Walker v. Jim Dandy Co.

97 F.R.D. 505, 36 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 923, 36 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 327, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18245
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedMarch 25, 1983
DocketCiv. A. No. 74-AR-874-S
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 97 F.R.D. 505 (Walker v. Jim Dandy Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Walker v. Jim Dandy Co., 97 F.R.D. 505, 36 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 923, 36 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 327, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18245 (N.D. Ala. 1983).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ACKER, District Judge.

On August 28, 1974, Willie M. Walker (Walker) filed a complaint alleging racial discrimination against him by The Jim Dandy Company (Jim Dandy). He also sought to represent a putative class of black dis-criminatees. In the same complaint Willie Rhoades (Rhoades) and Bobbie P. Lowery (Lowery) complained of sex discrimination against them in refusing to hire them and sought to represent the class of those similarly situated.

On May 25, 1977, Honorable Frank H. McFadden entered the following order:

This cause comes before the Court on the parties’ Rule 23(c)(1) motions. Having considered the motions, the supporting materials, and the oral presentations of counsel, the Court is of the opinion that plaintiffs have not established that the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impractical or that there are questions of law or fact common to the class.
Accordingly, it is ORDERED, ADJUDGED and DECREED that this cause not be maintained as a class action, (emphasis supplied).

On June 13, 1978, after a hearing on the merits, Judge McFadden entered final judgment against all three plaintiffs. As of June 13,1978, then, except for the possibility of an appeal, the case had been adjudicated against all three plaintiffs in all respects.

Walker did not appeal from the adverse class action determination. He only appealed from the final decree insofar as it found him barred by certain statutes of limitations. He was successful in his appeal, and Walker’s individual claim has been set for trial on the merits. Rhoades and Lowery appealed both from the adverse finding on their individual claims and from the adverse determination on class certification. This opinion only deals with the Rule 23, F.R. Civ.P. issues presented by Rhoades and Lowery and mandated for reconsideration by the Fifth Circuit in its opinion dated March 13, 1981 in Walker v. Jim Dandy Company, 638 F.2d 1330 (5th Cir.1980). A careful reading of the Fifth Circuit opinion is necessary in order to understand exactly what is required of this Court and where the Court and the parties find themselves.

WHAT DID THE FIFTH CIRCUIT SAY AND WHAT DID IT NOT SAY?

FIRST: It must be understood that the Fifth Circuit expressly affirmed Judge McFadden’s finding that Rhoades and Lowery, the two would-be representatives of the class of putative female discriminatees, have no individual claims against Jim Dandy.

SECOND: It must be understood that the Fifth Circuit fully acknowledges that a district court has broad discretion under Rule 23 in its evaluation of the various criteria bearing on class certification, and may only be reversed for an abuse of that discretion.

THIRD: It must be understood that the Fifth Circuit did not REVERSE Judge McFadden’s refusal to certify the female class but instead simply REMANDED for “reconsideration” the question of whether or not a class should be certified for “reconsideration”. The Fifth Circuit was precise in limiting its mandate in this regard. It said:

... thus we are reluctant to find an abuse of discretion and directly overrule its [the district court’s] order. Rather we instruct the court to reconsider its finding. (emphasis supplied).

[507]*507Conspicuously, the Fifth Circuit did not suggest that Judge McFadden receive any further evidence on the class action question. It did not remand for trial de novo on this question. The word “reconsideration” only implies another look by the district court at the materials previously available to the district court. Furthermore, nothing which the Fifth Circuit said indicates that it contemplated on remand the introduction of a new would-be class representative bearing new credentials different from those of Rhoades and Lowery.

FOURTH: The Fifth Circuit specifically disagreed with the position which Jim Dandy had taken before Judge McFadden, namely, that a lack of merit in Rhoades’ and Lowery’s individual claims is to be considered (or reconsidered?) in determining the adequacy of their representation under Rule 23. On this point the Fifth Circuit relied largely on United States Parole Com’n v. Geraghty, 445 U.S. 388, 100 S.Ct. 1202, 63 L.Ed.2d 479 (1980). Based on Ger-aghty, and other cases, the Fifth Circuit said as a crucial part of its holding:

... it would be inappropriate for the district court to dismiss the class complaint because the plaintiffs’ individual claims have been adjudicated ... (emphasis supplied).

638 F.2d at 1335

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE FIFTH CIRCUIT OPINION?

In addition to the careful limitations in the Fifth Circuit mandate itself, there are three unique things which have occurred since its opinion.

FIRST: Judge McFadden is no longer on the bench. Judge McFadden cannot personally articulate his rationale for the legal conclusions contained in his order of May 25, 1977, denying class certification. Instead, the case has been reassigned to the undersigned.

SECOND: On October 1, 1981, seven months after the Fifth Circuit opinion, the Eleventh Circuit came into being.

THIRD: On June 14, 1982, fourteen months after the Fifth Circuit opinion, the Supreme Court decided General Telephone Co. of Southwest v. Falcon, 457 U.S. 147, 102 S.Ct. 2364, 72 L.Ed.2d 740 (1982). This fact has more significance than anything else in the case.

THE EFFECT OF FALCON

The single issue here presented can only be decided by a dual application of the law-of-the-case and of the lesson of Falcon to the ultimate facts found by Judge McFadden and affirmed by the Fifth Circuit. As has been indicated supra, the law-of-the-case establishes that Rhoades and Lowery do not have personal causes of action against Jim Dandy. As will be discussed infra, Falcon establishes that persons without claims themselves cannot represent a class who may have claims. In combination, these two facts force a conclusion against Rhoades and Lowery on the class action question, and obviate any necessity for second guessing Judge McFadden or for exegesis of his conclusions of lack of numerosity and of commonality.

It is completely understandable why the Fifth Circuit reached the conclusion which it reached. It employed the reasoning of Geraghty, supra, of Satterwhite v. City of Greenville, 634 F.2d 231 (5th Cir.1981), after remand by the Supreme Court, 445 U.S. 940, 100 S.Ct. 1334, 63 L.Ed.2d 773 (1980), and of Deposit Guarantee National Bank v. Roper, 445 U.S. 326, 100 S.Ct. 1166, 63 L.Ed.2d 427 (1980). Geraghty, in which, incidentally, there was a vigorous dissent by four justices, was effectively limited to its facts by Falcon after the Fifth Circuit opinion of March 13, 1981. With the

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Bluebook (online)
97 F.R.D. 505, 36 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 923, 36 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 327, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18245, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walker-v-jim-dandy-co-alnd-1983.