Court Opinion

ID: 2970667
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-22 16:19:04.223736+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:15:07.536253
License: Public Domain

5(&200(1'(' )25 )8//7(;7 38%/,&$7,21
                3XUVXDQW WR 6L[WK &LUFXLW 5XOH                            %DQQHUPDQY6Q\GHU                           1R
        (/(&7521,& &,7$7,21  )(' $SS 3 WK &LU
                    )LOH 1DPH DS
                                                                        21%5,()&KHU\Os6WXUP&KDGGV)RUG3HQQV\OYDQLD
                                                                        IRU$SSHOODQWsRKQ3DWULFN*UDQW$66,67$1781,7('
                                                                        67$7(6$77251(</H[LQJWRQ.HQWXFN\IRU$SSHOOHH
81,7('67$7(6&28572)$33($/6
                                                                                             BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
                   )257+(6,;7+&,5&8,7
                     BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB                                                           23,1,21
                                                                                             BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

 )5$1./<1 %$11(50$1              ;                                        52*(56&LUFXLWsXGJH3HWLWLRQHUZDVVHQWHQFHGE\D
          3HWLWLRQHU$SSHOODQW                                        8QLWHG 6WDWHV 'LVWULFW &RXUW LQ 9LUJLQLD WR  PRQWKV
                                                                       LPSULVRQPHQW IRU YLRODWLQJ IHGHUDO GUXJ ODZV  2Q GLUHFW
                                      1R                      DSSHDOWKH)RXUWK&LUFXLWDIILUPHGKLVFRQYLFWLRQ+HODWHU
            Y                                                         ILOHGLQWKHVHQWHQFLQJFRXUWDPRWLRQXQGHU86&
                                    !                                   WRYDFDWHVHWDVLGHRUFRUUHFWKLVVHQWHQFH7KDWPRWLRQZDV
                                                                       GHQLHGDVXQWLPHO\3HWLWLRQHUDSSHDOHGWRWKH)RXUWK&LUFXLW
 *(25*( ( 61<'(5:DUGHQ 
         5HVSRQGHQW$SSHOOHH                                          WKDWFRXUWJUDQWHGDFHUWLILFDWHRIDSSHDODELOLW\DQGUHPDQGHG
                                                                        ILQGLQJ WKDW WKH PRWLRQ ZDV WLPHO\  2Q UHPDQG WKH
                                  1                                     VHQWHQFLQJ FRXUW DJDLQ GHQLHG KLV   PRWLRQ  +H
      $SSHDOIURPWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV'LVWULFW&RXUW                      VXEVHTXHQWO\ ILOHG D SHWLWLRQ IRU D ZULW RI KDEHDV FRUSXV
     IRUWKH(DVWHUQ'LVWULFWRI.HQWXFN\DW/RQGRQ                    SXUVXDQWWR86&LQWKH86'LVWULFW&RXUWIRUWKH
   1RnsHQQLIHU%&RIIPDQ'LVWULFWsXGJH                    (DVWHUQ 'LVWULFW RI .HQWXFN\ WKH GLVWULFW ZKHUH KH LV
                                                                        LQFDUFHUDWHG  7KH GLVWULFW FRXUW GHQLHG WKH SHWLWLRQ DQG
                     $UJXHG0DUFK                            JUDQWHGUHVSRQGHQWjVPRWLRQWRGLVPLVV3HWLWLRQHUDSSHDOV
                                                                        WKHGLVWULFWFRXUWjVGHFLVLRQ:H$)),50
                'HFLGHGDQG)LOHG$SULO
                                                                          7KHVWDQGDUGIRUUHYLHZRIDGHQLDORIDSHWLWLRQRIKDEHDV
%HIRUH0$57,1&KLHI&LUFXLWsXGJH52*(56&LUFXLW                   FRUSXVLVGHQRYR&KDUOHVY&KDQGOHU)G
          sXGJH('081'6'LVWULFWsXGJH
                              WK&LU
                       BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB                                  3HWLWLRQHUILOHG D SHWLWLRQIRUKDEHDVFRUSXVSXUVXDQWWR
                                                                        ZLWKWKHGLVWULFWFRXUW+HFODLPHGWKDWDUWLFOHRI
                             &2816(/                                    WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO &RYHQDQW RQ &LYLO DQG 3ROLWLFDO 5LJKWV
                                                                        DGRSWHGE\WKH81*HQHUDO$VVHPEO\'HF
$5*8('&KHU\Os6WXUP&KDGGV)RUG3HQQV\OYDQLDIRU                8176  ,&&35 ZDV YLRODWHG EHFDXVH KH ZDV QRW
$SSHOODQW  sRKQ 3DWULFN *UDQW $66,67$17 81,7('                  SURYLGHGDIRUXPWRPDNHKLVDUJXPHQWXQGHU$SSUHQGLY
67$7(6$77251(</H[LQJWRQ.HQWXFN\IRU$SSHOOHH

    
     7KH +RQRUDEOH 1DQF\ * (GPXQGV 8QLWHG 6WDWHV 'LVWULFW sXGJH IRU
WKH (DVWHUQ 'LVWULFW RI 0LFKLJDQ VLWWLQJ E\ GHVLJQDWLRQ

                                    
1R                              %DQQHUPDQY6Q\GHU                       %DQQHUPDQY6Q\GHU                              1R

1HZsHUVH\867KH6XSUHPH&RXUWLQ                        :/WK&LU6HSW3HUNLQVKHOGWKDWD
$SSUHQGLKHOGWKDWm>R@WKHUWKDQWKHIDFWRIDSULRUFRQYLFWLRQ               SHWLWLRQFRXOGQRWEHEDVHGRQDUHWURDFWLYHDSSOLFDWLRQ
DQ\ IDFW WKDW LQFUHDVHV WKH SHQDOW\ IRU D FULPH EH\RQG WKH           RI$SSUHQGL
SUHVFULEHGVWDWXWRU\PD[LPXPPXVWEHVXEPLWWHGWRDMXU\
DQG SURYHG EH\RQG D UHDVRQDEOH GRXEWl  ,G DW                      7KHVDYLQJVFODXVHPD\RQO\EHDSSOLHGZKHQWKHSHWLWLRQHU
3HWLWLRQHUjV $SSUHQGL DUJXPHQW LV WKDW WKH GLVWULFW FRXUWjV             PDNHVDFODLPRIDFWXDOLQQRFHQFH0DUWLQY3HUH])G
IDLOXUHWRLQVWUXFWWKHMXU\RQWKHTXDQWLW\DQGLGHQWLW\RIWKH               WK&LUVHHDOVR&KDUOHV)G$
GUXJVLQYROYHGUHVXOWHGLQDMXU\ILQGLQJWKDWKHZDVJXLOW\RI                FKDOOHQJHWRDVHQWHQFHEDVHGRQ$SSUHQGLFDQQRWEHWKHEDVLV
DFULPHZKHQ HDFK HOHPHQWRIWKHFULPHKDGQRWEHIRXQG                      IRU DQ DFWXDO LQQRFHQFH FODLP XQGHU 0DUWLQ  6HH 8QLWHG
EH\RQGDUHDVRQDEOHGRXEWDQGWKHUHIRUHKLVVHQWHQFHZDV                      6WDWHVY3HWHUPDQ)GWK&LU
PRUHWKDQWKHPD[LPXPVHQWHQFHKHFRXOGKDYHUHFHLYHG
                                                                                  )LQDOO\ SHWLWLRQHU PD\ QRW UHO\ XSRQ WKH ,&&35 WR
  +DEHDV FRUSXV LV DYDLODEOH WR FKDOOHQJH WKH OHJDOLW\ RI D           FLUFXPYHQWWKHUHTXLUHPHQWWKDWFKDOOHQJHVWRWKHOHJDOLW\RI
IHGHUDO SULVRQHUjV GHWHQWLRQ SXUVXDQW WR   RQO\ LI WKH           IHGHUDOGHWHQWLRQEHEURXJKWXQGHUUDWKHUWKDQ
SHWLWLRQHUFDQVKRZWKDWmWKHUHPHG\E\PRWLRQ>SXUVXDQWWR                    DEVHQW D FODLP RI DFWXDO LQQRFHQFH  7KH ,&&35 GRHV QRW
 86&  @ LV LQDGHTXDWH RU LQHIIHFWLYH WR WHVW WKH           SURYLGHDQLQGHSHQGHQWEDVLVIRUFKDOOHQJLQJFXVWRG\XQGHU
OHJDOLW\ RI KLV GHWHQWLRQl  86&  &KDUOHV                EHFDXVH LWV SURYLVLRQV DUH QRW VHOIH[HFXWLQJ DQG
)G DW   7KLV SKUDVH LV NQRZQ DV WKH VDYLQJV FODXVH           WKHUHIRUH QRW MXGLFLDOO\ HQIRUFHDEOH mODZl RI WKH 8QLWHG
&KDUOHV)GDW                                                      6WDWHV  6HH %XHOO Y 0LWFKHOO  )G   WK &LU
                                                                                86 6HQDWH 5HVROXWLRQ RI $GYLFH DQG &RQVHQW WR
  3HWLWLRQHUjVFKDOOHQJHZDVWRWKHOHJDOLW\RIKLVGHWHQWLRQ                 5DWLILFDWLRQ RI WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO &RYHQDQW RQ &LYLO DQG
+HDOOHJHGWKDWKLVUHPHG\E\ZD\RIZDVLQDGHTXDWH                     3ROLWLFDO5LJKWV&RQJ5HF8QLWHG
RULQHIIHFWLYHWRWHVWWKHOHJDOLW\RIKLVGHWHQWLRQEHFDXVHWKH               6WDWHVGHFODUDWLRQWKDW$UWLFOHVWKURXJKRI,&&35DUHQRW
,&&35KDGEHHQYLRODWHGDQGEHFDXVHRQO\SURYLGHV                       VHOIH[HFXWLQJ &XUWLV $ %UDGOH\ 	 sDFN / *ROGVPLWK
DUHPHG\IRUWUHDW\YLRODWLRQV7KHGLVWULFWFRXUWUHMHFWHG                  7UHDWLHV+XPDQ5LJKWVDQG&RQGLWLRQDO&RQVHQW8
HDFKRISHWLWLRQHUjVKDEHDVDUJXPHQWV7KHFRXUWIRXQGWKDW                   3 / 5'GLVFXVVLQJOHJDOLW\RIQRQ
WKH ,&&35 GLG QRW HQWLWOH SHWLWLRQHU WR EULQJ DQ DFWLRQ               VHOIH[HFXWLRQ GHFODUDWLRQV  :KLOH LW LV WUXH WKDW  
SXUVXDQW WR    ,Q DGGLWLRQ WKH FRXUW GHQLHG DOO RI           XQOLNHH[SUHVVO\LQFOXGHVYLRODWLRQRImWUHDWLHVRIWKH
SHWLWLRQHUjV$SSUHQGLFODLPVEDVHGRQWKHUDWLRQDOHDQGOHJDO                  8QLWHG6WDWHVlDVDEDVLVIRUFKDOOHQJLQJFXVWRG\LWLVFOHDU
DXWKRULWLHVVHWIRUWKLQ3HUNLQVY7KRPV1R                   WKDWWKHJURXQGVIRUUHOLHIXQGHUDUHWKHHTXLYDOHQWRI
                                                                               WKRVHXQGHUJHQHUDOIHGHUDOKDEHDVFRUSXVVWDWXWHVWKDWUHIHU
                                                                               WRmWKH&RQVWLWXWLRQRUODZVRUWUHDWLHVRIWKH8QLWHG6WDWHVl
                                                                               6HH 'DYLV Y 8QLWHG 6WDWHV  86     ,W
    
     79  LFOH  RI WKH ,&&35 SURYLGHV m,I VXEVHTXHQW WR WKH                IROORZVWKDWWKHUHIHUHQFHWRmWUHDWLHVRIWKH8QLWHG6WDWHVlLQ
FRPPLVVLRQ RI WKH RIIHQVH SURYLVLRQ LV PDGH E\ ODZ IRU WKH LPSRVLWLRQ
                                                                               FDQQRWEHFRQVWUXHGDVDQLPSOHPHQWDWLRQRIQRQVHOI
RI D OLJKWHU SHQDOW\ WKH RIIHQGHU VKDOO EHQHILW WKHUHE\l  8176 

                                                                               H[HFXWLQJSURYLVLRQVRIWUHDWLHVVRDVWRUHQGHUWKHPMXGLFLDOO\
    
     6HFWLRQ  SURYLGHV LQ SDUW m7KH ZULW RI KDEHDV FRUSXV VKDOO QRW
H[WHQG WR D SULVRQHU XQOHVV     +H LV LQ FXVWRG\ LQ YLRODWLRQ RI WKH
&RQVWLWXWLRQ RU ODZV RU WUHDWLHV RI WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHVl           86&
 F
1R                           %DQQHUPDQY6Q\GHU            

HQIRUFHDEOHXQGHUZKHQWKH\DUHQRWHQIRUFHDEOHXQGHU

                         &21&/86,21
   3HWLWLRQHUKDVQRWVHWIRUWKDQ\YDOLGDUJXPHQWVWRVXSSRUW
KLVKDEHDVSHWLWLRQDQGWKHUHIRUHWKHGLVWULFWFRXUWMXGJPHQW
LV$)),50('

    
      :H QRWH WKDW WKH )RXUWK DQG 1LQWK &LUFXLWV DOEHLW LQ XQSXEOLVKHG
RSLQLRQV KDYH IODWO\ UHMHFWHG VXFK DQ DUJXPHQW 'XWWRQ Y :DUGHQ 1R
  86 $SS /H[LV  WK &LU )HE   .HQDQ Y
:DUGHQ 1R   86 $SS /H[LV  WK &LU $XJ 
 %HQLWH] Y :DUGHQ 1R   86 $SS /H[LV 
WK &LU 'HF  