Opinion ID: 2646701
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Review of the Jury Verdict

Text: PLNI’s second point of error challenges the ICA’s conclusion that the jury verdict must be vacated because it violated the filed-rate doctrine. As a preliminary matter, we must determine whether this point of error may be reached. Because the court dismissed the Feature Group D claims, through the dismissal the court appears to have invalidated the jury verdict, although it apparently did not intend to do so, since it also stayed the jury’s verdict. As noted, after a jury verdict was rendered on September 13, 2007 as to the Feature Group D claims, the court held a hearing on Time Warner’s September 4, 2007 motion to dismiss based on the primary jurisdiction of the PUC. At the 49 FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST’S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER hearing, the court orally ruled that it would grant the motion to dismiss “on the basis of primary jurisdiction” and that “in granting the motion . . . [it was] staying the effect of the verdict . . . .” On October 23, 2007, the court entered an order granting Time Warner’s motion to dismiss. On December 12, 2007, the court entered a final judgment which reflected its oral ruling at the hearing on the motion to dismiss. The final judgment stated in part, to reiterate: “By [the October 23, 2007] Order, the [c]ourt dismissed all of the Feature Group D claims on the basis of the primary jurisdiction doctrine. Due to the dismissal of the Feature Group D claims, the [c]ourt stayed enforcement of the jury verdict in favor of PLNI on the Feature Group D claims entered on September 13, 2007 until further order of the [c]ourt.” The court’s dismissal of the Feature Group D claims would dismiss the jury’s verdict, so there would no longer be any verdict to enforce. Therefore, the court’s judgment, dismissing the Feature Group D claims pursuant to its determination that primary jurisdiction lay in the PUC, and staying the enforcement of the jury’s verdict pending further order of the court, was internally inconsistent. Ordinarily, having concluded that the court erred in applying the primary jurisdiction doctrine to dismiss the Feature Group D claims, this court would vacate the dismissal and remand the case to proceed to trial on those claims. In this case, however, the trial as to those claims has already taken place and 50 FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST’S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER a jury has rendered a verdict. The validity of that verdict, under the filed-rate doctrine was appealed to the ICA, and the ICA decided whether the verdict was in fact valid on the merits.22 The parties also briefed substantive issues related to the jury’s verdict before the ICA and this court. Under these circumstances, in the interest of judicial economy, this court may proceed to render a decision as to PLNI’s second point of error -- whether the jury’s verdict should be upheld as valid.