Court Opinion

ID: 9516965
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 23:57:42.3619+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:42:36.922081
License: Public Domain

WIDENER, Circuit Judge,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent.
The case entirely depends on whether, on September 2nd, Higdon knew that Vargas had signed a plea agreement at the time Higdon spoke to Michel.
I agree with the suggestion in the majority opinion, that remand would ordinarily have been an acceptable solution. But in reversing, absent facts which we do not have, we are holding that the district judge should not have entered the sanction order that he did on the ground that an attorney ought not to file motions disqualifying opposing attorneys unless he has more definite information than the record shows was in the hands of Michel when he made the motion to disqualify Higdon. I cannot agree with that proposition.