Court Opinion

ID: 9463199
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 23:00:38.345865+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:37:58.808326
License: Public Domain

WILLIAM E. DOYLE, Circuit Judge
(specially concurring).
I specially concur.
The reason for my hesitating to concur fully was the apparent failure of the bankruptcy court and the district court as well to hold a hearing in order to determine the central issue as to what constitutes alimony or support under the law of Oklahoma. There was also a question in my mind as to whether the holding of the Oklahoma divorce court in the same case is binding. After extensive research, I am of the opinion that even if the federal court executing a federal question has the power to hold that the Oklahoma court was clearly wrong in holding that the arrangement in this case was a division of property, it would be poor policy to so hold for the obvious reason that we are in a poor position to second guess the court which tried the divorce and was aware of all of the facts.
Moreover, if we were to hold that for the purpose of the bankruptcy that it was alimony or support under Oklahoma law the result would be anomalous. Two court systems would have reached different results on the same set of facts. As a consequence the defendant could rightfully conclude that he could not win for losing. The wife could have the opposite reaction. The practical result would be to say the least unseemly.