Court Opinion

ID: 9485910
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 11:33:45.438+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:51:26.569930
License: Public Domain

FARRIS, Circuit Judge,
concurring:
I concur. My brothers and I differ in the rationale.
In Arnold v. United States, 816 F.2d 1306, 1812 (9th Cir.1987), we recited the three-pronged test for equitable tolling, but did not inquire as to the satisfaction of any or all of the prongs because the doctrine of “equitable tolling does not apply when a plaintiff has pursued a remedy as to only one of several distinct wrongs.” Thus, contrary to Judge *1278Reinhardt’s analysis, the question of whether two claims seek to remedy distinct wrongs is a threshold question. If the wrongs are distinct, the three-pronged test is not even implicated. If the wrongs are not distinct, and the plaintiff merely pursues one of several potential legal remedies, tolling applies. We can then reach the issue of whether California’s three-part test is satisfied.
In Donoghue v. Orange County, 848 F.2d 926, 931 (9th Cir.1987), we vacated and remanded for a determination of whether the statute of limitations for the plaintiffs § 1983 claim was tolled by her prior state court action. Our remand was to permit the district court to evaluate Donoghue’s several state and federal claims to ascertain whether the wrongs were distinct.
I would hold that the district court erred in dismissing the complaint at this stage of the proceedings because nothing on the face of the complaint is inconsistent with a showing by the plaintiff that the statute should be tolled, i.e., a showing that the wrongs were not distinct and that the three-part test was satisfied. I would remand to permit such a showing.
Perhaps the district court will not be confused by the majority rationale. I offer a substitute to clarify, not to confuse. We all conclude, as we must, that California law controls. I agree that we must reverse and remand.