Reynolds v. Dept/Transportation, et al
Filing
8883
ORDER that the defendants' 8829 motion to certify for appeal and stay and alternative motion for reconsideration are denied, for reasons as set out in order. Signed by Honorable Judge Myron H. Thompson on 7/30/2012. (cc, )
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, NORTHERN DIVISION
JOHNNY REYNOLDS, et al.,
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Plaintiffs,
v.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION, et al.,
Defendants.
CIVIL ACTION NO.
2:85cv665-MHT
(WO)
ORDER
It is ORDERED that the defendants’ motion to certify
for
appeal
and
stay
and
alternative
motion
for
reconsideration (doc. no. 8829) are denied.
***
As to the motion to certify and stay, the court
believes, for several reasons, that it is more prudent to
resolve to conclusion one or more of the now pending
intervenors’ contempt claims and then to let that claim
or
claims
be
subject
to
appeal.
First,
the
court
understands that the parties have already selected one or
more of the intervenors’ contempt claims for resolution,
and the special master has informed the court that those
claims can be resolved with dispatch.
Second, final
resolution of a claim or two will give full context to
the court’s earlier decision regarding Article XV.
It
will, if anything, show how that decision has played out.
(While
the
plaintiffs’
contempt
claims
and
the
intervenors’ contempt claims are quite different, it is
still
noteworthy
that
so
far
the
plaintiffs
have
unconditionally dismissed all of their ‘test’ contempt
claims before going to trial.
The
bottom line is that
it is unpredictable how these claims will play out in the
end.)
Third,
if
there
is
an
appeal
after
final
resolution of one or more of the intervenors’ contempt
claims, the appellate court will then be able to resolve
in one appeal all of the issues (not only liability but
relief) regarding resolution of the intervenors’ contempt
claims,
rather
than
by
piecemeal
with
the
issue
of
liability resolved in one appeal and, if the intervenors
2
should prevail on appeal on the liability issue in whole
or in part, with another, separate appeal on relief
should the intervenors prevail on relief in this court.
The
court
believe
appreciates
that
they
that
will
the
prevail
defendants
on
appeal,
sincerely
but
the
intervenors sincerely believe too that they will prevail;
the court believes that, just as it is now doing with
regard to the plaintiffs’ contempt claims, it is more
efficient to resolve one or more of the intervenors’
contempt claims to conclusion.
DONE, this the 30th day of July, 2012.
/s/ Myron H. Thompson
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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