昨天,有个人在某个论坛上贴了一个帖子(见附文),此人先在网上抄了dismiss with prejudice的定义。然后结论,如果是双方 settle,那么应该是dismiss without prejudice。这种七窍通了六窍的无脑思维,加上低下的英文阅读理解能力,如果被读者接受,是有害的。所以,我特此做个分析。
一个案子,如果原告自己、或者法院判决dismiss with prejudice,就是案子彻底结束,原告不得再就同一事件告被告。反过来,被告却可以告原告。所以在桑兰案中,桑兰自动要求dismiss with prejudice,相当于输掉了官司。因为在案前与案后,双方的法律态势发生了改变。
如果是dismiss without prejudice,那么原告只是暂时撤诉,完全可以重新启动官司。
假设双方settle, 如果被告愿意选择dismiss without prejudice,当然可能。但一般来说,如果被告支付了赔偿,它没有那么蠢,赔偿之后还给原告重新起诉的权利(当然这样蠢的事情也发生过)。
原告一般也希望永久了结,案子不彻底了结其实对双方都是潜在的风险。比如说,被告可能反告。
虽然这是显然的道理,我再具体举个例子。比如说A起诉B诽谤,官司进行中,B羞于见陪审团,决定赔偿A的损失。这时A可以选择不接受赔偿,而是打到最后裁决。但如果A决定接受赔偿与B了结,那么B会要求协议将A/B之间全部争端dismiss with prejudice,否则,A拿了赔偿之后,又继续起诉B,B岂不是弱智?
所以在一案子如果双方和解,一般来说,双方会签订一个非常详细的、互相的、global release,确定双方无论发生任何事情,谁也不再就同一纠纷告谁,然后协议在法院将案子做stipulated dismissal with prejudice(参见案例)。所谓stipulated, 就是双方一致同意。
附原帖
【送交者: 是天 2011年06月09日12:57:20 于 [五 味 斋] 发送悄悄话
法庭对某讼棍的告大公司索赔的案件的原话是“Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(A)(ii), the parties hereby stipulate to the dismissal of this action with prejudice, with each party to bear its own fees and costs. The Clerk shall close this file.
SO STIPULATED. April 13, 2011”
某讼师说因为有stipulate一字所以他暗中是赢了别人的赔偿才庭外解决的。但如果真是那样的话,字眼应该是stipulate to the dismissal WITHOUT prejudice吧。定义是这样的:
Dismissal with Prejudice A dismissal with prejudice is a judgment rendered in a lawsuit on its meritsthat prevents the plaintiff from bringing the same lawsuit against the same defendant in the future. It is a harsh remedy that has the effect of canceling the action so that it can never again be commenced. A dismissal with prejudice is Res Judicata as to every issue litigated in the action.
The possibility of such a dismissal acts as a deterrent to the use of dilatory tactics by a plaintiff who wants to prejudice a defendant's case by unreasonably hindering the disposition of the action from the time of the filing of the action to the actual trial of the issues. It is also designed to minimize, if not eliminate, the congestion of court calendars caused by unnecessary delays in pending cases. Because it is regarded as a drastic remedy, courts grant dismissals with prejudice only in the most egregious casesin response to a motion brought by a defendant or by a court sua sponte or on its own will.
也就是说,某讼师被判dismissal with prejudice, 是因为法庭判定他的投诉没有merit,而且是one of the most egregious cases。那么,stipulate一字救得了某讼师吗?定义是这样的:
Stipulation Once a defendant has served an answer to the plaintiff's complaint, the plaintiff may obtain a dismissal without prejudice by entering a formal agreement, a stipulation, with the defendant.
所以,如果某讼师是在庭外解决占了偏宜的话,应该是stipulation to dismissal WITHOUT prejudice, 但某讼师的是with.】
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