Complex Lit Blog

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Party’s Website — to Determine Personal Jurisdiction — Corporate Website’s Listing of Locations Presumptively Accurate

Allphin v. Peter K. Fitness, LLC, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 171711 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 11, 2014): This case arises out of a strict products liability claim by Plaintiff, who contends she was injured while using a defective fitness band. Presently before the Court is a motion brought by third-party and cross-claim defendant Ideal Jacobs (Malay ...

Facebook Messages Linked to Defendant by Showing That Account Is Registered to His Email Address & Used Screen Name Associated with Him, and Messages Included Self-Identification and Use of His Nickname — Thus All = Admissions

United States v. Brinson, 772 F.3d 1314 (10th Cir. 2014): Mr. Tarran Brinson was charged with various offenses involving trafficking in child prostitution. At trial, the prosecutor presented expert testimony on the operation of child prostitution rings, testimony by three men who had sex with a prostitute, and evidence consisting of e ...

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Notice of Report of Citizens Commission Appointed by L.A. County Board of Commissioners As Downloaded from County Website, Bearing County Seal — Not Hearsay Per 803(8)

Shorter v. Baca, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 53019 (C.D. Cal. April 21, 2015): This case arises from the alleged mistreatment of Plaintiff Lecia Shorter, while incarcerated [*2] for a 32-day period as a pretrial detainee. While in the County's custody, Shorter alleges that Defendants denied her needed medical care, su ...

Shorter v. Baca, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 53019 (C.D. Cal. April 21, 2015): This case arises from the alleged mistreatment of Plaintiff Lecia Shorter, while incarcerated [*2] for a 32-day period as a pretrial detainee. While in the County's custody,…

Removal — Is It Sufficient If One Defendant’s Timely Removal Notice States That All Others Consent? — Circuit Split — Rule 11 As Reason to Permit Removal on This Basis — Failure to Object ≠ Consent

Griffioen v. Cedar Rapids & Ioaw City Rwy., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 7528 (8th Cir. May 7, 2015): I. The Griffioen Group brought a putative class action in Iowa state court against Union Pacific, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Co. and Alliant Energy Corp. (collectively, CRANDIC), and ten additional defe ...

Griffioen v. Cedar Rapids & Ioaw City Rwy., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 7528 (8th Cir. May 7, 2015): I. The Griffioen Group brought a putative class action in Iowa state court against Union Pacific, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway …

Experts — Untimely Supplemental Report Harmless Where Expert Deposed on Subject Matter Before It Issued & Opponent Didn’t Request Another Dep — Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — No Error in Refusing to Notice Google Maps Printout

Jackson v. Allstate Ins. Co., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 7529 (8th Cir. May 7, 2015): After a fire of incendiary origin destroyed her house, Patricia Jackson sued Allstate Insurance Company for denying her claim on a homeowner's insurance policy. Allstate asserted that Jackson's coverage was void because she burned the house or caus ...

Are Pro Se Pleadings of Ex-Attorneys Construed Liberally? — Shotgun Complaint, in Which Each Count Incorporates All Prior Allegations without Clarity, Violates Rules 10(b) and 8 — RICO Fraud Subject to 9(b)

Joseph v. Bernstein, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 7777 (11th Cir. May 12, 2015): Joel D. Joseph, proceeding pro se, appeals the district court's order dismissing his complaint filed pursuant to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), 18 U.S.C. §§ 1962, 1964; the Florida Unfair Insurance Trade Practices Act (UITPA) ...

Federal Question Jurisdiction Where State Claim Incorporates a Federal Standard As a Necessary Element of the Claim — Grable & Merrell Dow

Fen v. Philips Elecs. N. Am., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18342 (E.D. Ky. Feb. 13, 2015): District courts "have original jurisdiction of all civil actions arising [*9] under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States." 28 U.S.C. § 1331 (emphasis added). A claim is said t ...

Fen v. Philips Elecs. N. Am., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18342 (E.D. Ky. Feb. 13, 2015): District courts "have original jurisdiction of all civil actions arising [*9] under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States." 28 U.S.C. §…

Wayback Machine Authentication — Dates Assigned to Archived Pages May Not Apply to Images Linked to Them — Links on Archived Pages May Direct to Live Web If Old Link Unavailable

United States ex rel. Oliver v. Philip Morris USA, Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56655 (D.D.C. April 30, 2015): The plaintiff/relator in this case, Anthony Oliver ("Oliver"), brings suit against Philip Morris USA Inc. ("Defendant") pursuant to the False Claims Act (the "FCA"), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq ...

Facebook Chats — Authentication — Defendant Admits Account Is His; Chats Appear on His Hard Drive and Bear the His Facebook Account Information — Email Authenticated As Defendant’s by Need for Password to Log into His Account

State v Burns, 2015 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 325 (Tenn. Ct. App. May 5, 2015): Vermaine M . Burns ("the Defendant") was convicted of several sexual offenses, all stemming from illicit Facebook chats ("chats") and emails between himself and the victim, K.P. On appeal, the Defendant raises three issues: (1) whether the ...

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Courts Routinely Take Notice of Contents of Wayback Machine

Under a Foot Plant Co. v. Exterior Design, Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38190 (D. Md. Mar. 25, 2015): Plaintiff requests judicial notice of an archived printout from defendant's website, which was generated by The Internet Archive on November 30, 2010. This printout describes the shipping services provided by defendant. Acc ...

Under a Foot Plant Co. v. Exterior Design, Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38190 (D. Md. Mar. 25, 2015): Plaintiff requests judicial notice of an archived printout from defendant's website, which was generated by The Internet Archive on November 30, …

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Party’s Website — to Determine Personal Jurisdiction — Corporate Website’s Listing of Locations Presumptively Accurate

Facebook Messages Linked to Defendant by Showing That Account Is Registered to His Email Address & Used Screen Name Associated with Him, and Messages Included Self-Identification and Use of His Nickname — Thus All = Admissions

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Notice of Report of Citizens Commission Appointed by L.A. County Board of Commissioners As Downloaded from County Website, Bearing County Seal — Not Hearsay Per 803(8)

Removal — Is It Sufficient If One Defendant’s Timely Removal Notice States That All Others Consent? — Circuit Split — Rule 11 As Reason to Permit Removal on This Basis — Failure to Object ≠ Consent

Experts — Untimely Supplemental Report Harmless Where Expert Deposed on Subject Matter Before It Issued & Opponent Didn’t Request Another Dep — Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — No Error in Refusing to Notice Google Maps Printout

Are Pro Se Pleadings of Ex-Attorneys Construed Liberally? — Shotgun Complaint, in Which Each Count Incorporates All Prior Allegations without Clarity, Violates Rules 10(b) and 8 — RICO Fraud Subject to 9(b)

Federal Question Jurisdiction Where State Claim Incorporates a Federal Standard As a Necessary Element of the Claim — Grable & Merrell Dow

Wayback Machine Authentication — Dates Assigned to Archived Pages May Not Apply to Images Linked to Them — Links on Archived Pages May Direct to Live Web If Old Link Unavailable

Facebook Chats — Authentication — Defendant Admits Account Is His; Chats Appear on His Hard Drive and Bear the His Facebook Account Information — Email Authenticated As Defendant’s by Need for Password to Log into His Account

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Courts Routinely Take Notice of Contents of Wayback Machine

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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