Opinion ID: 414319
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Effectiveness of ALP Jury Demand

Text: 61 The appellant ALP asserts that the district court improperly allowed RBLC to withdraw its jury request over the objection of ALP in violation of Rules 38(d) 17 and 39(a) 18 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 28 U.S.C.A. ALP seeks a remand to the district court for a trial by jury. We find that the consistent efforts of ALP to defeat RBLC's jury request demonstrated ALP's failure to rely on this request and constituted a waiver by ALP of its rights under the Rules. 62 RBLC and the plaintiffs in four companion cases filed jury demands and motions to consolidate the cases for trial in 1975. On July 28, 1978, the defendants ALP and KPC appeared before District Court Judge Sharp and filed a motion to strike the jury demands. The motion was based on the complexity of the issues presented. 63 Three months later, following Judge Sharp's August 30 order that the five companion cases be tried separately, the defendants renewed their motion that the RBLC case be tried without a jury. 19 Judge Sharp denied the motion and stated his intention to try the RBLC case first. 64 In May, 1980, the cases were assigned to Judge Rothstein because of Judge Sharp's illness. At Judge Rothstein's request, RBLC waived its jury demand in order to make possible an earlier trial date. KPC consented to the waiver, but ALP, in a letter to the court dated June 6, 1980, refused to consent and demanded that the case be tried to a jury. RBLC moved to strike this demand, and on July 7, 1980, the district court granted the motion. ALP now comes before this court and asserts that its refusal to consent to the withdrawal of RBLC's jury demand in the manner required by Rule 39(a) entitles it to a trial by jury under Rule 38(d). 65 Rule 38(d) reads, in part, A demand for trial by jury, made as herein provided, may not be withdrawn without the consent of the parties. 20 It is widely recognized that this provision is designed to allow parties to rely upon the jury demands of other parties to the same case. DePinto v. Provident Securities Life Insurance Co., 323 F.2d 826, 832 (9th Cir.1963); Calnetics Corp. v. Volkswagen of America, 532 F.2d 674, 690 (9th Cir.1976), cert. denied 429 U.S. 940, 97 S.Ct. 355, 50 L.Ed.2d 309 (1976); Rosen v. Dick, 639 F.2d 82, 87 (2d Cir.1980); State Mutual Life v. Arthur Andersen & Co., 581 F.2d 1045, 1050 (2d Cir.1978); and 5 Moore's Federal Practice, p 28.45 at 38-391 to 393(2) (2d ed. 1980). As a practical matter, Rule 38(d) prevents a party from withdrawing its request for a jury trial subsequent to the expiration of the period for a timely demand by the other parties thereby depriving those parties of the right to a trial by jury. 21 In the present case, the persistent efforts of ALP to defeat RBLC's jury request demonstrate that ALP was not relying on that request. Therefore, ALP waived its right to rely on the protections of Rules 38(d) and 39(a). 66 Although ALP contends that a literal reading of Rule 38(d) compels a retrial, we decline to apply the rule in such a formalistic manner. Rule 1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure advises that the Rules be construed to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action. As recognized by this Court in Builders Corp. of America v. United States, 259 F.2d 766 (9th Cir.1958), The spirit of the Rules [of Civil Procedure] is that technical requirements are abolished and judgments be founded on facts and not on formalistic defects. See also United Press Ass'n v. Charles, 245 F.2d 21, 26 (9th Cir.1957), cert. denied 354 U.S. 925, 77 S.Ct. 1378, 1 L.Ed.2d 1435 (1957). Given these guiding principles, we conclude that the district court properly looked beyond the facial language and applied the Rules in a manner consistent with their underlying purpose. 22 67 Palmer v. United States, 652 F.2d 893 (9th Cir.1981), cited by ALP, is consistent with this holding. In that case, a defendant made a timely request for a jury trial. The trial court overlooked or disregarded the demand, but the party remained silent when the case commenced without a jury. On appeal, this court recognized, Conduct of the parties which evinces consent and appears in the record is sufficient to constitute a proper withdrawal and waiver (citations omitted). But the court held that mere silence was insufficient to constitute a withdrawal of a jury trial demand. In the present case, the conduct of ALP fills the void left by the silence in Palmer and constitutes an affirmative withdrawal of any reliance on RBLC's jury demand. In these circumstances, a literal reading of Rule 38(d) would act as an instrument of delay and frustrate the purposes of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 68 We are fully aware of this court's admonition that every reasonable presumption be indulged against the waiver of a trial by jury. Pradier v. Elespuru, 641 F.2d 808, 811 (9th Cir.1981). But where, as here, the appellant unambiguously and determinedly acted to defeat RBLC's jury request, the only reasonable conclusion is that the appellant was not relying on that request and thus was not entitled to invoke the protection of Rule 38(d).