Complex Lit Blog

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence Taken on 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss without Converting It into a Summary Judgment Motion — Newspaper Website — Article Stating Date Official (a Defendant) Appointed to Office

Jones v. Chapman, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96964 (D. Md. July 24, 2015): This case arises from allegations of police brutality in connection with the untimely death of Tyrone A. West, Sr. ("Mr. West" or the "Decedent") on July 18, 2013.1 Tawanda Jones, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Tyrone A. W ...

Rule 11 Safe Harbor Triggered by Motion, Not Brief, Declarations — Motion Must Give Sufficient Notice of Conduct at Issue — Discovery re Sanctions only in Extraordinary Circumstances; No Trial Required (Good Quotes)

Burbidge Mitchell & Gross v. Peters, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 14405 (10th Cir. Aug. 17, 2015): This diversity case involves the tort of wrongful use of civil proceedings. The case was filed by the Utah law firm of Burbidge, Mitchell & Gross (BMG) against former client C&M Properties, LLC (C&M), which had sued BMG for legal malprac ...

Burbidge Mitchell & Gross v. Peters, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 14405 (10th Cir. Aug. 17, 2015): This diversity case involves the tort of wrongful use of civil proceedings. The case was filed by the Utah law firm of Burbidge, Mitchell …

Sanctions — Rule 37 Dismissal Requires Willfulness, Bad Faith or Fault — Fees Limited to Cost of Misconduct, Not Responding to Discovery — Extraordinary Circumstances Needed to Withdraw Consent to Proceed before Magistrate Judge

Odige v. Nat’l Mentor Healthcare, LLC, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 15831 (9th Cir. Sept. 4, 2015): In these consolidated appeals, Chuks Odigwe appeals pro se from the district court's judgment dismissing his employment discrimination action as a discovery sanction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(b). We have jurisdiction under ...

Sanctions — Spoliation — Bad Faith as Well as Prejudice Required for Adverse Inference Instruction in Eleventh Circuit

Rives v. LaHood, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 4838 (11th Cir. Mar. 25, 2015): We review a district court's decision regarding spoliation sanctions for abuse of discretion. Mann, 588 F.3d at 1310. "[A] party moving for [spoliation] sanctions must establish, among other things, that the destroyed evide ...

Rives v. LaHood, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 4838 (11th Cir. Mar. 25, 2015): We review a district court's decision regarding spoliation sanctions for abuse of discretion. Mann, 588 F.3d at 1310. "[A] party moving for [spoliation] sanctions must establish, …

Unethical or Illegal Conduct by Counsel Vitiates Work Product Protection — RICO: Awareness of Essential Nature and Scope of Enterprise, and Intent to Participate in It, Suffice for §1962(c)

United States v. Pellicano, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 14961 (9th Cir. Aug. 25, 2015): Six defendants appeal [*7] their criminal convictions stemming from a widespread criminal enterprise offering illegal private investigation services in Southern California. At the center of this criminal enterprise was Pellicano Investigative Ag ...

United States v. Pellicano, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 14961 (9th Cir. Aug. 25, 2015): Six defendants appeal [*7] their criminal convictions stemming from a widespread criminal enterprise offering illegal private investigation services in Southern California. At the center of this …

Rule 37(c)(2) Sanctions for Failure to Admit Per Rule 36 (Here, Lack of Legally Cognizable Injury) — Test: Reasonable Belief Responder Might Prevail on Matter Denied

Magnetar Techs. Corp. v. Intamin, Ltd., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16310 (9th Cir. Sept. 14, 2015): III. Rule 37 Sanctions On cross-appeal, Intamin contends that the district court erred in denying its request for attorney's fees and costs under Rule 37. Intamin claims that Magnetar should be san ...

Magnetar Techs. Corp. v. Intamin, Ltd., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16310 (9th Cir. Sept. 14, 2015): III. Rule 37 Sanctions On cross-appeal, Intamin contends that the district court erred in denying its request for attorney's fees and costs under Rule…

Spoliation — While Duty to Preserve Isn’t Dependent on Preservation Letter, Where One Is Sent and Abided by, No Error to Deny Adverse Inference for Destroying Other Documents Per Customary Retention Policy (11th Cir. — Bad Faith Required)

Hill v Cundiff, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 14101 (11th Cir. Aug. 12, 2015): These consolidated appeals involve student-on-student sexual harassment. Jane Doe, an eighth-grade student at Sparkman Middle School, was raped in a bathroom after school officials decided to use her as bait in a sting operation to catch CJC, another eighth-grade st ...

Mooting Claim by Offer of Judgment That Offers Plaintiff Complete Relief — Procedure under Rule 12(b)(1) Mirrors Summary Judgment Practice under Rule 56 — Plaintiff’s 26(a)(1) Damages Calculation May ≠ Full Post-Discovery Claim

Flores v. ACT Event Servs., Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16773 (N.D. Tex. Feb. 11, 2015): 3. Mooting Claims Through Offers of Judgment a. Examples of Rule 12(b)(1) Motions Following Offers of Judgment Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 68 provides defendan ...

Flores v. ACT Event Servs., Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16773 (N.D. Tex. Feb. 11, 2015): 3. Mooting Claims Through Offers of Judgment a. Examples of Rule 12(b)(1) Motions Following Offers of Judgment Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 68 provides …

RICO — No Closed-Ended Continuity If Only One Victim, Even If Acts Committed over Long Period of Time — No Open-Ended If Scheme Has a Clear and Terminable Goal (Which, Here, Was Achieved)

Daedalus Capital LLC v. Vinecombe, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 15808 (11th Cir. Sept. 4, 2015): Appellants Daedalus Capital, LLC (Daedalus) and Lockwood Technology Corporation (LTC) appeal the district court's order granting partial summary judgment in favor of Appellees Bradford Vinecombe (Vinecombe), former president of LTC; Bruno Rieg ...

Spoliation Sanctions — Sixth Circuit Test — To Prove Relevance, Movant Must Show Destroyed Evidence Was of Nature Alleged, Not Just Satisfy Rule 401 — Meaning of Abuse of Discretion

Yoder & Frey Auctioneers, Inc. v. EquipmentFacts, LLC, 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 24301 (6th Cir. Dec. 22, 2014): Defendant, EquipmentFacts, LLC ("Efacts"), appeals from the judgment entered by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio imposing liability and damages in a civil suit brought by Plain ...

Yoder & Frey Auctioneers, Inc. v. EquipmentFacts, LLC, 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 24301 (6th Cir. Dec. 22, 2014): Defendant, EquipmentFacts, LLC ("Efacts"), appeals from the judgment entered by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio imposing …

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence Taken on 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss without Converting It into a Summary Judgment Motion — Newspaper Website — Article Stating Date Official (a Defendant) Appointed to Office

Rule 11 Safe Harbor Triggered by Motion, Not Brief, Declarations — Motion Must Give Sufficient Notice of Conduct at Issue — Discovery re Sanctions only in Extraordinary Circumstances; No Trial Required (Good Quotes)

Sanctions — Rule 37 Dismissal Requires Willfulness, Bad Faith or Fault — Fees Limited to Cost of Misconduct, Not Responding to Discovery — Extraordinary Circumstances Needed to Withdraw Consent to Proceed before Magistrate Judge

Sanctions — Spoliation — Bad Faith as Well as Prejudice Required for Adverse Inference Instruction in Eleventh Circuit

Unethical or Illegal Conduct by Counsel Vitiates Work Product Protection — RICO: Awareness of Essential Nature and Scope of Enterprise, and Intent to Participate in It, Suffice for §1962(c)

Rule 37(c)(2) Sanctions for Failure to Admit Per Rule 36 (Here, Lack of Legally Cognizable Injury) — Test: Reasonable Belief Responder Might Prevail on Matter Denied

Spoliation — While Duty to Preserve Isn’t Dependent on Preservation Letter, Where One Is Sent and Abided by, No Error to Deny Adverse Inference for Destroying Other Documents Per Customary Retention Policy (11th Cir. — Bad Faith Required)

Mooting Claim by Offer of Judgment That Offers Plaintiff Complete Relief — Procedure under Rule 12(b)(1) Mirrors Summary Judgment Practice under Rule 56 — Plaintiff’s 26(a)(1) Damages Calculation May ≠ Full Post-Discovery Claim

RICO — No Closed-Ended Continuity If Only One Victim, Even If Acts Committed over Long Period of Time — No Open-Ended If Scheme Has a Clear and Terminable Goal (Which, Here, Was Achieved)

Spoliation Sanctions — Sixth Circuit Test — To Prove Relevance, Movant Must Show Destroyed Evidence Was of Nature Alleged, Not Just Satisfy Rule 401 — Meaning of Abuse of Discretion

Recent Posts

RICO: Indirect Injury Unrecoverable — Indirect Purchaser Rule Imported from Antitrust

RICO: No Causation Where Harm Flowed Several Steps After the Fraudulent Acts — RICO Causation Same As Antitrust Causation

Sanctions vs. Automatic Stay: Imposition of Sanctions (Here, Inherent Power Sanctions) Is Subject to the Police Power Exception to the Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy

The Word “Include” May Be A Word of Limitation As Opposed to a Word of Enlargement, Depending on the Context

Spoliation/Sanctions: “A Party Does Not Spoliate Evidence When, Without Notice Of The Evidence’s Potential Relevance, It Destroys The Evidence According To Its Policy Or In The Normal Course Of Its Business” (Good Quote)

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