Opinion ID: 581376
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Merits and Terry I.

Text: 13 Appellants devote the bulk of their appeal to a reargument of issues that this court decided in Terry I. They contend that women are not a valid class of persons for purposes of 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3); 6 we held to the contrary in Terry I. See 886 F.2d at 1358-59. They argue that even if women are a valid class, appellants' actions directed at the prevention of abortions did not amount to the class-based animus required for a violation of § 1985(3); we ruled to the contrary in Terry I. See id. at 1359-60. They argue that they did not violate any constitutional right to travel of persons seeking abortions; we held to the contrary in Terry I. See id. at 1360-61. They argue that the contempt fines imposed by the district court were criminal, rather than civil, in nature, and that appellants were not accorded procedural protections required in criminal contempt proceedings; we ruled to the contrary in Terry I. See id. at 1350-51. These issues are therefore settled in this circuit, absent reconsideration in banc or a different ruling by the Supreme Court. See, e.g., Leecan v. Lopes, 893 F.2d 1434, 1443 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 496 U.S. 929, 110 S.Ct. 2627, 110 L.Ed.2d 647 (1990). 14 In addition, our determinations in Terry I constitute the law of the case. This doctrine requires that we adhere[ ] 'to [our] own decision at an earlier stage of the litigation' unless there are 'cogent' or 'compelling' reasons not to, such as 'an intervening change of controlling law, the availability of new evidence, or the need to correct a clear error or prevent manifest injustice.'  Sanders v. Sullivan, 900 F.2d 601, 605 (2d Cir.1990) (quoting Doe v. New York City Dep't of Social Servs., 709 F.2d 782, 789 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 864, 104 S.Ct. 195, 78 L.Ed.2d 171 (1983)). No such reason is presented here, at least at this juncture in the litigation. 15 We note in this regard that the Supreme Court has granted certiorari and heard oral argument in National Organization for Women v. Operation Rescue, 914 F.2d 582 (4th Cir.1990) (per curiam), cert. granted sub nom. Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 1070, 112 L.Ed.2d 1176 (1991). In that case, the Fourth Circuit explicitly invoked Terry I for the proposition that blocking access to medical services provided by abortion facilities which serve an interstate clientele violates the constitutional right to travel. 914 F.2d at 585. Even if the Supreme Court were to reverse the Fourth Circuit in Bray, however, it is unlikely that appellants could benefit from that ruling in this case. 16 The underlying injunctive orders pursuant to which contempt proceedings were brought against appellants were premised not only upon § 1985(3), but also upon the independent state law grounds of trespass and public nuisance. See Terry I, 886 F.2d at 1361-62. (It is noteworthy in this regard that plaintiffs-appellees initiated this action in state court, and defendants-appellants removed it to federal court. See supra note 3.) Accordingly, the district court's actions can be sustained on these state grounds, which have not been separately challenged on this appeal, so long as the federal claim asserted by plaintiffs-appellees ha[s] substance sufficient to confer subject matter jurisdiction on the court. United Mine Workers v. Gibbs, 383 U.S. 715, 725, 86 S.Ct. 1130, 1138, 16 L.Ed.2d 218 (1966) (citing Levering & Garrigues Co. v. Morrin, 289 U.S. 103, 53 S.Ct. 549, 77 L.Ed. 1062 (1933)); see Volunteer Medical Clinic, Inc. v. Operation Rescue, 948 F.2d 218, 228 (6th Cir.1991) (remanding for consideration whether injunction improperly premised upon alleged violation of § 1985(3) should be reinstated on state grounds of trespass, nuisance, or tortious interference with business); Roe v. Operation Rescue, 919 F.2d 857, 867-68 (3d Cir.1990) (affirming injunction on unchallenged state grounds of trespass and intentional interference with contractual relations without addressing merits of § 1985(3) claim upon which injunction was also based). 17 Thus, only a federal claim that is  'so attenuated and unsubstantial as to be absolutely devoid of merit'  would preclude the district court's exercise of jurisdiction over the state trespass and public nuisance claims presented here. Hagans v. Lavine, 415 U.S. 528, 536-37, 94 S.Ct. 1372, 1378-79, 39 L.Ed.2d 577 (1974) (quoting Newburyport Water Co. v. Newburyport, 193 U.S. 561, 579, 24 S.Ct. 553, 557, 48 L.Ed. 795 (1904)). Given our ruling in Terry I, and the general state of the law on this issue, see National Org. for Women v. Operation Rescue, 914 F.2d at 585 (collecting cases), it appears clear that plaintiffs-appellees have asserted a substantial federal claim adequate to ground jurisdiction over the state trespass and public nuisance claims. This conclusion is subject, however, to the caveat that the petition for certiorari in Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic poses for review, inter alia, the question: Are respondents' claims under 42 U.S.C. 1985(3) so insubstantial as to deprive federal courts of subject matter jurisdiction?, 59 U.S.L.W. 3508 (U.S. Jan. 21, 1991) (No. 90-985), and the grant of certiorari in Bray was not qualified regarding the questions to be considered by the Supreme Court. See --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 1070, 112 L.Ed.2d 1176 (1991). 18