Opinion ID: 419680
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Propriety of the Stay Pending Arbitration

Text: 37 We should overturn a trial court's stay of an action only when we believe the court has abused its discretion. See Filtrol Corp. v. Kelleher, 467 F.2d 242, 244 (9th Cir.1972), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 1110, 93 S.Ct. 914, 34 L.Ed.2d 691 (1973). The trial court possesses the inherent power to control its own docket and calendar. Landis v. North American Co., 299 U.S. 248, 254-55, 57 S.Ct. 163, 165-66, 81 L.Ed. 153, 158-59 (1936); accord Leyva v. Certified Grocers of California, Ltd., 593 F.2d 857, 864 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 827, 100 S.Ct. 51, 62 L.Ed.2d 34 (1979). As this circuit recently stated, 38 [a] trial court may, with propriety, find it is efficient for its own docket and the fairest course for the parties to enter a stay of an action before it, pending resolution of independent proceedings which bear upon the case. This rule applies whether the separate proceedings are judicial, administrative, or arbitral in character, and does not require that the issues in such proceedings are necessarily controlling of the action before the court. 39 Leyva, 593 F.2d at 863-64 (citing Kerotest Manufacturing Co. v. C-O-Two Fire Equipment Co., 342 U.S. 180, 72 S.Ct. 219, 96 L.Ed. 200 (1952)). We believe that under the circumstances presented in this case, the district court did not abuse its discretion by staying the action pending receipt of the results of arbitration.