Court Opinion

ID: 9724559
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 11:02:07.698135+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:02.571199
License: Public Domain

ALLPORT, J.
I dissent.
The majority holds that the order of the trial court for submission to unnamed plaintiffs of a notice requiring them to appear for a deposition in response to a personally served subpoena or arrange for some date or time other than that specified or execute a waiver of participation in the *652class action at the discovery: stage is so derogatory of the class action procedure as to amount to an abuse of discretion requiring vacation of the order. I do not agree that the order is objectionable, much less that it is an abuse of discretion.
The inherent complexity of class actions requires the establishing of procedures calculated-to expedite their conclusion with due. consideration to the rights of all concerned, not only the named parties plaintiff and their attorneys but the .unnamed parties plaintiff, the defendants and the courts. It is conceded that the letter in question fully and fairly explains the nature of the action in general, the deposition procedure and the options of the unnamed parties. The either/or nature of the communication in no way compels action not otherwise required by the mere service of the subpoena. It merely offers the one served with the subpoena a quick, inexpensive and convenient way to extricate himself from participation in a legal action in which he may have no interest whatsoever, i.e., his boat may have suffered only inconsequential damage or perhaps it was not even in the harbor at the time in question. If the ordinary subpoena process is required this party is faced with uncertainty, expense, inconvenience and possible legal action for failing to obey the compulsion of the subpoena. In this regard, I question the holding of the majority that the issue presented in this petition is whether the unnamed plaintiffs’ rights to remain as members of the class “can be made to depend upon their willingness to submit to deposition proceedings.” Once the unnamed plaintiff has been served with a subpoena he is under court order to appear for the deposition and there is no question of willingness on his part to submit. His failure to appear could result in contempt proceedings under Code of Civil Procedure sections 1209, subdivision 9; 1991 and 1992, or in dismissal of the action as to him under section 2034. The procedure contemplated by the order in question may be of material benefit to him and of no detriment either to him or to any of the other parties or to the prosecution of the action itself. In fact the procedure appears to me to offer material benefits to all concerned.
It is necessary that at some stage of the procedure the extent of the class be determined. An advance determination is of benefit if settlement is to be had at an early stage of the action. The settlement possibility is reached only after the extent of the class is determined and the potential monetary loss and defense expense established with some degree of certainty. The cost of defense is an important consideration in effecting settlement and is directly affected by the nature and extent of the discovery to be had and the length of the trial itself. It would appear to be unnecessary to refer to other benefits that might be gained from adopting the procedure contemplated by the order in question. Since in my opinion only benefit *653to all concerned can result from the procedure adopted, I must conclude that the trial court exercised its discretion wisely. Certainly it was not abused.
I would discharge the order to show cause and deny the petition for the writ.
A petition for a rehearing was denied August 16, 1973. Allport, J., was of the opinion that the petition should be granted. The petition of the real party in interest for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied September 19, 1973.