Court Opinion

ID: 9478161
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 06:42:09.914626+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:46:16.941618
License: Public Domain

WALLACE, Circuit Judge,
concurring:
I concur in the result. I write separately because I have reservations about the majority’s analysis of the fifth factor under Malone v. United States Postal Service, 833 F.2d 128 (9th Cir.1987) (Malone): whether the district court need consider the availability of less drastic alternatives. Id. at 130-32.
The majority reads Malone as generally requiring the district court “to discuss alternative sanctions; but in exceptional cases, where it is clear that no other alternative would have been reasonable, we may affirm a dismissal or default judgment despite the absence of such a discussion.” Maj. op. at 604. Malone, however, stated a different proposition: “we have never held that explicit discussion of alternatives is necessary for an order of dismissal to be upheld.” Malone, 833 F.2d at 132 (emphasis in original). Malone then held it would not require the district court to discuss alternatives where a court order is “purposefully and defiantly violated.” Id. Rather than analyzing whether Kahaluu purposefully and defiantly violated the court’s order, the majority concludes that this case does not fit into the narrow “egregious circumstances” exception established by Malone. The district court erred, so the majority reasons, in failing to weigh explicitly less drastic alternatives. Maj. op. at 604. It is unclear whether the majority’s analysis will allow a “purposeful and defiant violation of a court order” to fit within *606the egregious circumstances exception, but it is clear that such was the egregious circumstance at issue in Malone. See Malone, 833 F.2d at 132. To be consistent with Malone, I would go no farther than stating our court has “indicated a preference for explicit discussion by the district court of the feasibility of alternatives ... [but] we have never held explicit discussions of alternatives is necessary....” Id. (emphasis in original).
The majority then concludes that “the fact that the district court actually implemented alternative sanctions prior to dismissal may be enough to satisfy the ‘consideration of alternatives’ requirement” if these sanctions constitute a “natural progression” with dismissal as the last step. Here is a new test established by the majority. Under this new test, it is unclear what may serve as a “natural progression” of sanctions culminating in a dismissal order sufficient to satisfy the “consideration of alternatives” requirement. Does it require more than one prior sanction to be a “natural progression”? The majority cites no authority for its new requirement. Instead of introducing this new and uncertain notion of a “natural progression,” I would simply follow the language in Malone: “explicit discussion of alternatives is unnecessary if the district court actually tries alternatives before employing the ultimate sanction of dismissal.” Id.
The majority holds that the district court’s first steps — the imposition of the order compelling discovery and the $300 sanction for failing to comply with the document production request in this case — did not indicate such a “natural progression” as to Wiltec’s claim. Maj. op. at 604-605. I believe the order compelling discovery and the payment of a $300 sanction fits within this definition even though it related to documents necessary to defend against the counterclaim and not documents necessary to prosecute the Wiltee claim. The district court’s order put a defiant party on notice that the court is unwilling to tolerate improper conduct. It seems to me this kind of order should be factored into determining whether a party has received proper warning. In Malone, the prior court acts “were all instituted in response to the lack of preparation on the part of Malone and her counsel.” Malone, 833 F.2d at 132. Although I can agree this act of the court may have been insufficient alone, I disagree it may not be considered.
Finally, I observe that on remand imposing some lesser sanction would not be inconsistent with the majority opinion.