Court Opinion

ID: 9457559
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 20:25:28.204128+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:35:24.108705
License: Public Domain

MERRILL, Circuit Judge
(dissenting) :
I dissent and would remand to the District Court on the authority of People v. Pobuta, 437 F.2d 1200 (9th Cir. 1971), for a hearing on appellant’s contentions respecting the propriety of removal. I disagree with the majority in its assertion that the administration of justice would not be served by such action.
I do not approve of our sanctioning ex parte action of this sort and do not approve of making this exception to the Pobuta rule, narrow though it may be. *178Ex pa/rte action here has forced the aggrieved party to take an appeal in order that his contentions may have judicial consideration. It has forced this court to give consideration to those contentions in the first instance. In my view the administration of justice would be served by our making clear to the District Court that our function is to review its rulings upon appellant’s contentions. This we can hardly do when appellant has had no opportunity to be heard.
I would suggest to the district courts that, notwithstanding the result here, the better course is to grant a hearing. In future cases panels of this court may not find the answer on the merits to be as obvious as was the case here.