Court Opinion

ID: 9513224
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 22:33:02.35253+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:05:46.903944
License: Public Domain

VANDE WALLE, Chief Justice,
concurring specially.
[¶ 20] I agree with the majority opinion to the extent it would order Martin Wishnat-sky’s intervention in this lawsuit. I do not agree with the broad rationale of the “right to receive ministry” as the sole basis for that intervention, for I am not convinced of the correctness of the majority’s pronouncement Wishnatsky’s intervention “would not mean in other cases endless interventions would occur.” To the contrary, I believe the trial courts would, in a given case, be hard pressed to attempt to limit the intervenors, each of whom might have a little twist to distinguish them from other applicants for intervention.
[¶ 21] I agree Wishnatsky has a First Amendment “right to receive ministry.” Although I do not concede that, alone, is sufficient to intervene, the right coupled with Wishnatsky’s peculiar position in this whole enterprise leads me to conclude we should reverse. The dissenters may be “unpersuaded” by ‘Wishnatsky’s expectation of income” from his involvement with these non-profit corporations, but that involvement, different from others who might claim a First Amendment right to receive ministry, when coupled with his claim of the right to receive ministry, convince me he has satisfied the elements extracted from the decision in Keith v. Daley, 764 F.2d 1265 (7th Cir.1985) upon which the dissenters rely.
[¶ 22] I would reverse the trial court and allow Martin Wishnatsky to intervene in these proceedings.
[¶ 23] Gerald W. Vande Walle, C.J.