Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Document Info
DocketNumber: 99-6281
Filed Date: 7/11/2002
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 9/22/2015
-
5(&200(1'(' )25 )8//7(;7 38%/,&$7,21 3XUVXDQW WR 6L[WK &LUFXLW 5XOH (/(&7521,& &,7$7,21 )(' $SS 3 WK &LU )LOH 1DPH DS 81,7('67$7(6&28572)$33($/6 )257+(6,;7+&,5&8,7 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 81,7(' 67$7(6 2) $0(5,&$ ; 3ODLQWLII$SSHOOHH 1R Y ! $/9,1 /(( /(:,6 'HIHQGDQW$SSHOODQW 1 $SSHDOIURPWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV'LVWULFW&RXUW IRUWKH0LGGOH'LVWULFWRI7HQQHVVHHDW1DVKYLOOH 1Rn7KRPDV$+LJJLQV'LVWULFWsXGJH 6XEPLWWHG6HSWHPEHU 'HFLGHGDQG)LOHGsXO\ %HIRUH6,/(5&/$ @WKH6PLWK WK&LUKROGLQJWKDWGHIHQGDQWjVIDLOXUHWRUDLVH DSSURDFKLVQRORQJHUUHOHYDQWl&KLOLQJLULDQ)GDW DWLPHO\REMHFWLRQWRDVHQWHQFLQJGHFLVLRQLQWKHGLVWULFWFRXUW $FFRUGLQJO\WKHGLVWULFWFRXUWjVVHQWHQFHZDVUHYHUVHG 8QLWHG6WDWHVY/HZLV 1R 1R 8QLWHG6WDWHVY/HZLV GRHVQRWSUHFOXGHGLVFUHWLRQDU\SODLQHUURUUHYLHZ3ODLQ ODXQGHULQJJXLGHOLQHVLQFOXGLQJSURSRVHGFKDQJHVMXGLFLDO HUURU LV DQ HUURU WKDW LV ERWK FOHDU XQGHU FXUUHQW ODZ DQG FULWLFLVPDQGFRQJUHVVLRQDOLQTXLULHVLQWRPRQH\ODXQGHULQJ DIIHFWVVXEVWDQWLDOULJKWV2ODQRDW0RUHRYHU SURVHFXWLRQSUDFWLFHVRIWKH'HSDUWPHQWRIsXVWLFH,GDW UHOLHILVSURSHURQO\LIWKHHUURUmVHULRXVO\DIIHFWVWKHIDLUQHVV 6PLWKUHYHUVHGKROGLQJWKDWWKHGHIHQGDQWVVKRXOGKDYH LQWHJULW\RUSXEOLFUHSXWDWLRQRIMXGLFLDOSURFHHGLQJVl8QLWHG EHHQVHQWHQFHGXQGHUWKHIUDXGJXLGHOLQHVEHFDXVHWKH\ZHUH 6WDWHV Y &RWWRQ 6 &W TXRWLQJ FRQYLFWHG RQ D NLFNEDFN VFKHPH RI ZKLFK WKH PRQH\ sRKQVRQY8QLWHG6WDWHV86 ODXQGHULQJ ZDV DQ mLQFLGHQWDO E\SURGXFWl ,G DW 5HO\LQJRQ$SSHQGL[$WRWKH*XLGHOLQHV0DQXDOWKHFRXUW /HZLV GRHV QRW DUJXH WKDW WKH GLVWULFW FRXUW HUUHG E\ FRQFOXGHGWKDWWKHGHIHQGDQWVjPRQH\ODXQGHULQJFRQGXFWZDV JURXSLQJWKHFRXQWVIRUSXUSRVHVRIVHQWHQFLQJ6HH866* DW\SLFDOLQFRPSDULVRQWRWKHKHDUWODQGRIPRQH\ODXQGHULQJ 'E FRXQWV LQYROYLQJ WKH VDPH YLFWLP DQG WZR RU FDVHVDQGWKDWWKHIUDXGJXLGHOLQHVZHUHPRUHDSSURSULDWH,G PRUHWUDQVDFWLRQVFRQVWLWXWLQJSDUWRIDFRPPRQVFKHPHRU DW 7KH FRXUW YLHZHG LW DV D URXWLQH IUDXG FDVH DQG SODQVKDOOEHJURXSHG:KLOH/HZLVFKDUDFWHUL]HVWKHDOOHJHG UHYHUVHGWKHVHQWHQFHEHFDXVHWRGRRWKHUZLVHZRXOGEHOLNH HUURUDVERWKDPLVDSSOLFDWLRQRIWKHJXLGHOLQHVDQGDIDLOXUH OHWWLQJ WKH mWDLO ZDJ WKH GRJl ,G DW VHH DOVR 8QLWHG WRGHSDUWEDVHGRQFRQGXFWRXWVLGHWKHKHDUWODQGRIPRQH\ 6WDWHV Y :RRGV )G WK &LU ODXQGHULQJFDVHVWKLVFRXUWjVDQDO\VLVLVWKHVDPHUHJDUGOHVV KROGLQJWKDWGLVWULFWFRXUWGLGQRWDEXVHLWVGLVFUHWLRQ RIWKHODEHOKHSODFHVRQWKHDUJXPHQW6HH8QLWHG6WDWHVY LQ FRQFOXGLQJ WKDW PRQH\ ODXQGHULQJ DFWLYLW\ ZDV RXWVLGH &KLOLQJLULDQ)GWK&LUm:KHWKHU KHDUWODQGDQGJUDQWLQJGRZQZDUGGHSDUWXUHZKHUHXQGHUO\LQJ WKLVFRXUWYLHZVWKHGLVWULFWFRXUWjVDFWLRQDVDFKRLFHEHWZHHQ RIIHQVHZDVEDQNUXSWF\IUDXG JXLGHOLQHV RU D GHSDUWXUH WKH UHVXOW LV WKH VDPH 7KH KHDUWODQGDQDO\VLVWKDWVKRXOGEHDSSOLHGSULRUWRGHWHUPLQLQJ 7KHJRYHUQPHQWDUJXHVWKDW6PLWKLVQRORQJHUJRRGODZ ZKLFKJXLGHOLQHDSSOLHVLVLGHQWLFDOWRWKHDQDO\VLVWKDWVKRXOG EHFDXVHWKH6HQWHQFLQJ&RPPLVVLRQGHOHWHGWKHODQJXDJHLQ EHDSSOLHGLQGHWHUPLQLQJZKHWKHUDGHSDUWXUHLVZDUUDQWHGl WKH$SSHQGL[WKDWWKHFRXUWUHOLHGRQ7KDWGHOHWLRQZDVSDUW RI$PHQGPHQWZKLFKDGGUHVVHGWKHLQWHUUHODWLRQVKLS /HZLVXUJHVXVWREHJXLGHGLQRXUDQDO\VLVE\WKH7KLUG EHWZHHQ YDULRXV DSSOLFDWLRQ SURYLVLRQV 7KH &RPPLVVLRQ &LUFXLWjVRSLQLRQLQ8QLWHG6WDWHVY6PLWK)GG H[SODLQHGLWVUHDVRQIRUDPHQGLQJWKH$SSHQGL[DQGUHODWHG &LU ,Q 6PLWK WZR GHIHQGDQWV ZHUH FRQYLFWHG RI SURYLVLRQVVWDWLQJWKDWVRPHRIWKHODQJXDJHKDGUHVXOWHGLQ FRQVSLUDF\ WR GHIUDXG LQWHUVWDWH WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ RI VWROHQ mFRQIXVLRQLQDSSO\LQJSULQFLSOHVWRGHWHUPLQHWKHRIIHQVH SURSHUW\ FDXVLQJ XQODZIXO LQWHUVWDWH WUDYHO ZLWK LQWHQW WR FRQGXFWJXLGHOLQHVLQ&KDSWHU7ZRPRVWDSSURSULDWHIRUWKH GLVWULEXWHVWROHQSURSHUW\DQGPRQH\ODXQGHULQJ,GDW RIIHQVHRIFRQYLFWLRQl/DQJXDJHZDVGHOHWHGWKDWKDGmEHHQ 7KHGLVWULFWFRXUWJURXSHGWKHFRXQWVIRUVHQWHQFLQJDQG XVHGE\VRPHFRXUWVWRSHUPLWDFRXUWWRGHFOLQHWRXVHWKH IROORZHGWKHLQVWUXFWLRQRI866*'WRFKRRVHWKH RIIHQVHJXLGHOLQHUHIHUHQFHGLQWKH6WDWXWRU\,QGH[LQFDVHV KLJKHVWRIIHQVHOHYHO$VLQWKLVFDVHWKHKLJKHVWRIIHQVHOHYHO WKDWZHUHDOOHJHGO\µDW\SLFDOjRUµRXWVLGHWKHKHDUWODQGj6HH ZDV IRU PRQH\ ODXQGHULQJ 2Q DSSHDO WKH 7KLUG &LUFXLW 8QLWHG 6WDWHV Y 6PLWK l 866* VXSS WR DSS & FRQGXFWHGDWKRURXJKH[DPLQDWLRQRIWKHKLVWRU\RIWKHPRQH\ DPHQG7KLVDPHQGPHQWGLGQRWEHFRPHHIIHFWLYHXQWLO 1RYHPEHULGPRUHWKDQRQH\HDUDIWHU/HZLVZDV VHQWHQFHG 7KH GLVWULFW FRXUWjV VHQWHQFLQJ GHFLVLRQ ZRXOG QRW EH UHYLHZDEOH LI LW ZHUH PHUHO\ D GHFLVLRQ QRW WR GHSDUW +RZHYHU EHFDXVH WKLV LV D OHJDO :H QHHG QRW GHFLGH ZKHWKHU WR DFFHSW RU UHMHFW 6PLWK GHWHUPLQDWLRQ DV WR WKH SHUPLVVLELOLW\ RI D EDVLV IRU GHSDUWXUH LW LV $IWHU WKLV FDVH ZDV EULHIHG DQG DUJXHG WKLV FRXUW LVVXHG UHYLHZDEOH 6HH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV Y )RUG )G WK &LU
Copyright © 2024 by eLaws. All rights reserved.