Free Notice of Additional Authority - District Court of Federal Claims - federal

Case 1:04-cv-00541-CCM

Document 172

Filed 04/09/2007

Page 1 of 2

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS ____________________________________ ) STOCKTON EAST WATER DISTRICT, ) et al., ) ) Plaintiffs, ) No. 04-541 L ) v. ) Judge Christine Odell Cook Miller ) UNITED STATES, ) ) Defendant. ) ____________________________________) NOTICE OF ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY RELATING TO MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION Plaintiffs hereby notify the Court that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently decided Carabetta Enterprises, Inc. v. United States, ___ F.3d ___ 2007 WL 983837 (April 4, 2007), holding that: even if the sovereign acts doctrine applies, "it does not follow that discharge will always be available, for the common-law doctrine of impossibility imposes additional requirements before a party may avoid liability for breach." One such requirement is embodied in the doctrine of partial impossibility or partial impracticability. According to the Restatement of Contracts, "[w]here only part of an obligor's performance is impracticable, his duty to render the remaining part is unaffected if . . . it is still practicable for him to render performance that is substantial, taking account of any reasonable substitute performance that he is under a duty to render." Id. at *3 (quoting Winstar v. United States, 518 U.S. 839, 904 (1996); Restatement (Second) of Contracts § 270 (1981)). Plaintiffs believe that this decision may be helpful to the Court in deciding whether common law impossibility remains a requirement of the sovereign act defense in this Circuit.

Case 1:04-cv-00541-CCM

Document 172

Filed 04/09/2007

Page 2 of 2

Respectfully submitted,

/s Roger J. Marzulla Roger J. Marzulla Nancie G. Marzulla Marzulla & Marzulla 1350 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 410 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 822-6760 (202) 822-6774 (facsimile) Dated: April 9, 2007 Of counsel: Jeanne M. Zolezzi Jennifer L. Spaletta Herum Crabtree Brown 2291 West March Lane Suite B100 Stockton, CA 95207 (209) 472-7700 (209) 472-7986 (facsimile) Counsel for Plaintiffs

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