Robert Chuman v. Craig A. Wright, & Mark P. Fronterotta, 960 F.2d 104 (9th Cir. 1992). · Go Syfert
Robert Chuman v. Craig A. Wright, & Mark P. Fronterotta, 960 F.2d 104 (9th Cir. 1992). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
178 citation events (156 in the last 25 years) across 27 distinct courts.
Treatment trajectory · 1993 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
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Cited for
At page 105 Effect of interlocutory appeals on district court jurisdiction93 citing casesBecause the district court did not certify this interlocutory appeal as frivolous or forfeited, the district court is automatically divested of jurisdiction to proceed with trial.5 citing courts put it this way · 46 listed here
  • Capps v. Dixon, No. 1:19-cv-12002 (D.N.J. Jan. 30, 2024). 2 cites
    (Because the district court did not certify this interlocutory appeal as frivolous or forfeited, the district court is automatically divested of jurisdiction to proceed with trial.)
  • Joyce v. Dixon, No. 1:20-cv-01118 (D.N.J. Jan. 30, 2024). 2 cites
    (Because the district court did not certify this interlocutory appeal as frivolous or forfeited, the district court is automatically divested of jurisdiction to proceed with trial.)
  • Emrit, No. 3:26-cv-00007 (D. Alaska Apr. 15, 2026).
    ORDER OF DISMISSAL On January 7, 2026, self-represented litigant Ronald Satish Emrit (“Plaintiff”) filed a complaint, a civil cover sheet, and an application to proceed without paying the filing fee.1 On February 18, 2026, Plaintiff filed…
  • Mattia, No. 4:24-cv-00252 (D. Ariz. Dec. 1, 2025). 2 cites
    When a defendant files an interlocutory appeal asserting qualified immunity, 12 “the district court is automatically divested of jurisdiction to proceed with trial pending 13 appeal,” unless the district court certifies in writing that the…
  • Rehn, No. 2:23-cv-01609 (W.D. Wash. Oct. 28, 2025).
    In contrast, appellate courts “may properly review a denial of qualified 15 immunity where a defendant argues . . . that the facts, even when considered in the light 16 most favorable to the plaintiff, show no violation of a constitutional…
  • Fair v. King Cnty., No. 2:21-cv-01706 (W.D. Wash. July 16, 2025).
    Tennison v. City & 10 Cnty. of San Francisco, 570 F.3d 1078, 1081 (9th Cir. 2009). 11 That said, the Ninth Circuit has “authorized the district court to go forward in appropriate 12 cases by certifying that an appeal is frivolous or waived…
  • Dean v. City of Tacoma, No. 3:21-cv-05822 (W.D. Wash. May 8, 2025).
    Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992).
  • Rafique v. Premier Fin. All., Inc., No. 4:23-cv-00732 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 12, 2025).
    Co., 459 U.S. 56, 58 (1982) (per curiam). 11 When “the question on appeal is whether the case belongs in arbitration or instead in the district 12 court, the entire case is essentially ‘involved in the appeal,’” and the “common practice in…
  • Luster 167766 v. Pima, Cnty. of, No. 4:22-cv-00519 (D. Ariz. Feb. 28, 2025).
    (Id.) 10 “[T]he filing of a notice of interlocutory appeal divests the district court of 11 jurisdiction over the particular issues involved in that appeal.” City of Los Angeles, 12 Harbor Div. v. Santa Monica Baykeeper, 254 F.3d 882, 886…
  • Assance v. Lincoln Cnty., No. 9:24-cv-00009 (D. Mont. Feb. 11, 2025).
    Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992) (citing Apostol v. Gallion, 870 F.2d 1335 (7th Cir. 1989)).
Show 36 more citing cases
  • Leal v. Nevada Dep't of Corr., No. 2:21-cv-01965 (D. Nev. Nov. 18, 2024). 2 cites
    Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992). 2 Defendants argue that this principal is particularly important in the context of this litigation 3 because qualified immunity is designed to avoid burdening public officials with undue…
  • Zawacky v. Cnty. of Clark, No. 3:22-cv-05101 (W.D. Wash. June 21, 2024).
    Chuman 2 v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992). 3 “An appeal is frivolous if the results are obvious, or the arguments of error are wholly 4 without merit.” In re George, 322 F.3d 586, 588 (9th Cir. 2003) (cleaned up).
  • Rubalcava v. City Of San Jose, No. 5:20-cv-04191 (N.D. Cal. May 24, 2024).
    See id.; Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992). 2 Such an appeal automatically divests the district court of jurisdiction to proceed with trial pending 3 appeal, absent certification by the district court that the appeal is f…
  • Rubalcava v. City Of San Jose, No. 5:20-cv-04191 (N.D. Cal. May 6, 2024).
    (appeal of denial of qualified immunity divests district court of jurisdiction to proceed with trial)
  • Rubalcava v. City Of San Jose, No. 5:20-cv-04191 (N.D. Cal. Apr. 24, 2024). 2 cites
    In the context of an appeal of the denial of 23 qualified immunity, “the district court is automatically divested of jurisdiction to proceed with 24 trial pending appeal.” Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992) (emphasis added…
  • The Est. of Michael Wilson v. Cnty. of San Diego, No. 3:20-cv-00457 (S.D. Cal. Apr. 8, 2024).
    In the Ninth Circuit, where “the interlocutory claim is immediately appealable, its 20 filing divests the district court of jurisdiction to proceed with trial.” Chuman v. Wright, 21 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992).
  • Black v. Cummings, No. 3:22-cv-00096 (S.D.W. Va Oct. 17, 2023).
    See, e.g., BancPass, Inc. v. Highway Toll Admin., LLC, 863 F.3d 391 , 398–99 (5th Cir. 2017); Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992); Yates v. City of Cleveland, 941 F.2d 444 , 448–49 (6th Cir. 1991); Stewart v. Donges, 915 F.…
  • I.A. v. City of Redondo Beach, No. 2:20-cv-06447 (C.D. Cal. Oct. 17, 2023).
    Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992). 26 27 2 The court notes that Defendant Anderson violated this Court’s Standing Order on Procedures by filing more motions in 28 limine than permitted under that Order. 1 Where a district…
  • Gonzalez v. City of Alameda, No. 4:21-cv-09733 (N.D. Cal. Oct. 16, 2023).
    Cal. Apr. 4, 13 2019) (citing Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992)). 14 Courts have noted that permitting a defendant to appeal a denial of qualified immunity 15 often disadvantages the plaintiff, as “[d]uring the appeal mem…
  • Selto v. Clark Cnty., No. 3:22-cv-05384 (W.D. Wash. Oct. 4, 2023).
    Plaintiffs have indicated that they object to a stay, Defs.’ Mot. at 2, but in their 18 cursory response brief, which includes no argument in opposition to the stay, merely 19 “acknowledge the issue of judicial economy.” Pls.’ Resp. at 1.…
  • Wilson v. City Of Oakland, No. 3:21-cv-03824 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 15, 2023).
    On 12 || September 14, 2023, defendants filed a "Notice of Appeal of Order Denying Defendants' 13 || Motion for Summary Judgment." 14 Upon the filing of an interlocutory appeal of an order denying qualified immunity, O 8 15 || "the distric…
  • Davitashvili v. Grubhub Inc., No. 1:20-cv-03000 (S.D.N.Y. June 30, 2023).
    (qualified immunity)
  • Coinbase, Inc. v. Bielski, 599 U.S. 736 (2023).published
    (qualifed immunity)
  • Fatai v. City & Cnty. Honolulu, No. 1:19-cv-00603 (D. Haw. May 10, 2023).
    Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992).
  • (PS) Williams v. State of CA Workers Comp. Appeals Bd., No. 2:22-cv-00302 (E.D. Cal. Jan. 17, 2023).
    Thus, this 3 || appeal is frivolous, and the court retains jurisdiction of plaintiff's case under Chuman v. Wright, 4 | 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992).
  • Kistner v. The City of Buffalo, No. 1:18-cv-00402 (W.D.N.Y. Jan. 3, 2023).
    Several circuits have embraced the dual jurisdiction rule, see, e.g., Rivera-Torres v. Ortiz Velez, 341 F.3d 86, 95-96 (1st Cir. 2003); Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir.1992); Yates v. City of Cleveland, 941 F.2d 444, 448-49 (6…
  • Harris v. City of Tulare, No. 1:18-cv-01135 (E.D. Cal. Oct. 13, 2022).
    Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992); see also Behrens v. Pelletier, 516 16 U.S. 299 , 310–11 (1996) (approving the process of certifying an appeal of a denial of qualified 17 immunity as frivolous as it “enables the distric…
  • (PC) Penton v. Hubard, No. 2:11-cv-00518 (E.D. Cal. Sept. 13, 2022).
    Therefore, 4 to present a reviewable issue with respect to qualified immunity on interlocutory appeal, “[t]he 5 officials must present the appellate court with a legal issue that does not require the court to 6 consider the correctness of…
  • Lopez v. Mesa, City of, No. 2:19-cv-04764 (D. Ariz. Sept. 8, 2022).
    (Doc. 87.) “[A] proper appeal from a denial of qualified immunity 27 automatically divests the district court of jurisdiction to require the appealing defendants 28 to appear for trial[.]” Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992…
  • (PC) Diaz v. Hurley, No. 2:19-cv-01241 (E.D. Cal. Aug. 19, 2022).
    (ECF No. 68.) The 14 court thus retains jurisdiction of plaintiff’s case under Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th 15 Cir. 1992).
  • Evans v. Jacobsen, No. 2:17-cv-01619 (E.D. Cal. June 15, 2022).
    Accordingly, to present a reviewable issue with 10 respect to qualified immunity on interlocutory appeal, “[t]he officials must present the appellate 11 court with a legal issue that does not require the court to consider the correctness o…
  • Graven v. Brnovich, No. 2:22-cv-00062 (D. Ariz. Apr. 7, 2022).
    (adopting rule for interlocutory appeals of 8 denials of qualified immunity)
  • Sweet v. Mesa, City of, No. 2:17-cv-00152 (D. Ariz. Mar. 29, 2022). 2 cites
    Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992).
  • Puente v. Phoenix, City of, No. 2:18-cv-02778 (D. Ariz. Mar. 24, 2022).
    Because the 19|| Court declines to certify that these Defendants’ claim of qualified immunity is frivolous or 20 || has been waived such that they have forfeited their right to pretrial appeal, the Court “is automatically divested of juris…
  • Nat'l Rifle Ass'n of Am. v. Cuomo, No. 1:18-cv-00566 (N.D.N.Y. Jan. 18, 2022).
    (holding that when a defendant files a notice of interlocutory appeal on an issue of qualified immunity, “the district court is automatically divested of jurisdiction to proceed with trial pending 2 appeal)
  • Rodarte v. Skagit Cnty., No. 2:20-cv-00885 (W.D. Wash. Dec. 30, 2021).
    Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992). 7 Plaintiff has not argued that Defendant has waived his claim of qualified immunity, nor does the 8 9 Court find on the record before it that Defendant’s appeal of the denial of qualifi…
  • (PS) Ferreira da Silva v. Ross, No. 2:21-cv-01208 (E.D. Cal. Nov. 19, 2021).
    (ECF No. 20.) 6 Effect of the Interlocutory Appeal on the Pending Motions 7 The filing of an interlocutory appeal “divests the district court of jurisdiction to proceed 8 with trial,” Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992), an…
  • David v. Bhanot, No. 1:20-cv-00002 (D. Haw. June 9, 2021). 3 cites
    In part, the March 31, 2021 Order concluded that—accepting the FAC’s factual allegations as true—the FAC “plausibly alleges that Kaulukukui was responsible, at least in part, for a violation of Plaintiffs’ constitutional right of familial…
  • A.T. v. Dry Creek Jt. Elementary Sch. Dist., No. 2:16-cv-02925 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 16, 2021).
    Motion at 3 (citing, 2 inter alia, Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992)); see also Order Granting 3 Stay (“Stay”), ECF No. 105, at 2 (acknowledging the automatic stay as to the first cause 4 of action against PCOE Defendants…
  • Roberts v. Khounphixay, No. 2:18-cv-00746 (W.D. Wash. Jan. 22, 2021).
    (a frivolous or forfeited appeal does not automatically divest the court of jurisdiction)
  • Ballou v. McElvain, No. 3:19-cv-05002 (W.D. Wash. June 2, 2020).
    City of 23 Los Angeles v. Santa Monica Baykeeper, 254 F.3d 882, 886 (9th Cir. 2001); Chuman v. Wright, 24 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992). 25 ORDER - 1 CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE 1 4.
  • Altamirano v. Pima, Cnty. of, No. 4:15-cv-00169 (D. Ariz. Nov. 19, 2019).
    Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992); see also Leibel v. City 18 of Buckeye, 382 F.Supp.3d 909, 912 (D.
  • Suzuki v. Cnty. of Contra Costa, No. 3:18-cv-06963, 2019 WL 4674418 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 25, 2019).
    An appeal of a denial of 21 qualified immunity “‘divests the district court of jurisdiction to proceed with trial’ on the issues 22 involved in the appeal.” Id. (citing Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992)).
  • (PC) Rico v. Beard, No. 2:17-cv-01402 (E.D. Cal. Aug. 30, 2019).
    This exception exists because qualified immunity is an immunity from 1 suit rather than a mere defense to liability, and that immunity “is effectively lost if a case is 2 erroneously permitted to go to trial.” Id. at 526 . 3 Such an appeal…
  • Williams v. Campas, No. 4:17-cv-00029 (D. Ariz. July 17, 2019).
    Chuman 23 v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992).
  • Heriberto Rodriguez v. Cnty. of Los Angeles, 891 F.3d 776 (9th Cir. 2018).published 3 cites
    The panel held that although the district court failed to certify pursuant to Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th Cir. 1992), that the interlocutory appeal was frivolous, any error was harmless. * The Honorable Sarah Evans Barker, Uni…
At page 104 ORDER This appeal challenges the district court’s denial of the individual defendants’ motion for summary judgment on their claim of qualified immunity in an…2 citing casesopening of page *104 (no citing court says what it cites this page for)
  • Rock v. Cummings, No. 2:20-cv-01837 (D. Ariz. Dec. 13, 2024).
    It was necessary to adopt this rule, Chuman 10 explained, because the Supreme Court’s decision in Mitchell v. Forsyth, 472 U.S. 511 11 (1985), recognized an automatic right of interlocutory appeal from the denial of qualified 12 immunity,…
  • Carter v. Bean, No. 2:17-cv-01628 (D. Nev. Nov. 30, 2022).
    Accordingly, a district court may certify in writing that the appeal is frivolous or 1 waived." Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 104 (9th Cir. 1992).
Other citing cases1 with no pin cite or quoted language on record
  • Berland, No. 3:24-cv-07589 (N.D. Cal. Nov. 10, 2025). 2 cites
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Robert CHUMAN, Et Al., Plaintiffs-Appellees,
v.
Craig A. WRIGHT, Et Al., Defendants, and Mark P. Fronterotta, Et Al., Defendants-Appellants
92-55007.
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Mar 27, 1992.
Published opinion
960 F.2d 104
1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 5374
1992 WL 57540
Wallace, Sneed, Alarcon.
Cited by 106 opinions  |  Published

ORDER

This appeal challenges the district court’s denial of the individual defendants’ motion for summary judgment on their claim of qualified immunity in an action for damages brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The individual defendant-appellants filed a notice of appeal from the denial of qualified immunity pursuant to Mitchell v. Forsyth, 472 U.S. 511, 105 S.Ct. 2806, 86 L.Ed.2d 411 (1985), and moved in the dis[*105] trict court for a stay of proceedings pending appeal. The district court denied the motion for stay. Appellants then filed a motion for a stay in this court, which was granted pending further order of this court.

In this circuit, where, as here, the interlocutory claim is immediately appeal-able, its filing divests the district court of jurisdiction to proceed with trial. United States v. Claiborne, 727 F.2d 842, 850 (9th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 829, 105 S.Ct. 113, 83 L.Ed.2d 56 (1984). It has been noted, however, that this result could significantly disrupt and delay trial court proceedings. Claiborne, 727 F.2d at 850.

While this circuit has not addressed this issue in the context of interlocutory qualified immunity appeals, other circuits have. See Yates v. City of Cleveland, 941 F.2d 444 (6th Cir.1991); Stewart v. Donges, 915 F.2d 572 (10th Cir.1990); Apostol v. Gallion, 870 F.2d 1335 (7th Cir.1989). The Apostol court ruled that while a proper appeal from a denial of qualified immunity automatically divests the district court of jurisdiction to require the appealing defendants to appear for trial, a frivolous or forfeited appeal does not automatically divest the district court of jurisdiction. Apostol, 870 F.2d at 1339. Accordingly, under the Apostol rule, a district court may certify in writing that the appeal is frivolous or waived. Without such certification, the trial is automatically delayed until disposition of the appeal. Id. Both Yates, 941 F.2d at 449, and Stewart, 915 F.2d at 576-78, are in accord.

This circuit has addressed the issue of the effect of appeals from interlocutory orders in a closely related context. In an appeal from the denial of a motion to dismiss on the basis of double jeopardy, as in a qualified immunity appeal, the issue to be addressed by the court is whether the defendant will be forced to appear at trial. United States v. LaMere, 951 F.2d 1106, 1108 (9th Cir.1991). The court in LaMere adopted a “dual jurisdiction” rule wherein “an appeal from the denial of a frivolous ... motion [to dismiss based on double jeopardy] does not divest the district court of jurisdiction to proceed with trial, if the district court has found the motion to be frivolous”. Id. (internal quotations omitted).

This court now adopts the rule set forth in LaMere in the context of interlocutory qualified immunity appeals. Should the district court find that the defendants’ claim of qualified immunity is frivolous or has been waived, the district court may certify, in writing, that defendants have forfeited their right to pretrial appeal, and may proceed with trial. [1] In the absence of such certification, the district court is automatically divested of jurisdiction to proceed with trial pending appeal.

Because the district court did not certify this interlocutory appeal as frivolous or forfeited, the district court is automatically divested of jurisdiction to proceed with trial.

Stay granted.

1

. The defendants in such a case may then apply to this court for a discretionary stay. See Apostol, 870 F.2d at 1339.