Court Opinion

ID: 9480027
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 07:35:43.217987+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:47:26.165709
License: Public Domain

TORRUELLA, Circuit Judge
(concurring).
I join the opinion of the court but wish to emphasize that district courts are duty bound to scrutinize even voluntary settlement proposals and should not give automatic approval to such matters, irrespective of the general policy in favor of encouraging settlements. Federal courts should not be enmeshed in overseeing continuing petty disputes, not only because such a course of conduct is an unpardonable waste of limited resources but more importantly because the trivialization of constitutional proceedings is deleterious to the well-being of the federal judicial system. Normally a district judge is in the best position to determine the practicalities of a settlement agreement and to predict its future course of conduct.
Although I agree that on the record before us refusal to approve the proposed settlement was an abuse of discretion by the district court which warrants the action taken by this Court, the district court should remain alert to any future attempt by the parties to the settlement to turn that body into a “super superintendent” of the housing project.