Joseph Hage Aaronson

RICO — Failure to Identify Each Defendant’s Racketeering Activity, Treating All Defendants As a Single Entity, Fails to Satisfy 9(b) — Conclusory Allegations of Non-Fraud Predicates May Render Complaint Unintelligible

Transatlantic, LLC v. Humana, Inc., 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 20264 (11th Cir. Nov. 10, 2016): PER CURIAM: Transatlantic, LLC, appeals the dismissal of its third amended complaint against Humana, Inc., Humana Insurance Company, Humana Health Insurance Company of Florida, Inc.,…

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence on 12(b)(6) Motion — Defendant’s Website — Current and Older Versions as Displayed on Wayback Machine Based on Complaint’s Reference to Website

Galanis v. Starbucks Corp., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 142380 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 14, 2016): Memorandum Opinion and Order Steven Galanis alleges that Starbucks deceives its customers by misrepresenting the volume of its cold drinks because much of the volume is …

No Rule 11/Inherent Power Sanctions Where Law Unsettled, Lower Courts Agreed — No Attorney’s Fees for Pro Se — Mere Misstatement ≠ Bad Faith — Court Always Has Jurisdiction over Bond — Failing to Object ≠ Invited Error

City of Riviera Beach v. That Certain Unnamed Gray, Two-Story Vessel Approximately Fifty-Seven Feet in Length, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 21310 (11th Cir. Nov. 29, 2016): Fane Lozman, proceeding pro se, appeals the district court's judgment and several orders in…

Emails between Prospective Partners Not Business Records Where No One Was Responsible for Keeping Them, It Was Unclear Which Were Required or Who Was Custodian — Use of “Indentured Servitude” on Summation OK

Queen v. Schultz, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 23479 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 9, 2016): This appeal was considered on the record from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and briefed and argued by counsel. The Court has…

Texts Sent=Admissions, Received=Context — Facebook Posts Authenticated by Nickname, DOB, Residence, Email Addresses, Photos (Which Also Appear on Owner’s Phone), FB Application and Contents — Corroborative vs. Cumulative Evidence

United States v. Lewisbey, 843 F.3d 653 (7th Cir. Dec. 9, 2016): David Lewisbey was a Chicago-based gunrunner who used a fake Indiana I.D. to buy guns at Indiana gun shows and bring them back to Illinois to sell. He …

Docs [Emails] Created by Adversary & Produced=Admissions, Even If Not Business Records — Sham Affidavit Rule: Inconsistency Going to Credibility Not Necly Sham — Summary Judgment: Conclusory Affidavits Ignored; More Leeway Given to SJ Opponent

Daniels v. Tex. Dept. of Transp., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 171017 (E.D. Tex. Dec. 10, 2016): MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER Pending before the Court are Defendants Texas Department of Transportation's ("TxDOT") and Executive Director James M. Bass's, in his official…

Sanctions: District Court May Not Award Appellate Fees Absent Statutory Authorization, Except for Interlocutory Appeal If Prevailing Party Later Wins Below — Even If District Court Proceedings Frivolous, Appeal May Not Be — $17 Million FCA Award

In re Natural Gas Royalties Qui Tam Litig., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 142 (10th Cir. Jan. 4, 2017): This is the second appeal in a qui tam case lasting over 20 years and initially involving more than 300 natural gas…

Text Message Authentication: Mere Proximity to Phone, Absent Proof of Ownership or Linkage to Content of Texts or Other Circumstantial Evidence Linking Alleged Owner to Messages, Insufficient to Authenticate

Garnett v. Commonwealth, 2016 Va. App. LEXIS 361 (Va. Ct. App. Dec. 20, 2016): * Pursuant to Code § 17.1-413, this opinion is not designated for publication. Terrell Dewayne Garnett appeals an order convicting him of possession with intent to…

Spoliation Doesn’t Prevent Summary Judgment in Spoliator’s Favor If Only Adverse Inference Would Not Save Adversary’s Claims — Appeals: Failure to Order Transcript of Recorded Hearing As Required by FRAP 10(b)(1) Forfeits Claim of Error

Rodriguez v. Forthright, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 22463 (3d Cir. Dec. 19, 2016): * This disposition is not an opinion of the full Court and pursuant to I.O.P. 5.7 does not constitute binding precedent. PER CURIAM Felix A. Rodriguez appeals…

Court May Take Judicial Notice of Document Filed in Another Case Not for the Truth of the Matters Asserted But Only to Establish Fact of Filing and What Is Asserted — Judicial Estoppel: Factors

United States v. First Am. Title Ins. Co., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 175617 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 20, 2016): II. Judicial Estoppel Patel also argues that the doctrine of judicial estoppel bars the SBA from bringing this action. Judicial estoppel "generally …

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

RICO — Failure to Identify Each Defendant’s Racketeering Activity, Treating All Defendants As a Single Entity, Fails to Satisfy 9(b) — Conclusory Allegations of Non-Fraud Predicates May Render Complaint Unintelligible

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence on 12(b)(6) Motion — Defendant’s Website — Current and Older Versions as Displayed on Wayback Machine Based on Complaint’s Reference to Website

No Rule 11/Inherent Power Sanctions Where Law Unsettled, Lower Courts Agreed — No Attorney’s Fees for Pro Se — Mere Misstatement ≠ Bad Faith — Court Always Has Jurisdiction over Bond — Failing to Object ≠ Invited Error

Emails between Prospective Partners Not Business Records Where No One Was Responsible for Keeping Them, It Was Unclear Which Were Required or Who Was Custodian — Use of “Indentured Servitude” on Summation OK

Texts Sent=Admissions, Received=Context — Facebook Posts Authenticated by Nickname, DOB, Residence, Email Addresses, Photos (Which Also Appear on Owner’s Phone), FB Application and Contents — Corroborative vs. Cumulative Evidence

Docs [Emails] Created by Adversary & Produced=Admissions, Even If Not Business Records — Sham Affidavit Rule: Inconsistency Going to Credibility Not Necly Sham — Summary Judgment: Conclusory Affidavits Ignored; More Leeway Given to SJ Opponent

Sanctions: District Court May Not Award Appellate Fees Absent Statutory Authorization, Except for Interlocutory Appeal If Prevailing Party Later Wins Below — Even If District Court Proceedings Frivolous, Appeal May Not Be — $17 Million FCA Award

Text Message Authentication: Mere Proximity to Phone, Absent Proof of Ownership or Linkage to Content of Texts or Other Circumstantial Evidence Linking Alleged Owner to Messages, Insufficient to Authenticate

Spoliation Doesn’t Prevent Summary Judgment in Spoliator’s Favor If Only Adverse Inference Would Not Save Adversary’s Claims — Appeals: Failure to Order Transcript of Recorded Hearing As Required by FRAP 10(b)(1) Forfeits Claim of Error

Court May Take Judicial Notice of Document Filed in Another Case Not for the Truth of the Matters Asserted But Only to Establish Fact of Filing and What Is Asserted — Judicial Estoppel: Factors

Recent Articles

Rule 37(d) Sanctions — For Failure to Serve Answers, Objections, Or Written Response to Discovery Requests — Are Not Limited to Intentional Misconduct; Even Innocent Mistakes May Be Covered

Sanctions: (1) Rule 11 Does Not Apply to Litigation Papers Initially Filed in State Court — Only Reaffirmance in Federal Court Post-Removal Is Subject to Sanction — (2) “The Fact That A Legal Theory Is A Long-Shot Does Not Necessarily Mean It Is Sanctionable” (Good Quote)

Supreme Court: Relief under Rule 60(b)(6) Requires Extraordinary Circumstances Even If It Is Invoked to Allow Amendment of The Complaint–Rule 15’s Liberal Approach to Amendment Does Not Change That (Reversing Second Circuit)

FRAP 38 Sanctions — Eleventh Circuit Generally Does Not Impose FRAP 38 Sanctions on Pro Se Litigants, But May Do So If They Have Persisted Despite Judicial Warnings of Frivolousness

Inherent Power Sanctions: No Dismissal with Prejudice If Lesser Sanctions Will Suffice — The Liberal Pleading Standard of Swierkiewicz “Is Still Good Law”

Statements in Briefs As Judicial Admissions

Supreme Court: TRO As Appealable Order — And District Court Inaction As Tantamount to Refusing An Injunction And Thus Appealable

“Slow-Playing Discovery” in Response to Court Order, Prejudicing Opponent, Violates Rule 37(b)(2)(A)

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