Court Opinion

ID: 9731095
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 15:33:05.967705+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:13.167984
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Mr. Justice Cohen:
In addition to the reasons advanced by Mr. Justice Roberts for a remand, I further question the proceedings in the court below. The action was tried in the court below, without a jury on May 3, 4, 6 and 9, 1960. On July 29, 1966 appellee, W. Arnold Blythe, instituted an action in mandamus to compel a decision by the trial judge. Considering the great delay that had already occurred, the filing of that action made it impossible for the trial judge to fulfill properly his functions. That is, through the institution of that action, he was no longer an independent, disinterested trier of fact, but rather a litigant himself. The filing of the action may have prejudiced him against the party pursuing that course. The refusal of that party to press that action may have created a bias in favor of that party. It does not matter what the judge’s decision *493ultimately was. The important thing is that he was placed in a position in which it would have been impossible to exercise his powers of judgment free of any interest in the matter. Therefore, I dissent.