Joseph Hage Aaronson

Dismissal Sanction: Factors (11th Cir.) — Disregard of Order, If Warned, Enough — Implicit Finding Lesser Sanctions Insufficient OK — Party Personally Responsible — No Recusal Based on Rulings, Standard Consumer Transactions

Barone v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 34589 (11th Cir. Dec. 10, 2018): PER CURIAM: John Barone, proceeding pro se, appeals the district court's dismissal with prejudice of his lawsuit against Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. ("Wells…

Experts: “Rule 702 Is a Screening Procedure, Not an Opportunity to Substitute the Trial Court’s Judgment for That of a Jury” (Good Quote) — Updated Guidelines after Trial Not Considered on Appeal, Potential Basis for New Trial Motion

United States v. Barton, 2018 WL 6374201 (11th Cir. Dec. 6, 2018): *1 Robert Barton was charged by a grand jury sitting in the Middle District of Florida, tried by a petit jury, and convicted in a single count of…

Denial of Rule 11 Motion Does Not Preclude Order to Show Cause Detailing Independent Grounds for Sanctions — Doubling Down on Frivolous Args., Baseless Attacks on Judge Warrant Sanctions — Dist. Ct’s Reliance on Out-of-Circuit Unpublished Opins. OK

Overcash v. Shelnutt, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 28741 (11th Cir. Oct. 12, 2018): PER CURIAM: The facts underlying this dispute are—to put it charitably—sprawling and convoluted. They are also well known to the parties, so we address them here…

Rule 37 Sanctions: “If a Party Gets 4 Extensions … & Blows Thru All of Them without Justification, He May Well Not Get a 5th” (Good Quote) — Dismissal Doesn’t Require Prejudice (That’s Just One Factor)

Cox v. UPS, Inc., 2018 WL 4922803 (3d Cir. Oct. 10, 2018) (unpublished): *1 If a party gets four extensions of his discovery deadlines and blows through them all without justification, he may well not get a fifth chance. The…

Experts: Lack of Specialization Goes to Weight — Expert Not Strictly Confined to His or Her Area of Specialty But May Testify Concerning Related Applications (Good Quotes)

Cedar Lodge Plantation, L.L.C. v. CSHV Fairway View I, L.L.C., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 28535, 2018 WL 4932716 (5th Cir. Oct. 10, 2018) (unpublished): PER CURIAM:* Plaintiff, Cedar Lodge Plantation, L.L.C. ("Cedar Lodge"), challenges the district court's summary…

FRAP 38 Sanctions Appropriate Because Appellant Ignored Rulings, Warnings and Sanctions Entered by District Court and Pursued Essentially All of the Frivolous Claims on Appeal

Momo Enters., LLC v. Popular Bank, 2018 WL 4846333 (7th Cir. Oct. 4, 2018) (unpublished): *1 The plaintiffs-appellants in this case filed this suit challenging the sales and foreclosures of a residential and a commercial condominium in Chicago and their…

R. 37 Sanctions: Vigor of Review Fact-Dependent—“Substantial” Sxs Merit More — $50K Not Substantial — Prof’l, Personal Obligations No Excuse to Miss Deadlines — Opponent’s Non-Responsivenes Justifies Skipping Premotion Conf.

Shumpert v. City of Tupelo, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 27263, 2018 WL 4561268 (5th Cir. Sept. 24, 2018): Plaintiffs-Appellants appeal the district court's grant of summary judgment dismissing their Fourth Amendment, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 excessive force and state…

Appeals: Review of S.J. Denial Limited to Pure Issues of Law If No Rule 50 Motion — Absent Objection, Instructions Reviewable Only for Errors Affecting Substantial Rights and Plain Error

T. Levy Assocs., Inc., v. Kaplan, 2018 WL 6002881 (3d Cir. Nov. 15, 2018): *1 Defendants Michael and Nina Kaplan (“Mr. and Mrs. Kaplan”) and Mrs. Kaplan’s company BLC Beauty, Inc. (collectively, “the Kaplans”) appeal from the District Court’s orders…

Trying Issue Not in Pretrial Order: 5-Factor Test — Omission of Expert Opinion from Rept. Cured by Dep. — Stick Figure Demonstrative OK under 611 — OK to Rely on Hearsay in 803(6) Testimony — Spoliation after Expert Review Sanctioned

Callahan v. Pac. Cycle, Inc., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 32953 (4th Cir. Nov. 21, 2018): PER CURIAM: Virginia Callahan and her minor granddaughter T.G. ("Appellants") initiated this action against Pacific Cycle and Toys "R" Us ("Appellees"). Appellants alleged various …

Sanctions Inappropriate under Rule 37 If 37(a)(1) Meet-&-Confer Duty Unsatisfied — Rule 11 Sanctions Unavailable If Safe Harbor Ignored — District Court Not Authorized to Suspend Fed. R. Civ. P.

Bush v. Chancery Court, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 30239 (6th Cir. Oct. 25, 2018): Thomas K. Bush, proceeding pro se, appeals the district court's order dismissing his complaint and denying several motions he filed in this case related to…

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Dismissal Sanction: Factors (11th Cir.) — Disregard of Order, If Warned, Enough — Implicit Finding Lesser Sanctions Insufficient OK — Party Personally Responsible — No Recusal Based on Rulings, Standard Consumer Transactions

Experts: “Rule 702 Is a Screening Procedure, Not an Opportunity to Substitute the Trial Court’s Judgment for That of a Jury” (Good Quote) — Updated Guidelines after Trial Not Considered on Appeal, Potential Basis for New Trial Motion

Denial of Rule 11 Motion Does Not Preclude Order to Show Cause Detailing Independent Grounds for Sanctions — Doubling Down on Frivolous Args., Baseless Attacks on Judge Warrant Sanctions — Dist. Ct’s Reliance on Out-of-Circuit Unpublished Opins. OK

Rule 37 Sanctions: “If a Party Gets 4 Extensions … & Blows Thru All of Them without Justification, He May Well Not Get a 5th” (Good Quote) — Dismissal Doesn’t Require Prejudice (That’s Just One Factor)

Experts: Lack of Specialization Goes to Weight — Expert Not Strictly Confined to His or Her Area of Specialty But May Testify Concerning Related Applications (Good Quotes)

FRAP 38 Sanctions Appropriate Because Appellant Ignored Rulings, Warnings and Sanctions Entered by District Court and Pursued Essentially All of the Frivolous Claims on Appeal

R. 37 Sanctions: Vigor of Review Fact-Dependent—“Substantial” Sxs Merit More — $50K Not Substantial — Prof’l, Personal Obligations No Excuse to Miss Deadlines — Opponent’s Non-Responsivenes Justifies Skipping Premotion Conf.

Appeals: Review of S.J. Denial Limited to Pure Issues of Law If No Rule 50 Motion — Absent Objection, Instructions Reviewable Only for Errors Affecting Substantial Rights and Plain Error

Trying Issue Not in Pretrial Order: 5-Factor Test — Omission of Expert Opinion from Rept. Cured by Dep. — Stick Figure Demonstrative OK under 611 — OK to Rely on Hearsay in 803(6) Testimony — Spoliation after Expert Review Sanctioned

Sanctions Inappropriate under Rule 37 If 37(a)(1) Meet-&-Confer Duty Unsatisfied — Rule 11 Sanctions Unavailable If Safe Harbor Ignored — District Court Not Authorized to Suspend Fed. R. Civ. P.

Recent Articles

FRAP 38 Sanctions — Sixth Circuit Usually Declines to Impose FRAP 38 Sanctions Unless An Improper Purpose Was Behind the Appeal

FRAP 38: Permissible for Appeals Court to Affirm Sanctions But Deny FRAP 38 Sanctions for Appeal — A Defendant’s Voluntary Cessation of Complained of Behavior Does Not Moot a Case Unless It Is Clear That The Behavior Could Not Reasonably Be Expected to Recur

Rule 11: Violation of 21 Day Safe Harbor “Overlook[ed]” As Non-Prejudicial by First Circuit — “Rule 11 Monetary Sanctions Must Be Reasonable” (Good Quote) — Rule 11(c)(4) Requires Consideration of Offender’s Ability to Pay

Temporary Restraining Order = Preliminary Injunction: 3 Supreme Court Cases (TRO=PI x 3)

Rule 37(c)(1) Sanctions — Exclusion of Untimely Expert Report — Eighth Circuit’s 4-Factor Test

RICO: So Insubstantial A Claim As to Fail to Confer Subject Matter Jurisdiction

RICO: Distinctiveness Issues Most Likely to Appear When The Enterprise Is An Entity Capable of Being Sued, Like A Corporation

FRAP 38 Sanctions: Eleventh Circuit Generally Declines to Impose FRAP 38 Sanctions on Pro Se Appellants Absent a History of Frivolous Litigation or an Explicit Warning

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