Kamen v. Nordberg
Kamen v. Nordberg
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting.
The issue here is when mandamus relief will be available to a party who claims that the District Court wrongly deprived him of the right to a jury trial. Petitioner is a shareholder in a mutual fund and brought a derivative suit against the two companies that administer the fund, alleging breach of fiduciary duty under § 36(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U. S. C. § 80a-35(b). The District Court granted defendants’ motion to strike petitioner’s demand for a jury trial on this claim, and petitioner sought mandamus from the Court of Appeals to compel the District Court to honor his demand for a jury trial. The Seventh Circuit denied relief in an order (No. 87-1455, Apr. 13, 1987), citing its prior decision in First National Bank of Waukesha v. Warren, 796 F. 2d 999 (1986).
In Warren, the Seventh Circuit held that mandamus will lie to enforce a party’s demand for a jury trial only when, first, the party’s right to a jury trial is clear and indisputable and, second, the party has no other adequate means to attain the relief he desires. Id., at 1006. The second point is especially critical because it will prevent interlocutory review of many requests for a writ of mandamus to direct the granting of a jury trial, as in many cases the petitioning party can seek this same relief on appeal from the ultimate resolution of the case in the trial court. This decision conflicts with the decisions of other Courts of Appeals, which hold that mandamus relief is available to review an order denying a claimed right of trial by jury, and that a proper petition
Opinion of the Court
C. A. 7th Cir. Certiorari denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Kamen v. Nordberg, Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Kemper Financial Services, Inc., Real Parties in Interest)
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published