Opinion ID: 178947
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Search And Resulting Lawsuit

Text: Immediately after the interview, Peel and Bekker followed Delia, in a city vehicle, to Delia’s house. Once there, Peel and Bekker parked alongside the curb in front of Delia’s house, and waited a few minutes for Adams to arrive. Peel and Bekker never left their vehicle. After Adams arrived, he, Delia, and a union representative went into Delia’s house and brought out three or four rolls of insulation and placed them on his lawn. After Delia brought out the last roll of insulation, Peel thanked him for showing them the insulation and the two DELIA v. CITY OF RIALTO 18351 drove off. On May 21, 2008, Delia filed this lawsuit. Defendants subsequently moved for summary judgment. At the hearing on defendants’ motions for summary judgment, the district court orally granted defendants’ motions. The court found that Delia had not established municipal liability against the City. The court concluded that Delia had failed to show that he was injured by an express policy, a longstanding custom, or an official with final policymaking authority. The district court also found that the individual defendants, Chief Wells, Peel, and Bekker were entitled to qualified immunity. However, with respect to Filarsky, the court stated: As to Defendant Filarsky, the evidence establishes that Filarsky’s conduct did not result in the deprivation of any constitutional right required — as a required element for a 1983 claim. Filarsky’s conduct consisted of conducting the interview, arguing with Delia’s attorney, and consulting with Fire Chief Wells, who then issued the written order. Filarsky was not present at Delia’s house, and at no point was Delia threatened with subordination [sic] or termination if he refused to comply with the order. The district court’s written order granting defendants’ motions for summary judgment does not contain this holding. The district court directed defense counsel to prepare findings of fact and conclusions of law. It appears from the record that the district court mechanically adopted the findings of fact and conclusions of law as prepared by defense counsel.2 2 This court has previously noted its disapproval of this practice. Federal Trade Comm’n v. Enforma Natural Prods., Inc., 362 F.3d 1204, 1215 (9th Cir. 2004); Unt v. Aerospace Corp., 765 F.2d 1440, 1444 (9th Cir. 1985); Lumbermen’s Underwriting Alliance v. Can-Car, Inc., 645 F.2d 17, 18-19 (9th Cir. 1980); Industrial Bldg. Materials, Inc. v. Interchemical Corp., 437 F.2d 1336, 1339 (9th Cir. 1970). As this court recognized forty years ago in Interchemical Corp.: “This practice has been condemned because 18352 DELIA v. CITY OF RIALTO In its written order, the district court concluded that Filarsky, as well as Peel, Bekker and Chief Wells, was entitled to qualified immunity. No explanation for this change in the district court’s reasoning appears in its written order.3 The district of the possibility that such findings and conclusions, prepared by the nonobjective advocate, may not fully and accurately reflect the thoughts entertained by the impartial judge at the time of his initial decision.” Inter- chemical Corp., 437 F.2d at 1339; see also United States v. El Paso Natural Gas Co., 376 U.S. 651, 657 n.4 (1964) (quoting Judge J. Skelly Wright’s admonition, in his Seminars for Newly Appointed United States District Judges 166 (1963), that: “ ‘lawyers, and properly so, in their zeal and advocacy and their enthusiasm are going to state the case for their side in these findings as strongly as they possibly can. When these findings get to the courts of appeals they won’t be worth the paper they are written on as far as assisting the court of appeals in determining why the judge decided the case.’ ”); Nissho-Iwai Co. v. Star Bulk Shipping Co., 503 F.2d 596, 598 (9th Cir. 1974) (“We are aware that busy judges sometimes request attorneys to prepare the first draft of proposed findings and conclusions. The vice is when the district judge fails to study them and make such changes as are necessary to be sure they reflect his opinion.”). 3 The dangers of mechanically adopting counsel prepared summary judgment orders appear to be exemplified in this case. The district court’s oral reasons for granting summary judgment do not match its written order. Yet, no explanation for this change appears in the record. Because the district court’s written order postdates its oral statement, we will proceed on the presumption that the district court abandoned its prior oral reasoning for granting summary judgment. We will, instead, rely exclusively on the district court’s written order. See White v. Washington Public Power Supply Sys., 692 F.2d 1286, 1289 n.1 (9th Cir. 1982) (noting that “the rule in this circuit is that the formal findings of fact and conclusions of law supersede the oral decision.”); see also O’Neill v. AGWI Lines, 74 F.3d 93, 95 (5th Cir. 1996) (noting that “to the extent that the district court’s statements from the bench conflict with its formal findings and conclusions of law, we need not consider them.”); Snow Machines, Inc. v. Hedco, Inc., 838 F.2d 718, 727 (3d Cir. 1988) (noting that “a formal order controls over a prior oral statement.”); E.E.O.C. v. Exxon Shipping Co., 745 F.2d 967, 974 (5th Cir. 1984) (observing that “to the extent the [trial] court’s statements from the bench conflict with its formal findings and conclusions, we do not consider them.”); Harbor Tug & Barge v. Belcher Towing, 733 F.2d 823, 827 n.3 (11th Cir. 1984) (“The trial judge was not bound by his off-hand remarks. In its search for error, the reviewing court looks to the formal findings and conclusions . . .”). DELIA v. CITY OF RIALTO 18353 court also held that the City was entitled to summary judgment on Delia’s Monell claim. The district court, again, found that Delia had not established that he was injured by an express policy, a longstanding custom, or an official with final policymaking authority.