Estate of Algerine Allen Smith, Deceased, James Allen Smith, Executor - Page 67

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          the estate’s representation in executing the decision without               
          reviewing or challenging the agreed computation.  The Court now             
          interprets the estate’s position to be that the interest should             
          not be paid because the overpayment was erroneously overstated.             
          The estate has never explicitly argued this, but if the adopted             
          opinion has correctly interpreted the estate’s position,2 the               
          estate previously made a factual assertion on which the Court               
          granted the deduction, that the interest payment would be made.             
          If the adopted opinion’s legal analysis is correct, the estate’s            
          change of course causes the Court to look foolish for relying on            
          the estate’s prior representation.                                          
               This Court should hold the estate to its stipulation under             
          Rule 155(a).  This is not a question of finality, rather one of             
          consistency.  The inconsistency created by this result threatens            
          judicial integrity and the integrity of this Court’s Rules.  The            
          estate is rewarded for misleading the Court and avoiding the                
          agreement reached pursuant to Rule 155(a).  This Court has the              
          authority to construe the Rules to deny this abuse of our process           
          and to reach a just result.                                                 
               As Judge Laro explains, this Court has the authority of a              
          court of law.  We can implement that authority to fill in gaps in           
          our Rules pursuant to Rule 1(a).  We also have the inherent                 


               2 There are no briefs on this issue, and the estate’s motion           
          is unclear at best.                                                         





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Last modified: May 25, 2011