Court Opinion

ID: 9787298
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 00:14:25.166507+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:36:54.453318
License: Public Domain

*892BENCH, Presiding Judge
(concurring):
126 In my recent dissent in Shaw Resources Limited, L.L.C. v. Pruitt, Gushee & Bachtell, P.C., 2006 UT App 313, ¶¶ 61-68, 142 P.3d 560, I pointed out that "[the traditional rule is that summary judgment is available only where the moving party can affirmatively demonstrate that there is no genuine issue as to any material issues of fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Id. at 162 (quotations and citation omitted). Because of Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 4T7 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986), the burden in federal courts has been shifted to the nonmoving party, aligning "the movant's production burden for summary judgment to the burden of proof that party would bear at trial." Shaw Res. Ltd., L.L.C,, 2006 UT App 313 at ¶63, 142 P.3d 560 (Bench, P.J., dissenting). In Shaw, I argued that Utah has never deliberately adopted the Celotex approach, and that the traditional rule for summary judgment should continue to be the controlling law in Utah. See generally id. at 164-68. In the present case, the main opinion again uses the burden-shifting Celo-tex standard. I reiterate my concern that the Celotex standard should not be considered the controlling authority in Utah.
€T27 Nevertheless, the doctrine of stare decisis establishes that " 'the first decision by a court on a particular question of law governs later decisions by the same court.'" State v. Menzies, 889 P.2d 393, 399 (Utah 1994) (quoting State v. Thurman, 846 P.2d 1256, 1269 (Utah 1998)). The majority opinion in Shaw utilized the burden-shifting Celo-tex standard for summary judgment, even in the face of my concerns. For the first time, in Shaw, Utah knowingly adopted the burden-shifting standard. Until such time as that approach is changed by the Utah Supreme Court, I am constrained to follow Shaw. I therefore concur, albeit reluctantly.
*893(4) open cases in municipal department were required to be transferred to newly created municipal court.