Opinion ID: 358571
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the doctrine of law of the case

Text: 10 The doctrine of law of the case is a rule of practice under which a rule of law enunciated by a federal court not only establishes a precedent for subsequent cases under the doctrine of stare decisis, but (also) establishes the law which other courts owing obedience to it Must, and which it itself will, normally, apply to the same issues in subsequent proceedings in the same case. 1B Moore's Federal Practice P 0.404(1) (2d ed. 1974) (footnotes omitted, emphasis in original). The doctrine is based upon sound policy that when an issue is once litigated and decided, that should be the end of the matter. United States v. United States Smelting Refining & Mining Co., 339 U.S. 186, 198, 70 S.Ct. 537, 544, 94 L.Ed. 750 (1950); Fontainebleau Hotel Corp. v. Crossman, 286 F.2d 926, 928 (5th Cir. 1961). 11 The leading and controlling Fifth Circuit case on the doctrine is White v. Murtha, 377 F.2d 428 (5th Cir. 1967), in which the Court said: 12 The law of the case rule is based on the salutary and sound public policy that litigation should come to an end. It is predicated on the premise that there would be no end to a suit if every obstinate litigant could, by repeated appeals, compel a court to listen to criticisms on their opinions or speculate of chances from changes in its membership, and that it would be impossible for an appellate court to perform its duties satisfactorily and efficiently and expeditiously if a question, once considered and decided by it were to be litigated anew in the same case upon any and every subsequent appeal thereof. 13 While the law of the case doctrine is not an inexorable command, a decision of a legal issue or issues by an appellate court establishes the law of the case and must be followed in all subsequent proceedings in the same case in the trial court or on a latter appeal in the appellate court, Unless (1) the evidence on a subsequent trial was substantially different, (2) controlling authority has since made a contrary decision of the law applicable to such issues, or (3) the decision was clearly erroneous and would work manifest injustice. 14 377 F.2d at 431-32 (emphasis added, footnotes omitted). See also Schwartz v. NMS Industries, Inc., 575 F.2d 553, 554-55 (5th Cir. 1978); Carpa, Inc. v. Ward Foods, Inc., 567 F.2d 1316, 1319 (5th Cir. 1978); Terrell v. Household Goods Carriers' Bureau, 494 F.2d 16, 19 (5th Cir. 1974). 15 The doctrine's reach is not as expansive as the rule of res judicata: the doctrine of law of the case is limited insofar as it applies only to issues that were decided in the former proceeding but not to questions which might have been decided but were not. Carpa, Inc. v. Ward Foods, Inc., 567 F.2d at 1320; Terrell v. Household Goods Carriers' Bureau, 494 F.2d at 19. Nevertheless, the doctrine does mean that the duty of a lower court to follow what has been decided at an earlier stage of the case comprehends things Decided by necessary implication as well as those decided explicitly. Carpa, Inc. v. Ward Foods, Inc., 567 F.2d at 1320 (emphasis in original). See also Terrell v. Household Goods Carriers' Bureau, 494 F.2d at 19. Therefore, the decisions of law made by the En banc Court in Morrow v. Crisler, 491 F.2d 1053 (5th Cir.), Cert. denied, 419 U.S. 895, 95 S.Ct. 173, 42 L.Ed.2d 139 (1974), were controlling not only on the trial court but are also controlling on this Court on this appeal. See Diplomat Electric Inc. v. Westinghouse Electric Supply Co., 430 F.2d 38, 48 (5th Cir. 1970) (decisions of law made on former appeal control trial court and appellate court, except as to clearly erroneous legal decision). See also Hodgson v. Brookhaven General Hospital, 470 F.2d 729, 730 (5th Cir. 1972) (prior appeal established law of the case which district court, on remand, bound to follow); Gulf Coast Building & Supply Co. v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local No. 480, 460 F.2d 105, 107 (5th Cir. 1972) (whatever before appellate court and disposed of by decree becomes law of the case); Gorsalitz v. Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp., 456 F.2d 180, 181 (5th Cir. 1972) (question cannot be relitigated on appeal where settled by the law of the case of a prior appeal). 16 In determining the scope of the doctrine of law of the case on this appeal there are two basic questions that must be addressed: (1) What issues, if any, were decided, Either expressly or by implication, by the En banc Court's decision which the parties now raise on this appeal; and (2) Whether any of the exceptions delineated in White v. Murtha are available and permit reconsideration of an issue previously decided?