Opinion ID: 706975
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: issues

Text: 22 The principles of waiver that apply to claim preclusion defenses, also apply to issue preclusion. As we have the ability to overlook waiver and raise the res judicata issue sua sponte we may do so with respect to issue preclusion. Here, while we decline to recognize the defendants' untimely claim preclusion defense, we conclude that the considerations and concerns that compel that decision are not present with respect to issue preclusion. 23 Preclusion doctrine encompasses vindication of both public and private interests. The private values protected include shielding litigants from the burden of re-litigating identical issues with the same party, and vindicating private parties' interest in repose. The public interests served include avoiding inconsistent results and preserving judicial economy. See 18 Wright, Miller & Cooper, Federal Practice and Procedure: Jurisdiction Sec. 4403 at 11-18. 24 The relative weights of these public and private interests vary depending upon the type of preclusion at stake. For example, the most purely public purpose served by preclusion rules is that of preserving the acceptability of judicial dispute resolution against the corrosive disrespect that would follow if the same matter were twice litigated to inconsistent results. Id. at 12. Vindication of this public interest is at its zenith in the realm of issue preclusion. It is the failure to adhere closely to basic issue preclusion principles that is most likely to lead directly to the inconsistent results that tend to undermine confidence in the judicial process. In contrast, the broader doctrine of claim preclusion, which bars the litigation of issues never before tried, has at its fundamental base the vindication of private litigants' interest in repose. 25 In resolving the question of claim preclusion, we found countervailing private interests that led us to apply strictly fundamental principles of waiver--the failure to hold the defendants to their waiver would subject the plaintiffs to gross prejudice. However, no such countervailing interests arise with respect to issue preclusion in this case. In issue preclusion, the only litigation barred is the re-litigation of an issue that has been actually litigated and necessarily decided. 9 Where the plaintiffs have had a full and fair opportunity to actually litigate the issue and did in fact litigate it, they can not ordinarily be prejudiced by subsequently being held to the prior determination. Moreover, the public interest would be greatly advanced by the application of issue preclusion here. It would avoid inconsistent results and would assist in the conservation of our judicial resources. Accordingly, despite the defendants' failure to raise the issue preclusion defense in a timely manner, we will nonetheless apply the doctrine in this case. 26 Thus, to the extent that issues regarding the Clementses' employment status were resolved in the state court litigation, relitigation of those issues in federal court is precluded. While this conclusion benefits Sue, it has a harmful effect on some of Douglas' claims. Recognizing this fact, the Clementses argue that while we should give preclusive effect to those issues which benefit Sue, we should not apply issue preclusion with respect to matters decided adversely to Douglas. They base their argument on the contention that the administrative proceedings took place in a biased and partial forum, and for this reason, they say, Douglas has never had a full and fair opportunity to litigate his claims. 27 Unfortunately for the Clementses, any bias or shortcomings that existed in the administrative process did not affect the outcome of the issue that was decided adversely to Douglas. The determination to which we give preclusive effect here is the Nevada Supreme Court's ruling that Douglas was an at-will employee and that he was not covered by the Airport Authority's civil service system. The Nevada Supreme Court decided the issue of Douglas' employment status as a matter of legal interpretation and expressly noted that it would reach the same decision whether or not it gave deference to the prior agency determinations. It determined as a matter of law that Douglas was a department head who served at the pleasure of the Executive Director, and who was outside the civil service coverage of the manual. Because the determination to which we give preclusive effect does not rest on deference to the administrative findings but rather involved a pure question of law, the issue of alleged bias did not color the outcome of the state court proceedings. 10