United States v. Jonas KlimaviciusUnited States v. Jonas Klimavicius
The issue in this case is whether the district court abused its discretion in revoking the citizenship of a defendant in a denaturalization proceeding by means of a default judgment issued under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(b)(2) as a sanction for failure to comply with discovery
I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Klimavicius was bom on August 29, 1907, in Marijampole, Lithuania. He entered the United States on May 14, 1949, from West Germany under the Displaced Persons Act of 1948, ch. 647, Pub.L. 774, 62 Stat. 1009. Klimavicius continues to reside in the United States.
On May 30, 1984, the Office of Special Investigations in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice (OSI) filed a complaint against Klimavicius under Section 340(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, 8 U.S.C. § 1451(a), charging illegal procurement of citizenship. The complaint alleges that during the German occupation of Lithuania, in the fall of 1941, Klimavicius was a member of a Nazi controlled police battalion, the Lithuanian Schutzmannschaft. The complaint further alleges that as a member of the Lithuanian Schutzmannschaft, Klimavicius “assisted in the persecution of Jews and other civilians by detaining and murdering unarmed civilians.” The government charges that Kli-mavicius concealed his membership in the Schutzmannschaft and misrepresented his wartime activities to obtain his United States visa and citizenship.
From the outset of this litigation, appellant has met all discovery requests with the assertion of a fifth amendment privilege grounded on an alleged fear of foreign prosecution for war crimes and domestic prosecution for perjury. We review the history of these requests and claims of privilege to place the entry of the Rule 37 default judgment in context.
The government first noticed appellant’s deposition for August 17, 1984. The government coupled the deposition notice with a document production request. Kli-mavicius failed to appear at his deposition, claiming objections to the scope of the government’s request. Pursuant to appellant’s motion for a protective order, the Magistrate modified OSI’s document production request. The government then noticed the deposition of Klimavicius for March 6, 1985, and included a request for the production of documents in conformity with the Magistrate’s order. On the appointed date, Klimavicius appeared for his deposition; he refused, however, to answer all questions except those concerning his name and current address or to produce or identify any of the requested documents. Klimavicius based his refusal on an assertion of the fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination. The government filed a motion to compel discovery and for sanctions pursuant to Rule 37(a), (b) and (d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
1
Klimavicius opposed the mo
On October 30, 1985, the district court granted the government’s motion to compel discovery.
See United States v. Klimavi-cius,
The Court allowed the Defendant another opportunity to present a record because the privilege against self-incrimination plays such an important role in the American scheme of justice.... The Court requested that the Defendant submit certified, translated copies of the text of foreign laws which indicate he might be subject to prosecution and to make some showing that the laws would be applied to him if the allegations in the Complaint were proved. Defendant has not complied with this Court’s Order, but instead, has relied on a plethora of unsubstantiated statements, irrelevant documents and copies of laws which have not been shown to be accurate or current.
The district court ruling did not deter appellant’s reliance upon the fifth amendment. Subsequent to the denial of his motions for reconsideration and for a protective order, Klimavicius continued to assert the fifth amendment both at a second scheduled deposition and in response to the government’s interrogatories, requests for the production of documents and request for admissions. The government, therefore, filed a motion for sanctions under Rule 37(b)(2), requesting an order prohibiting Klimavicius from testifying at trial or introducing into evidence those documents which he had refused to produce. The government also requested an order treating appellant’s failure to comply with the prior court order as contempt of court and awarding costs and attorney’s fees. In its decision, the district court found that Kli-mavicius’ continued refusal to answer questions at this deposition and to produce documents was willful and justified severe sanctions under Rule 37. It declined, however, to impose immediate sanctions: “[B]ecause of the seriousness of this matter to the Defendant, the court is going to afford him one last opportunity to comply with the lawful discovery orders of this Court and provide a full and complete response to discovery requests made by the
Pursuant to the order of the district court, the government scheduled a third deposition of Klimavicius for June 1, 1987. Once again, appellant appeared, stated his name and address, and refused to answer all other questions on the basis of an asserted fifth amendment privilege. The government therefore filed a renewed motion for sanctions, requesting in the alternative (1) a default judgment under Rule 37(b)(2)(C); (2) an order prohibiting appellant from opposing the government’s claims or supporting any defenses pursuant to Rule 37(b)(2)(B), taking as established certain designated facts pursuant to Rule 37(b)(2)(A), and rendering a judgment for the government based upon those facts; or (3) an order granting the relief requested in its previous motion for sanctions. The government also requested costs and attorney’s fees.
In its decision, the court recognized the severity of the use of a default judgment to sanction appellant’s behavior. It found, however, that Klimavicius’ repeated failure to comply with discovery orders constituted bad faith and willful misconduct sufficient to justify the harshest response:
This Court is fully aware of the severity of rendering a default judgment against a defendant in a denaturalization proceeding. Although this Court was reluctant to impose severe sanctions, as evidenced by its giving Defendant one last opportunity to comply with its orders, there are circumstances where the harshest of the Rule 37 sanctions must be imposed. This is such a case.
United States v. Klimavicius,
II. DENATURALIZATION THROUGH DEFAULT
Klimavicius attacks the decision of the district court on two grounds. First, he argues that the court erred in its rejection of his fifth amendment claim of privilege. Second, he argues that even if he did fail to establish the basis for a fifth amemdment claim, the court nonetheless lacks the power to denaturalize a defendant as a sanction for disobeying a court order. Conversely, the government contends that Klimavicius improperly invoked the privilege against self-incrimination and that the court order constituted a legitimate exercise of discretion justified by the flagrant misconduct of defendant. We do not reach the fifth amendment issue because we find, as a matter of law, that the imposition of a Rule 37 default judgment in a denaturalization proceeding constitutes an abuse of discretion.
National Hockey League v. Metropolitan Hockey League,
The question, of course, is not whether this Court, or whether the Court of Appeals, would as an original matter have dismissed the action; it is whether the District Court abused its discretion in so doing....
There is a natural tendency on the part of reviewing courts, properly employing the benefit of hindsight, to be heavilyinfluenced by the severity of outright dismissal as a sanction for failure to comply with a discovery order....
But here, as in other areas of the law, the most severe in the spectrum of sanctions provided by statute or rule must be available to the district court in appropriate cases, not merely to penalize those whose conduct may be deemed to warrant a sanction, but to deter those who might be tempted to such conduct in the absence of such a deterrent.
Id.
at 642-43,
We begin our analysis with a recognition of the exclusive power of Congress to establish rules for naturalization.
See
U.S. Const, art. I, § 8, cl. 4. Once naturalized, a person enjoys the same rights and opportunities as a native born citizen.
See Schneider v. Rusk,
The broad protections afforded to citizenship do not apply, however, to a certificate of naturalization illegally procured. In
Knauer v. United States,
In the instant case, the government charges that Klimavicius illegally procured his certificate of naturalization by concealment of a material fact and willful misrepresentation as defined by Section 340 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1451. Klimavicius contends, however, that he lost his citizenship not pursuant to the terms of Section 340 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, but rather solely as a punishment for his improper assertion of a fifth amendment privilege. He argues, first, that Congress never authorized revocation of citizenship as a punishment for the improper assertion of the fifth amendment and, second, that even if Congress had so provided, such an order would exceed its constitutional authority.
The first prong of appellant’s argument blurs the distinction between procedure and substance. Section 340 of the
Appellant’s second argument, however, has some merit. Klimavicius challenges the power of Congress to authorize the use of a default judgment as a sanction in a denaturalization action. Appellant’s brief, while unclear, appears to question congressional authority on two different grounds. 3
First, appellant cites
Kennedy v. Mendoza-Martinez,
Appellant’s second ground for questioning the power of the court to enter a Rule 37 default judgment is more persuasive. Klimavicius points to the unique nature of denaturalization proceedings. He argues that such proceedings are quasi-criminal, providing for a potential penalty far :more severe than that carried by most crimes. Klimavicius cites
Klapprott v. United States,
In
Klapprott,
the Court considered a petition to set aside a default judgment can-celling a citizen’s certificate of naturalization. In the underlying denaturalization action, the defendant had received notice of a complaint filed by the government and had been given sixty days to answer; before the expiration of that time period, however, the defendant had been arrested on unrelated criminal charges and placed in jail. During his confinement, a default judgment in the denaturalization action was entered. Four years later, the defendant petitioned the district court to set aside the judgment. The court dismissed the petition on the grounds of laches and the court of appeals affirmed. On writ of cer-tiorari, the Court considered the grave consequences attendant to denaturalization and concluded that “courts should not ... deprive a person of his citizenship until the Government first offers proof of its charges sufficient to satisfy the burden imposed on it, even in cases where the defendant has made default in appearance.”
The holding in
Klapprott,
however, was modified upon a motion by the government. In a subsequent order, the Court amended its judgment and remanded the case to the district court “with directions to receive evidence on the truth or falsity of the allegations contained in petitioner’s petition to vacate the default judgment en
The facts in this case distinguish it from the precise holding of Klapprott II. The defendant in Klapprott failed either to present a defense or to demonstrate involuntary default. Conversely, Klimavicius has appeared before the court and has asserted repeatedly his right to present a defense. Judgment by default has been entered as a punishment for noncompliance with discovery orders, not as a result of nonappearance.
These differences aside, the underlying reasoning of Klapprott is determinative of the outcome of this case. The Court in Klapprott emphasized the unique nature and significance of a denaturalization proceeding:
Denaturalization consequences may be more grave than consequences that flow from conviction for crimes. Persons charged with crime in United States courts cannot be convicted on default judgments unsupported by proof.... This Court has long recognized the plain fact that to deprive a person of his American citizenship is an extraordinarily severe penalty_ Because denatu-ralization proceedings have not fallen within the technical classification of crimes is hardly a satisfactory reason for allowing denaturalization without proof while requiring proof to support a mere money fine or a short imprisonment.
In its consequences [denaturalization] is more serious than a taking of one’s property, or the imposition of a fine or other penalty. For it is safe to assert that nowhere in the world today is the right of citizenship of greater worth to an individual than it is in this country. It would be difficult to exaggerate its value and importance. By many it is regarded as the highest hope of civilized men. This does not mean that once granted to an alien, citizenship cannot be revoked or cancelled on legal grounds under appropriate proof. But such a right once conferred should not be taken away without the clearest sort of justification and proof.
The Court therefore held that the government must prove its case in a denatu-ralization action by “evidence of a clear and convincing character.”
Id.
at 123,
These cases emphasize the penal effect of denaturalization. In the instant case, appellant has suffered the severe penalty of loss of citizenship solely as a sanction for contempt of a court order. This result contrasts sharply with the procedure in criminal cases where contempt can never be punished by the entry of a guilty verdict in the underlying action. Cf Fed.R.Crim. P. 42 (independent criminal contempt proceedings).
We turn to the precise language of Rule 37 to assess the necessity of the court’s
We hold that given the severity of a denaturalization proceeding, and in light of the other sanctions available to the trial court, the imposition of a default judgment in this case was unjust.
Cf. United States v. Costello,
The government argues that even if Kli-mavicius’ misconduct alone does not justify a default judgment, 4 the uncontroverted evidence submitted by the OSI is sufficient to sustain the allegations of the complaint and supports an affirmance on the merits. Although the record may well support that claim, we will not convert an appeal from a default judgment into a summary judgment proceeding. The government may file a motion for summary judgment whenever it wishes. We do not, of course, express any opinion on the merits of such a motion.
The default judgment is vacated and the case remanded to the district court.
Notes
. Rule 37 provides, in pertinent part:
(a) Motion for Order Compelling Discovery. A party, upon reasonable notice to other parties and all persons affected thereby, may apply for an order compelling discovery as follows:
(b) Failure to Comply with Order.
(2) Sanctions by Court in Which Action is Pending. If a party or an officer, director, or managing agent of a party or a person designated under Rule 30(b)(6) or 31(a) to testify on behalf of a party fails to obey an order to provide or permit discovery, including an order made under subdivision (a) of this rule or Rule 35, or if a party fails to obey an order entered under Rule 26(f), the court in which the action is pending may make such orders in regard to the failure as are just, and among others the following:
(A) An order that the matters regarding which the order was made or any other designated facts shall be taken to be established for the purposes of the action in accordance with the claim of the party obtaining the order;
(B) An order refusing to allow the disobedient party to support or oppose designated claims or defenses, or prohibiting that partyfrom introducing designated matters in evidence;
(C) An order striking out pleadings or parts thereof, or staying further proceedings until the order is obeyed, or dismissing the action or proceeding or any part thereof, or rendering a judgment by default against the disobedient party;
In lieu of any of the foregoing orders or in addition thereto, the court shall require the party failing to obey the order or the attorney advising that party or both to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, caused by the failure, unless the court finds that the failure was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.
. Because the court found that Klimavicius failed as a matter of fact to establish a real and substantial threat of foreign prosecution, citing
Zicarelli v. New Jersey State Commission of Investigation,
. A third possible question raised by these facts is whether a Rule 37(b)(2)(C) default judgment should ever be entered to sanction an improper assertion of a fifth amendment claim of privilege. We have considered this question previously and answered it in the affirmative.
See Hodgson
v.
Mahoney,
. The government cites
United States v. Theodorovich,