Harrah's Club, a Nevada Corporation v. Toshi Van Blitter

Toshi Van Blitter appeals the district court’s denial of her motion to bar enforcement in California of a money judgment entered against her by the United States District Court of Nevada. She contends that paragraph one of the Nevada district court’s order bars enforcement in California of paragraph two of the same order. We affirm.

FACTS

This case arises from a gambling debt owed by appellant Van Blitter to appellee Harrah’s club. Appellant Van Blitter executed credit instruments in the amount of $265,000 in favor of Harrah’s Club. When Harrah’s presented these instruments to Van Blitter’s bank, they were dishonored. In April, 1985 Van Blitter filed a declaratory relief action (the “California” action) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California against Har-rah’s Club seeking to have the credit instruments declared unenforceable. Shortly thereafter, Harrah’s Club brought an action in Nevada (the “Nevada” action) seeking to collect on those same credit instruments. Van Blitter's California action was transferred to the District of Nevada and in March, 1986, the two actions were consolidated for trial. The two actions remained separate in identity…