Opinion ID: 1908613
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: On Motion to Vacate

Text: Defendant moves to vacate this Court's decision that issued January 16, 1998, on the ground that Chief Justice Amestoy participated in that decision. Following the decision, defendant moved to disqualify the Chief Justice, who recused himself in response to the motion on February 13. Defendant's motion to reargue was denied by the four other justices. Defendant now maintains that the original decision must be vacated. We deny the motion. The issue is whether a unanimous decision of the Court must be vacated where one of the participating justices later recuses himself. The vast majority of authority indicates that a decision need not be vacated where the disqualified judge's vote was mere surplusage. See, e.g., Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Lavoie, 475 U.S. 813, 827, 106 S.Ct. 1580, 89 L.Ed.2d 823 (1986) (Some courts have concluded that a decision need not be vacated where a disqualified judge's vote is mere surplusage.); Harris v. Champion, 15 F.3d 1538, 1571 (10th Cir.1994) (considering that decision was made unanimously by three-judge panel in deciding it was not necessary to vacate decision where one judge was later found disqualified); Hodosh v. Block Drug Co., 790 F.2d 880 (Fed.Cir.1986) (disqualification of one judge would not have provided basis for vacating unanimous decision of panel); Maier v. Orr, 758 F.2d 1578, 1583 (Fed. Cir.1985) (same); Caples v. Taliaferro, 146 Fla. 122, 200 So. 378, 382 (1941) (disqualification of justice who had overlooked fact that he had participated in case as Attorney General of Florida did not require vacating decision that was three to two by qualified justices); State v. Kositzky, 38 N.D. 616, 166 N.W. 534, 535 (1918) (participation of judge disqualified to act did not require invalidating proceeding where vote was five to zero, so his vote did not determine the result); Goodheart v. Casey, 523 Pa. 188, 565 A.2d 757, 761 (1989) (judgment need not be disturbed where participating interested judges' votes were mere surplusage). We join these courts and deny defendant's motion to vacate our decision.