Opinion ID: 406889
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Bifurcation of Trial

Text: 4 The district court did not abuse its discretion in holding a separate trial of the exculpation issue. United States v. 1,071.08 Acres of Land, 564 F.2d 1350, 1352 (9th Cir. 1977). Separate trial of that issue did not deny Airlift any right to a jury trial, Fed.R.Civ.P. 42(b), for none existed. Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover, 359 U.S. 500, 79 S.Ct. 948, 3 L.Ed.2d 988 (1959), is inapposite. Moreover, having stipulated that separate trial of the issue was proper, it cannot now argue that the procedure was improper. 5 Nor are we convinced by Airlift's argument that the trial improperly exceeded its intended scope. The district court explicitly stated in its memorandum of decision that to the extent of claims unaffected by the exculpation clause, it granted summary judgment. Though the court's disposition may have been clearer with two documents (one reciting its findings pursuant to trial and the other describing its findings pursuant to summary judgment) the procedure was not error.