Case 5:19-cv-00281-HE Document 43 Filed 06/21/19 Page 1 of 17 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA (1) MARK E. SCHELL, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Civil Case No. 5:19-cv-00281-HE ) (2) NOMA GURICH, Chief Justice of the ) Oklahoma Supreme Court; et al. ) ) Defendants. ) MOTION TO DISMISS OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE MOTION TO ABSTAIN OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND JUSTICES OF THE OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT AND BRIEF IN SUPPORT THEREOF Kieran D. Maye, Jr., OBA No. 11419 Leslie M. Maye, OBA No. 4853 Maye Law Firm 3501 French Park Dr., Suite A Edmond, OK 73034 405-990-2415 (telephone) 866-818-0482 (fax) [email protected] [email protected] Attorneys for the Chief Justice and Justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court June 21, 2019 Case 5:19-cv-00281-HE Document 43 Filed 06/21/19 Page 2 of 17 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA (1) MARK E. SCHELL, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Civil Case No. 5:19-cv-00281-HE ) (2) NOMA GURICH, Chief Justice of the ) Oklahoma Supreme Court; ) (3) TOM COLBERT, Associate Justice of the ) Oklahoma Supreme Court; ) (4) DOUG COMBS, Associate Justice of the ) Oklahoma Supreme Court; ) (5) RICHARD DARBY; Associate Justice of the ) Oklahoma Supreme Court; ) (6) JAMES E. EDMONDSON, Associate ) Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; ) (7) YVONNE KAUGER, Associate Justice of the ) Oklahoma Supreme Court; ) (8) JAMES R. WINCHESTER, Associate Justice ) of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; ) (9) JANE DOE, successor to John Reif as ) Associate Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; ) (10) JOHN DOE, successor to Patrick Wyrick as ) Associate Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; ) (11) CHARLES W. CHESNUT, President, ) Oklahoma Bar Association Board of Governors; ) (12) SUSAN B. SHIELDS, President-Elect, ) Oklahoma Bar Association Board of Governors; ) (13) LANE R. NEAL, Vice President, ) Oklahoma Bar Association Board of Governors; ) (14) JOHN M. WILLIAMS, Executive Director ) Oklahoma Bar Association, and Secretary/ ) Treasurer, Oklahoma Bar Association Board of ) Governors; ) (15) KIMBERLY HAYS, Past President, ) Oklahoma Bar Association Board of Governors; ) (16) BRIAN T. HERMANSON, Member, ) Oklahoma Bar Association Board of Governors, ) ) Defendants. ) i Case 5:19-cv-00281-HE Document 43 Filed 06/21/19 Page 3 of 17 Table of Contents SUMMARY OF THE CASE .......................................................................................................... 1 ARGUMENT .................................................................................................................................. 2 INDIVIDUAL JUSTICES ARE NOT PROPER DEFENDANTS ............................................ 2 INDIVIDUAL JUSTICES ARE IMMUNE ............................................................................... 3 THIS COURT LACKS JURISDICTION TO REVIEW THE ACTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT ........................................................................................... 5 THE COURT SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM INTERFERING IN STATE COURT MATTERS ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 OKLAHOMA’S INTEGRATED BAR AND DUES STRUCTURE ARE CONSTITUTIONAL ................................................................................................................ 10 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................. 11 i Case 5:19-cv-00281-HE Document 43 Filed 06/21/19 Page 4 of 17 Table of Authorities Cases Bogan v. Scott-Harris, 523 U.S. 44, 118 S.Ct. 966, 140 L.Ed.2d 79 (1998) .................................................................. 5 Bronson v. Swensen, 500 F.3d 1099 (10th Cir. 2007) ................................................................................................... 3 Burford v. Sun Oil Company, 319 U.S. 315, 63 S.Ct. 1098, 87 L.Ed.2d 1424 (1943) .............................................................. 8 Collins v. Daniels, 916 F.3d 1302 (10th Cir. 2019) ........................................................................................ 4, 5, 11 District of Columbia Court of Appeals v. Feldman, 460 U.S. 462, 103 S.Ct. 1303, 75 L.Ed.2d 206 (1983) .......................................................... 5, 6 Doyle v. Oklahoma Bar Association, 998 F.2d 1559 (10th Cir. 1993) .............................................................................................. 6, 7 Ex Parte Young, 209 U.S. 123, S.Ct. 441, 52 L.Ed. 715 (1908) ........................................................................... 3 Forrester [v. White], 484 U.S. [219], 108 S.Ct. 538 .................................................................................................. 11 Hans v. Louisiana, 134 U.S. 1 (1890) ....................................................................................................................... 3 Keller v. State Bar of Calif., 496 U.S. 1 (1990) ....................................................................................................................... 2 Landrith v. Hazlett, 170 Fed.Appx. 29 (10th Cir. 2006) ............................................................................................. 9 Lane v Oklahoma Supreme Court, 221 F.3d 1352 (10th Cir. 2000). ................................................................................................. 6 Lehman v. City of Louisville, 967 F.2d 1474 (10th Cir. 1992) .................................................................................................. 8 Lyman v. San Juan County, 588 Fed.Appx. 764 (10th Cir. 2014) ........................................................................................... 9 Middlesex County Ethics Committee v. Garden State Bar Ass’n, 457 U.S. 423, 102 S.Ct. 2515, 73 L.Ed.2d 116 (1982) .......................................................... 8, 9 Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman, 465 U.S. 89 (1984) ..................................................................................................................... 3 Pennzoil Co. v. Texaco. Inc., 481 U.S. 1, 107 S.Ct. 1529, 95 L.Ed.2d 1 (1987) ...................................................................... 8 Rose v. Utah, 399 Fed.Appx. 430 (10th Cir. 2010) ........................................................................................... 9 Seminole Tribe of Fla. v. Florida, 517 U.S. 44 (1996) ..................................................................................................................... 3 Snell v. Tunnell, 920 F.2d 673 (10th Cir. 1990) ................................................................................................. 11 Supreme Court of Virginia v. Consumers Union of the United States, 446 U.S. 719, 100 S.Ct.1967, 64 L.Ed.2d 641 (1980) ........................................................... 4, 5 ii Case 5:19-cv-00281-HE Document 43 Filed 06/21/19 Page 5 of 17 Tenney v. Brandhove, 341 U.S. 367, 71 S.Ct. 783, 95 L.Ed. 1019 (1951) .................................................................... 5 Van Sickle v. Holloway, 791 F.2d 1431 (10th Cir. 1986) .............................................................................................. 5, 6 Wilton v. Seven Falls Company, 515 U.S. 277 (1995) ............................................................................................................. 9, 10 Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37, 91 S.Ct. 746, 27 L.Ed.2d 669 (1971) ................................................................ 7, 8 Statutes 28 U.S.C. § 1257 ......................................................................................................................... 5, 6 28 U.S.C. §2201(a) ....................................................................................................................... 10 Other Authorities Okla. Const. art. 7 ........................................................................................................................... 2 U.S. Const. amend. XI .................................................................................................................... 3 Rules FED.R.CIV.P. 12 b.1 ........................................................................................................................ 1 FED.R.CIV.P. 12 b.6 ........................................................................................................................ 1 iii Case 5:19-cv-00281-HE Document 43 Filed 06/21/19 Page 6 of 17 MOTION TO DISMISS OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE MOTION TO ABSTAIN OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND JUSTICES OF THE OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT AND BRIEF IN SUPPORT THEREOF Defendants, Noma Gurich, Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; Tom Colbert, Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; Doug Combs, Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; Richard Darby, Vice Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; James E. Edmondson, Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; Yvonne Kauger, Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; and James R. Winchester, Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, referred to collectively herein as the “Justices” for the reasons set forth below, hereby move the Court to dismiss the subject action pursuant to FED.R.CIV.P. 12 b.1. and FED.R.CIV.P. 12 b.6. or in the alternative to abstain from exercising jurisdiction in this matter. In support of their motions, the Justices would show the Court as follows. SUMMARY OF THE CASE In this case, at its core, Plaintiff asks this Court to invade the exclusive jurisdiction of the Oklahoma