John H. Mallick v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Charles H. Pillard

814 F.2d 674, 259 U.S. App. D.C. 145, 125 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2294, 1987 U.S. App. LEXIS 3374
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedMarch 17, 1987
Docket86-5158
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 814 F.2d 674 (John H. Mallick v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Charles H. Pillard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
John H. Mallick v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Charles H. Pillard, 814 F.2d 674, 259 U.S. App. D.C. 145, 125 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2294, 1987 U.S. App. LEXIS 3374 (D.C. Cir. 1987).

Opinion

Opinion for the Court filed by Chief Judge WALD.

WALD, Chief Judge:

In Mallick v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, 749 F.2d 771 (D.C.Cir.1984) (Mallick I), we held that under § 201(c) of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA), 29 U.S.C. § 431(c), a union member has “just cause” to examine union records relating to “a sudden, apparently significant, and unexplained change in an item on his union’s LM-2 [financial] reports,” 1 unless the union can demonstrate that the disclosure of this information will cause the union a “genuine harm” that “outweighs the strong policy favoring access for union members who have otherwise satisfied the statutory requirement for examination.” Id. at 781, 785 (footnote omitted). We remanded the case to the District Court to determine whether the union could make such a showing. Upon remand, the District Court determined that the union (IBEW) raised “no issue of material fact, which could lead to a finding that the harm from disclosure would outweigh Mallick’s statutorily protected interest.” Joint Appendix (J.A.) at 15 (citation omitted). The District Court, therefore, granted plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and ordered that the union allow plaintiff to examine all relevant records. 633 F.Supp. 867. See J.A. at 18-19. The union appealed this decision.

I. Issues Arising From Mallick’s Death

Ten days after the District Court entered judgment in favor of Mallick (January 31, 1986), Mallick died (February 10, 1986). 2 Although the death occurred before the union filed its notice of appeal, the union apparently did not learn of it until after-wards. In any event, the union filed its notice of appeal on February 28, 1986.

A. A Question of Procedure

Rule 43(a) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure provides that once a notice of appeal is filed, a substitution of parties, if any, is to “be affected in the court of appeals in accordance with this subdivision.” In part, Rule 43(a) states: “If the deceased party has no representative, any party may suggest the death on the record and proceedings shall then be had as the court of appeals may direct.” 3 Nevertheless, in this case, the IBEW first made a suggestion of death to the District Court and asked the District Court to vacate the judgment for this reason (March 24, 1986). In response to this motion, three of Mallick’s fellow union members (Doyle, et al.) moved the District Court to substitute them for Mallick as plaintiffs in this action (April 21, 1986).

*676 While these motions were pending in the District Court, the union made a suggestion of death to this court and asked that we delay the briefing schedule for its appeal to allow the District Court to rule on the pending substitution and vacation motions. Although the union members opposed any delay to the proceedings in this court, they expressed a willingness to have the District Court rule on their substitution request. See Appellee’s Opposition to Motion to Suspend Briefing Schedule Indefinitely at 3. We granted the union’s motion to delay the briefing schedule in this appeal. See Order (June 10, 1986).

Although the more normal course of proceeding under Fed.R.App.P. 43(a) is for this court to decide the substitution issue directly, the Rule provides that “proceedings shall ... be had as the court of appeals may direct.” We believe that this flexibility, built into the Rule, allows us to take cognizance of the District Court’s opinion on the issue — especially in a case where the parties themselves have chosen to proceed before the District Court. Following our decision to await its ruling, the District Court ruled in favor of Doyle, et al. and substituted the new plaintiffs in this case. J.A. at 20 (June 18, 1986). Having solicited the District Court’s opinion on this issue, we will adopt its order as our own and will permit the substitution under Fed.R.App.P. 43(a), unless we are convinced by the appellant union’s argument that it is contrary to law. It is to that question we now turn.

B. Survivorship of LMRDA § 201(c) Claims

Whether Mallick’s action under § 201 of the LMRDA survives his death is a question of federal law. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the survivorship of a federal claim is itself an issue of federal law. Most recently, in holding that Bivens actions 4 survive the death of the wronged individual (at least in certain circumstances), 5 the Supreme Court stated: “Bivens actions are a creation of federal law and, therefore, the question of whether respondent’s action survives [her son’s] death, is a question of federal law.” Carlson v. Green, 446 U.S. 14, 23, 100 S.Ct. 1468, 1474, 64 L.Ed.2d 15 (1980). Although the action in this case is a creation of a federal statute (whereas Bivens actions are not), the logic of Carlson dictates that federal law determines the survivorship of federal statutory claims, as they are evidently “creation[s] of federal law.” Indeed, the Supreme Court has stated that the question of whether a federal statutory claim survives the death of one of the parties is essentially a question of how to interpret the statute that provides for the action. Cox v. Roth, 348 U.S. 207, 210, 75 S.Ct. 242, 244, 99 L.Ed. 260 (1955). 6

The Supreme Court has further instructed that in deciding whether a federal action *677 survives the death of a party, courts should formulate a federal rule of decision that best serves the goals which underlie the federal right of action itself. In Carlson, the Supreme Court referred to “the deterrence goals” which “underlie Bivens actions” and held that “[a] uniform rule that claims such as respondent’s survive the decedent’s death is essential if we are not to frustrate in an important way the achievement of the goals of Bivens actions.” 446 U.S. at 25, 100 S.Ct. at 1475 (footnote and internal quotation omitted). The Supreme Court explained that deterrence of unconstitutional conduct requires that “[a] federal official contemplating unconstitutional conduct ... be prepared to face the prospect of a

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Rodenhizer v. McDonough
124 F.4th 1339 (Federal Circuit, 2024)
Liana Revock v. Cowpet Bay West Condominium As
853 F.3d 96 (Third Circuit, 2017)
Fulk v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co.
35 F. Supp. 3d 749 (M.D. North Carolina, 2014)
Licht v. Irwin
292 P.3d 915 (Alaska Supreme Court, 2013)
National Security Counselors v. Central Intelligence Agency
898 F. Supp. 2d 233 (District of Columbia, 2012)
Kenneth Haggard v. John Stevens
683 F.3d 714 (Sixth Circuit, 2012)
Brophy v. Peake
313 F. App'x 303 (Federal Circuit, 2008)
Acebal v. United States
60 Fed. Cl. 551 (Federal Claims, 2004)
AFL-CIO v. Chao
298 F. Supp. 2d 104 (District of Columbia, 2004)
Krokosky v. United Staff Union
291 F. Supp. 2d 835 (W.D. Wisconsin, 2003)
Rodonich v. House Wreckers Union, Local 95
837 F. Supp. 550 (S.D. New York, 1993)
Cowger v. Rohrbach
734 F. Supp. 914 (C.D. California, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
814 F.2d 674, 259 U.S. App. D.C. 145, 125 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2294, 1987 U.S. App. LEXIS 3374, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/john-h-mallick-v-international-brotherhood-of-electrical-workers-charles-cadc-1987.