United States v. Baker

641 F.2d 1311
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedApril 9, 1981
DocketNos. 80-1085, 80-1086, 80-1088, 80-1116, 80-1117, 80-1118, 80-1206, 80-1219, 80-1208, 80-1205, and 80-1214
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 641 F.2d 1311 (United States v. Baker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Baker, 641 F.2d 1311 (9th Cir. 1981).

Opinion

EUGENE A. WRIGHT, Circuit Judge:

I. INTRODUCTION

In 1977 and on June 6, 1978, District Judge Boldt issued injunctions to manage the Washington salmon fishing industry while the state and the United States litigated the fishing rights of treaty Indians.1 Defendants are nine of more than 200 fishers prosecuted for criminal contempt for violating the 1978 injunction. We affirm in part and reverse in part,

II. NOTICE

A. Actual Notice is Required

The 1977 and 1978 injunctions instructed all commercial salmon fishers to ascertain from a “hotline”2 prior to fishing what areas were open for fishing by non-treaty fishers.

The 1977 injunction directed the State of Washington and the United States to serve

by certified mail return receipt requested or otherwise copies of this preliminary injunction on all state-licensed commercial salmon net fishermen . .. and to furnish the court with proof of service or written statement of the reason for the inability to serve any particular licensee.

Reprinted in United States v. State of Washington, 459 F.Supp. 1020, 1117 (W.D. Wash.), aff’d sub nom., Puget Sound Gill-netters Association v. U. S. District Court, 573 F.2d 1123 (9th Cir. 1978), vacated on other grounds and remanded sub nom., Washington v. Washington State Commercial Passengers Fishing Vessel Association, 443 U.S. 658, 99 S.Ct. 3055, 61 L.Ed.2d 823, on remand, Puget Sound Gillnetters Association v. U.S. District Court, 605 F.2d 492 (9th Cir.) and on remand Puget Sound Gillnetters Association v. Moos, 92 Wash.2d 939, 603 P.2d 819 (1979).

Non-party fishers violating the 1977 order after having received notice of it could be prosecuted for criminal contempt. Id. Only those served personally with the injunction were convicted. See United States [1314]*1314v. Olander, 584 F.2d 876 (9th Cir. 1978), vacated and remanded sub nom., Harrington v. United States, 443 U.S. 914, 99 S.Ct. 3104, 61 L.Ed.2d 878 (1979).

The 1978 injunction also allowed criminal prosecution of fishers who violated it after notice of it. It did not require personal service of copies of the injunctions on fishers. United States v. Washington, supra, 459 F.Supp. at 1130.

Defendants Stuart McLean, Edward J. Lansing, Ray Murrell Honea, Martin Jones Baker, Charles E. Peterson, William Ryan Sibbett, and John P. Holmes are non-party fishers 3 found in criminal contempt for violating the 1978 injunction. The district court found they had notice of it although none was served personally with a copy. In some cases, the court took judicial notice of the widespread publicity of Judge Boldt’s 1974 decision allocating fishing resources (herein Boldt decision)4 and concluded that all commercial fishers had notice of the 1978 injunction.

These defendants argue non-party fishers may be held in criminal contempt for violating the injunction only if they receive actual notice of the terms of the order.

The government argues that actual notice is unnecessary and that as citizens of the state or as members of tribes, these defendants are in privity with the parties in the underlying case, and are bound by the injunction and charged with the notice to the parties.

Court orders are binding upon

the parties to the action, their officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys, and upon those persons in active concert or participation with them who receive actual notice of the order by personal service or otherwise.

F.R.C.P. 65(d).

We agree with the government that these defendants are bound by the 1978 injunction. In Washington v. Washington State Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel Association, the Supreme Court held non-party fishers are bound by the district court’s orders regulating salmon fishing because they are in privity with the parties.5

[1315]*1315However, we hold that non-party fishers must have actual notice of it before they can be held in criminal contempt. Persons bound by a court order may be found in criminal contempt for violating it only if the order is clear and definite, and the contemnor has knowledge of it. United States v. Powers, 629 F.2d 619, 627 (9th Cir. 1980).

Generally, non-parties must have actual knowledge. See Vuitton et Fils S.A. v. Carousel Handbags, 592 F.2d 126, 129 (2d Cir. 1979); United States v. Griffin, 525 F.2d 710, 713 (1st Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 424 U.S. 945, 96 S.Ct. 1414, 47 L.Ed.2d 351 (1976); United States v. Hall, 472 F.2d 261, 268 (5th Cir. 1972); McGraw-Edison Co. v. Preformed Line Products Co., 362 F.2d 339, 344 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 385 U.S. 919, 87 5. Ct. 229, 17 L.Ed.2d 143 (1966).

The same rule applies to non-parties in privity with parties. In Puget Sound Gill-netters Association, supra, 573 F.2d at 1133 (1979), this court held non-party fishers in privity with the parties could be found in criminal contempt for violating the court’s injunction regulating salmon fishing if they had actual notice of the order. Id. at 1133. See also NLRB v. Sequoia District Council of Carpenters, 568 F.2d 628, 634 (9th Cir. 1977) (non-party union members were bound by an order served on the union’s attorney and were held in criminal contempt for violating it because they knew the order had issued and may have had actual notice of its terms).6

Due process protections attach to contempt proceedings. Powers, supra, 629 F.2d at 625; In re Grand Jury Proceedings, 600 F.2d 215, 217 (9th Cir. 1979). The Supreme Court recognizes that actual knowledge of a duty to act or proof of the probability of such knowledge is sometimes necessary to satisfy due process. In Lambert v. California, 355 U.S. 225, 229, 78 S.Ct. 240, 243, 2 L.Ed.2d 228 (1957) the Court held a Los Angeles ordinance requiring felons to register with the city violated due process. The act of being in Los Angeles was not per se blameworthy. Id. The court held the felon could not be punished criminally unless something alerted him to the consequences of his act. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
641 F.2d 1311, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-baker-ca9-1981.