Opinion ID: 78007
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Fairness to litigants

Text: Three considerations are relevant to the second factori.e., fairness to litigantsin the international abstention analysis: (1) the order in which the suits were filed; (2) the more convenient forum; and (3) the possibility of prejudice to parties resulting from abstention. Turner, 25 F.3d at 1521-22 (internal citations omitted). Here, appellants filed suit in the district court in February 2005 and the Government commenced the action in Belize in March 2005. Therefore, the order in which the suits were filed tilts somewhat towards the American forum. However, as the Turner court noted, the location of the first-filed suit is not dispositive of this factor. Id. at 1522. The other two considerations favor the Belizean forum. The above discussion indicating that the interests of Belize far outweigh any American interestsalso leads to the conclusion that the Belizean forum was more convenient than the American forum. With respect to the prejudice factor, this consideration focuses on whether the party opposing deference to the foreign forum will receive a fair and impartial trial in the foreign forum. Turner, 25 F.3d at 1522. We readily conclude that the Government received a fair and impartial trial and appeal in Belize. Indeed, we note that it was the Government that initiated the litigation in Belize. Thus, in weighing the three considerations under the fairness factor, we conclude that in the overall they weigh in favor of deference to the Belizean decision.