Opinion ID: 509311
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: our purpose.

Text: 5 In this case, unlike some of the others cited, the appellee did not move for sanctions on appeal, or, for that matter, in the district court; nonetheless, there is no question that the courts of appeals have the ability to impose sanctions sua sponte. 1 Appellant seems to argue that an imposition sua sponte of sanctions upon a finding that an appeal was frivolous ought to be severely limited to extraordinary cases in which delay, harassment, obstinancy, or other improper purpose aggravates the unreasonableness of taking the appeal. While some cases have relied upon such evidence of bad faith, ill purpose is in no way a necessary element for imposition of sanctions under rule 38. And while rule 38 sanctions are often imposed, especially in tax cases, after the litigant had been sanctioned below for frivolous conduct, the district court does not need to have imposed sanctions, or explicitly denominated the case as frivolous, for the court of appeals to find that the appeal was frivolous and without merit. That the district court did not find appellant's charges so redundant and frivolous as to warrant sanctions does not preclude a contrary decision on appeal. Freeze v. Griffith, 849 F.2d 172, 176, (5th Cir. 1988) (sanctions against pro se prisoner pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1915(e)) (citing Lay v. Anderson, 837 F.2d 231, 232 (5th Cir.1988)). Similarly, an appellant does not have to conduct the appeal in a manner sanctioned in other cases in order for us to view the appeal as necessarily lacking plausible argument following a clean disposition of the relevant issues by the district court. 6 Counsel continually argues, in explanation of his pursuit of Coghlan's baseless claim, that he believed in good faith that recitation of the facts ought easily to have led us to a conclusion diametrically opposed to that reached by the magistrate. Thus, Coghlan's attorney asserts that [i]n other words, the magistrate should have found under the facts that Coghlan possessed a constitutionally protected property interest to receive water service, and that this appellate panel should more readily have disregarded the controlling case law to substantiate such a compelling claim. In part, Coghlan's counsel responds to our show cause notice as follows: 7 Argument could be made without extensive citation of authority. Counsel's brief therefore contained the argument that the magistrate's conclusion was incorrect, based upon the very facts found by the magistrate and based upon the very law the magistrate cited. 8 Somehow, the three judge panel of this court to which this case was allotted rejected what counsel in good faith believed to be a strong contention that Coghlan was a consumer/customer of the Waterworks District and possessed a constitutionally protected property interest. The panel affirmed the magistrate in [a] seven page opinion.... 9 Somehow, also the three judge panel of this court found Coghlan's claim was unfounded. This court, therefore, in effect determined Coghlan abused her right of appeal. 10 However, it is not Coghlan's right to appeal the judgment against her that is at issue; rather, the point is that her entirely frivolous appeal is an unjustified consumption of appellate resources, which, in addition, has put the appellee to heavy expense required to analyze the record, brief the issues and argue the case. Bank of Canton, Ltd. v. Republic Nat'l Bank, 636 F.2d 30, 31 (2d Cir.1980). In contemplating sanctions for an appellate brief that fails to argue any case law, makes hardly any attempt to distinguish precedents relied upon below, argues the merits in the most conclusory fashion, and offers no independent legal analysis different from that decisively rejected by the district court, we follow the identical course we established in other cases. 2 In this regard, another circuit recently commented: 11 It is human nature to crave vindication of a passionately held position even if the position lacks an objectively reasonable basis in the law. Although we have no reason to believe that the company or its counsel was acting in bad faith, ... the company's briefs and oral argument failed to identify any arguable error in the district court's decision.... We have gone on at such length not because the question of the validity of the arbitrator's award is difficult but to make clear that the company's attack on the award was frivolous, thus entitling the union to attorney's fees. 12 Dreis & Krump Mfg. Co. v. Int'l Ass'n of Machinists, 802 F.2d 247, 255-56 (7th Cir.1986). 3 13 The purpose of this lengthy review of current sanctions cases is to elaborate clearly for counsel herein, and for all practioners, that there can be little tolerance for unmerited appeals without articulable support in the law. Appeal as of right does not translate into propriety of appeal when counsel can make no reasonable argument for extension, modification, or reversal of precedent clearly elaborated by the district court opinion. Another circuit court of appeals recently took the time to readdress a rule 38 award it had imposed: 14 When the appellant files an appeal, he asks for this court's attention. [T]he notion that an appellant has an untrammelled right of review cannot shift the burden of going forward to the appellee.... Appellee should not be forced to endure the expense and anxiety of waiting unnecessarily to have its dispute resolved. With so many worthy claims waiting to be resolved, we cannot tolerate unfounded and undeveloped claims [to clog our docket and consume appellate time and resources]. 15 Reliance Ins. Co. v. Sweeney Corp., 792 F.2d 1137, 1139 (D.C.Cir.1986) (per curiam) (in opinion affirming summary judgment, panel sua sponte ordered appellant and its attorney to show cause why sanctions should not be imposed; appellant filed no response and, based upon affidavit of appellee, $5220.00 was awarded). 4 16