James Mathis, Plaintiff-Appellee-Cross-Appellant v. Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Appellee. James Mathis, Plaintiff-Appellee-Cross-Appellant v. Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Appellee. James Mathis v. Pacific Gas and Electric Company

75 F.3d 498 11 IER Cases 564 , 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 486 , 96 Daily Journal D.A.R. 804 James MATHIS, Plaintiff-Appellee-Cross-Appellant, v. PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Appellee. James MATHIS, Plaintiff-Appellee-Cross-Appellant, v. PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Appellee. James MATHIS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, Defendant-Appellant. Nos. 93-55390, 93-55391 and 93-56215. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted June 5, 1995. Decided Jan. 24, 1996. Kenneth E. Johnson and Gordon E. Krischer, O'Melveny & Myers, Los Angeles, California, for Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Appellee. Barrett S. Litt, Litt & Marquez, Los Angeles, California, for Plaintiff-Appellee-Cross-Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Before: WALLACE, Chief Judge, BOOCHEVER, and KOZINSKI, Circuit Judges. KOZINSKI, Circuit Judge. 1 This case presents a question of abiding importance: How deeply may the government get involved in the actions of a private party before we subject these acts to constitutional strictures? For better or worse,…