Court Opinion

ID: 9428096
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 23:22:46.96126+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:23:11.769133
License: Public Domain

Justice Blackmun,
with whom Justice White joins,
dissenting.
I have no quarrel with the general principles enunciated by the Court in its per curiam opinion. Of course, only exceptional circumstances justify the extraordinary remedy of mandamus. I sense, however, from the rather voluminous material that is before us (as contrasted with the average petition for certiorari), and from the Court of Appeals’ careful review of the law and the decided cases concerning the use of the mandamus power, that this is an unusual case and that there well may be more here than appears at first glance. I therefore would not decide, peremptorily and summarily, what circumstances, if any, justify a federal appellate court’s issuance of a writ of mandamus to overturn a trial court’s order granting a new trial.* Instead, I would grant the *38petition for certiorari and give the case plenary consideration so that we may examine carefully the factors and considerations that prompted the Court of Appeals to issue the writ. I feel that the case deserves at least that much.

To the extent that the Court’s decision in this case is based upon the inadequacy of the record before the Court of Appeals, the proper remedy is to remand for further proceedings based upon a complete record.