Opinion ID: 695598
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Interference with the Administration of Justice

Text: 30 The district court cited to two published decisions in support of its conclusion that Swan's sexist communication, standing alone, amounted to an interference with the administration of justice under Local Civil Rule 2.5.2. See Matter of Swan, 833 F.Supp. at 798 (citing In re Plaza Hotel Corp., 111 B.R. 882 (Bankr.E.D.Cal.), aff'd without op., 123 B.R. 466 (9th Cir. BAP 1990); Principe v. Assay Partners, 586 N.Y.S.2d 182, 154 Misc.2d 702 (N.Y.Sup.Ct.1992)). Neither of these decisions supports the district court's conclusion. 31 In In re Plaza Hotel Corp., the bankruptcy court disqualified a male attorney serving as debtor's counsel, noting that it was greatly concerned about the gender bias that counsel has exhibited toward the women who represent the chapter 11 trustee and the United States Trustee[.] 111 B.R. at 891-92. However, the bankruptcy court's criticism of debtor's counsel was based on more than a display of gender bias: Debtor's counsel had refused to assist the debtor in meeting its obligation to cooperate with the Chapter 11 trustee; he made slighting oral and written references during the proceedings to the designee (i.e., the woman representing the United States Trustee) as office help, even though he was aware that she was a lawyer; and he refused to respond to the designee's written request for full disclosure on a question of conflict of interest. Id. 32 Similarly, in Principe, the court sanctioned an attorney for unprofessional conduct in the litigation process, based on a series of demeaning remarks directed against a female attorney at deposition. 586 N.Y.S.2d at 184, 154 Misc.2d at 704. The remarks, which included references to the female lawyer as little lady, little mouse, young girl, and little girl, were accompanied by rude hand gestures and had been made in front of other counsel, the witness, and a court reporter. Id. The court concluded that sanctions were appropriate because the attorney's conduct had amounted to an egregious failure to conform to accepted notions, including a recent amendment to a Disciplinary Rule of New York's Code of Professional Responsibility. 586 N.Y.S.2d at 185, 154 Misc.2d at 704-05. 33 In both cases the courts imposed sanctions based on facts showing that each attorney's sexist behavior was not only deplorable, but part of a pattern of misconduct that amounted to an interference with the administration of justice. In the instant case, however, we have a single incident involving one isolated expression of a private bias with no facts that would show how that single communication adversely affected the administration of justice, either in this or in any other case. Cf. Gentile v. State Bar of Nev., 501 U.S. 1030, 1075, 111 S.Ct. 2720, 2745, 115 L.Ed.2d 888 (1991) (part II of majority opinion; Rehnquist, C.J.) (in order to satisfy the First Amendment, there must be facts showing a substantial likelihood of material prejudice to an adjudicative proceeding before a lawyer may be disciplined for his extrajudicial comments). 34 In the absence either of a showing that Swan's communication impugned the integrity of the court, or of any facts showing how that communication adversely affected the administration of justice in this, or in any other legal proceeding, we must vacate that portion of the district court's decision which finds a violation of Local Civil Rule 2.5.2.