L. Rep. 445 (5th Cir.1963) (chamber opinion of Tuttle, J.). Notwithstanding the power, discretion suggests that in most circumstances applications for extraordinary relief should be decided by a panel of judges. In describing a practice of having at least two circuit judges decide these matters, except in an extreme emergency situation, the Eighth Circuit stated: 25 The object of the practice is to prevent any attempt at shopping as to such applications; to make the soundness of the action on the application more certain; and to avoid the public unseemliness of a single circuit judge setting up his judgment against that of another individual judge (district judge). 26 Aaron v. Cooper, 261 F.2d 97, 101 n. 1 (8th Cir.1958) (cited in Ojeda Rios, 863 F.2d at 199). Additionally, because I will grant relief in the stay matter, the emergency nature of the petition for the extraordinary writ is diminished. The petition for a writ of prohibition therefore will be referred to the Clerk for panel assignment.