In re Boise Cascade Securities Litigation case brief

In re Boise Cascade Securities Litigation case brief summary
420 F.Supp. 99 (1976)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Defendants filed a motion in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Seattle Division, seeking to strike plaintiff's jury demands in litigation involving securities fraud.

CASE FACTS
Plaintiff, takeover company, and defendants, former shareholders of company taken over by plaintiff, were involved in complex securities fraud litigation. Defendants filed a motion to strike plaintiff's jury demand. The court granted the motion, holding that the court was more capable of fairly deciding the facts than a jury.

DISCUSSION

• Complex accounting and proof questions existed and the scope of the problems presented was immense. 
• These facts led the court to believe a jury would not be a rational and capable fact finder, and would not be a fair cross section of the community because the trial was estimated to last four to six months. 
• The court had the ability to hear and review the evidence in an efficient and effective manner. 
• Therefore, the court found there was no conflict with any statutory policy favoring trial by jury under 28 U.S.C.S. § 1861, or the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

CONCLUSION
The court granted defendants' motion to strike plaintiff's jury demand, holding that a jury would not be a capable and rational fact finder, the court was able to efficiently and effectively hear the evidence, and there was no conflict with any statutory policy favoring a trial by jury.


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