Court Opinion

ID: 2963938
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-21 21:17:45.229441+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:42:48.175497
License: Public Domain

USCA1 Opinion

	

          February 23, 1996     [NOT FOR PUBLICATION]
                                [NOT FOR PUBLICATION]

                            UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                            UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT

                              _________________________

          No. 95-1884

                           JOSE L. APONTE-FIGUEROA, ET AL.,

                               Plaintiffs, Appellants,

                                          v.

                            BULK TERMINAL OPERATORS, INC.,

                                 Defendant, Appellee.

                              _________________________

                     APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

                           FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO

                      [Hon. Justo Arenas, U.S. Magistrate Judge]
                                          _____________________

                              _________________________

                                        Before

                               Selya, Boudin and Lynch,

                                   Circuit Judges.
                                   ______________

                              _________________________

               Luis F. Padilla for appellants.
               _______________
               Ruperto J. Robles for appellee.
               _________________

                              _________________________

                              _________________________

                    Per  Curiam.    The  law of  contract  formation  being
                    Per  Curiam.
                    ___________

          settled, the  only question presented  on this appeal  is whether

          the  decision of the magistrate judge, entered after a full trial

          over  which he  presided,  see 28  U.S.C.    636(c),  is  clearly

          erroneous in  one or more respects.   See Fed. R.  Civ. P. 52(a).
                                                ___

          The clear error hurdle is high:  an appellate court "ought not to

          upset findings of fact or conclusions  drawn therefrom unless, on

          the  whole record,  we form  a strong,  unyielding belief  that a

          mistake  has been made."   Cumpiano v. Banco  Santander P.R., 902
                                     ________    _____________________

          F.2d 148, 152 (1st Cir. 1990); accord In re Tully,  818 F.2d 106,
                                         ______ ___________

          109 (1st Cir. 1987).

                    Here, the  hurdle is insurmountable.   We have examined

          the   record  in  this  case,   read  the  parties'  briefs,  and

          entertained oral argument.   As a result of that  careful review,

          we  conclude,  without  serious  question, that  no  clear  error

          infects  the  magistrate's findings  of fact.   After  all, "when

          there are two permissible views of the evidence, the factfinder's

          choice between  them cannot  be clearly  erroneous."   Johnson v.
                                                                 _______

          Watts  Regulator  Co.,  63  F.3d  1129,  1138  (1st  Cir.  1995).
          _____________________

          Consequently,  we need  go no  further.   We affirm  the judgment

          below  for substantially the reasons set  forth in the magistrate

          judge's  well-considered opinion.   See  Aponte-Figueroa v.  Bulk
                                              ___  _______________     ____

          Terminal  Operators,  Inc.,  No.  93-2488 (DRD)  (JA),  slip  op.
          __________________________

          (D.P.R. July 5, 1995).

                    Affirmed.
                    Affirmed.
                    ________

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