Court Opinion

ID: 9484505
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 09:55:17.390818+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:50:17.088745
License: Public Domain

CYNTHIA HOLCOMB , HALL, Circuit Judge,
dissenting in part:
I concur in Parts I — III of the majority opinion, but dissent from Part IV. I disagree with the majority that the district court properly exercised its discretion in sanctioning Ramirez’s attorney.
Although Ramirez’s attorney was remiss in simply changing the title of his motion papers and submitting the same set of papers twice, I can not agree with the majority that the attorney’s conduct was “impertinent”. Under the circumstances of this case, the attorney acted within reason. See Business Guides, Inc. v. Chromatic Communications Enters., 498 U.S. 533, 550-52, 111 S.Ct. 922, 933, 112 L.Ed.2d 1140 (1991). Considering the undisputed facts, the attorney could have made no plausible, good faith argument in opposition to Fox’s summary judgment motion. His only tenable argument was that the district court’s prior preemption determination was erroneous. Thus, the attorney’s conduct was not “clearly frivolous, legally unreasonable; or without legal foundation.” Operating Eng’rs Pension Trust v. A-C Co., 859 F.2d 1336, 1344 (9th Cir.1988). Indeed, we have today decided that the district court’s preemption determination was in error.
Finally, I would also note that the attorney’s conduct is at least in part attributable to Fox’s failure to move simultaneously for removal and dismissal. Thus, I would reverse the district court’s imposition of a sanction against Ramirez’s attorney.