Court Opinion

ID: 9735692
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 18:27:46.560284+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:27:00.939112
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE SIMON, dissenting: I appreciate that the majority opinion is filed out of a sense of respect for precedent. Nevertheless I dissent not only for the reasons set forth in the dissenting opinion in Flores v. Dugan (1982), 91 Ill. 2d 108, 115 (Simon, J., dissenting), but also to point out the great number of authorities which are opposed to the Flores reasoning. The courts of several other States, the Federal courts, and various commentators have found dismissals of cases without prejudice or with leave to refile to be appealable final orders, the important point being that such dismissals ended the litigation as far as the trial court was concerned. United States v. Wallace & Tiernan Co. (1949), 336 U.S. 793, 795 n.1, 93 L. Ed. 1042, 1047 n.1, 69 S. Ct. 824, 825 n.1; Elfenbein v. Gulf & Western Industries, Inc. (2d Cir. 1978), 590 F.2d 445; Allied Air Freight, Inc. v. Pan American World Airways, Inc. (2d Cir. 1968), 393 F.2d 441 (dismissal for want of prosecution); Tierce v. Knox (1922), 207 Ala. 121, 92 So. 263; Beck v. Barnett National Bank (Fla. App. 1960), 117 So. 2d 45; Aiona v. Wing Sing Wo Co. (1962), 45 Hawaii 427, 368 P.2d 879; Solomon v. Continental Baking Co. (1936), 174 Miss. 890, 165 So. 607 (dismissal for want of prosecution); Goldman v. McShain (1968), 432 Pa. 61, 247 A.2d 455; Montgomery Ward & Co. v. Smith (D.C. App. 1980), 412 A.2d 728; see, e.g., 9 Moore, Federal Practice sec. 110.08[1], at 113 (2d ed. 1982); 2 Ill. L. & Prac. Appeal and Error sec. 130, at 208 (1953); Restatement (Second) of Judgments sec. 13, comment b, at 132-33 (1982); 1 A. Freeman, Judgments sec. 22, at 35 n.4 (5th ed. 1925); K. Llewellyn, The Common Law Tradition: Deciding Appeals 294 (1960). The rule adopted in Flores and now perpetuated in this case permits trial courts to act in arbitrary fashion and at the same time immunize their orders from appellate review. This can only breed disrespect for the judicial system. Flores v. Dugan represents a distinct minority viewpoint in the United States; perhaps no other jurisdiction has reached that result. No contrary authority has been cited in this case except Flores v. Dugan and a few decisions of the appellate court of this State which were relied on by the majority in Flores v. Dugan. There probably are none. As far as our appellate court is concerned, I pointed out in Flores v. Dugan that it has held far more frequently than not that dismissals for want of prosecution with leave to refile are appealable. I respectfully suggest that instead of continuing to follow precedent which is mistaken we consider returning to the mainstream on this issue at the earliest opportunity.