CONSOLIDATED FREIGHTWAYS CORPORATION OF DELAWARE v. KASSEL Et Al.
Docket: 79-1618
Court: Supreme Court of the United States; February 24, 1982; Federal Supreme Court; Federal Appellate Court
The Supreme Court of the United States, in the case of Consolidated Freightways Corporation of Delaware v. Raymond Kassel, No. 79-1618, issued a per curiam decision on February 23, 1982, dismissing the writ of certiorari as improvidently granted. The case centered on whether a court could summarily deny an application for attorneys' fees under 42 U.S.C. § 1988 without providing a rationale. Justice White, dissenting, acknowledged that while not all cases require written opinions, he argued that the combination of discretion and established standards in fee applications necessitates at least some reasoning to assess the appropriateness of the decision. He contended that denying such applications without explanation is not inherently improper and would have affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice O'Connor did not participate in the case's consideration or decision.