Court Opinion

ID: 9598604
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:10:07.582148+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:50:03.166808
License: Public Domain

SUTIN, Judge (specially concurring). I concur in the result. Notice of date and time of a trial hearing is a matter of grave concern to parties in litigation. To deny a hearing on the merits without good reason defies what we commonly refer to as justice and fair play. This case is one of first impression, one that requires circumspection in dealing with a rule which requires district courts to place an action upon the trial calendar. Rule 18(c)(6) of the Rules of the Second Judicial District reads: Requests for settings for trial alone may be sent directly to the assigned Judge who will make the setting. The Judge’s secretary will enter the date and time of the setting for the trial and will file the original and send endorsed copies of the Request for Setting form to all persons entitled to notice. A “Request for Hearing” and “Notice of Hearing” form is attached to the rules as an appendix. The “Request for Hearing” portion of the form is completed by the party seeking a trial. The “Notice of Hearing” form is completed by the judge or calendar clerk and is mailed to all persons entitled to notice. If ordered to do so, the person requesting the setting shall, not later than 3 days after being directed, file with the clerk of the court the completed original of the Request for Hearing-Notice of Hearing and serve copies on all counsel of record or parties appearing pro se. This is the only rule provided for initiating a setting for trial. The assigned judge has no authority to initiate a trial setting. Rule 18(c) was created and adopted by the District Judges in the Second Judicial District. Each judge is mandated to follow these rules. Otherwise, the Rules will lose their meaning when violated by thirteen district judges. Settings for trial will become a haphazard proceeding. Rule 65 of the Rules of the Second Judicial District reads: Any infraction of these Rules shall, in addition to other appropriate remedies, subject the attorney or non-complying party to such disciplinary action as the Judge(s) of the Second Judicial District shall deem appropriate. If a lawyer has a duty to comply with the rules, and does comply, the district judge will not be lead astray. If a lawyer fails to comply, the district judge has a duty to direct the lawyer to read the rules and follow them. Whether the fault be that of the lawyer or the district judge, the failure to comply with the “Request for Hearing-Notice of Hearing” procedure must result in reversible error for any action taken at the hearing unless the opposing lawyer or party voluntarily waives the Notice of Hearing requirement. Strict compliance is essential to the administration of justice. The rule must be uniform that the failure to give proper notice of trial to an adversary is reversible error. Siano v. Spindel, 136 Ga.App. 288, 220 S.E.2d 718 (1975). We must not grant the trial judge discretion in initiating trial settings; to do so, is to create a host of excuses and various events that will destroy the fairness of the rule. The only discretion given to the district judge is to assign a trial date after proper notice, giving both sides an opportunity to be heard and state their reasons for or against. Combs v. Griffith, 429 S.W.2d 849 (Ky.1968). We must not allow letters of attorneys or oral announcements to substitute for the “Notice of Hearing” requirement. To do so is to create strong disagreements on appeal. Mansfield State Bank v. Cohn, 573 S.W.2d 181 (Tex.1978). Notice of trial required by the civil rules must be given to the adverse party by the court and not counsel, King v. King, 55 Ohio App.2d 43, 379 N.E.2d 251 (1977), unless, of course, the district judge directs the lawyer to send the notice. We must not follow the rule that a judge has no specific duty to inform individual attorneys of when their respective cases are set for trial; that the court records do, Ed Martin Ford Co., Inc. v. Martin, 363 N.E.2d 1292 (Ind.App.1977), nor that parties over whom a court has obtained jurisdiction are not entitled to notice of a trial setting in the absence of a rule or statute to the contrary, Jack Adams Aircraft Sales, Inc. v. Harley, 569 S.W.2d 599 (Tex.Civ.App.1978), because parties are expected to keep themselves informed of the time a case is set for trial and not sleep on their rights. Plains Growers, Inc. v. Jordan, 519 S.W,2d 633 (Tex.1974); Knight v. Davis, 356 So.2d 156 (Ala.1978); Forman & Zuckerman, P. A. v. Schupak, 38 N.C.App. 17, 247 S.E,2d 266 (1978). Furthermore, we must not follow the rule that when plaintiff’s attorney comes into court to obtain a default judgment, one can be granted when both the attorney and the district judge know that defendant is entitled to three-days notice under Rule 55(b) of the Rules of Civil Procedure. Ries Flooring Company, Inc. v. Dileno Const. Co., 53 Ohio App.2d 255, 373 N.E.2d 1266 (1977). This rule should put a district judge on notice that defendant should not be forced to trial on the merits under the circumstances of this case. If defendant’s attorney had walked out of the courtroom and default judgment were entered, defendant would be entitled to vacate the judgment and obtain a trial on the merits. The only rule to follow in the Second Judicial District is Rule 18(c)(6) of the rules of that district. In the absence of a district court rule, it must be kept in mind that notice of trial is an elementary essential of a judicial proceeding. No hard and fast rule for determining what notice is sufficient can be made. Any such rule would be arbitrary. But we do know that a reasonable notice of the trial setting must be given to satisfy due process requirements as pointed out in Judge Wood’s opinion. Rule 18(c)(6) not having been followed, defendant is entitled to a new trial.