Complex Lit Blog

Spoliation — Adverse Inference Instruction Appropriate for Deactivation of Facebook Account Shortly after Initiating Lawsuit and Producing Only Substantially Illegible Printouts of Contents

Abeyta v City of N.Y., 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 23480 (2d Cir. Dec. 15, 2014): Plaintiff Andrew Abeyta appeals from the District Court's November 22, 2013 judgment, after a jury trial, in favor of defendants on his claims for false arrest, excessive force, and First Amendment retaliation pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and various state ...

YouTube Video of Defendant Rapping about Crimes Unfairly Prejudicial When Offered to Prove Intent or Motive to Participate in Different Sort of Crime Committed Many Months Later

People v. Foster, 2015 Mich. App. LEXIS 1012 (Mich. Ct. App. May 19, 2015): Defendant, Tamaine Lamanual Foster, appeals as of right his jury trial convictions of first-degree felony murder, MCL 750.316(1)(b); armed robbery, MCL 750.529; being a felon in possession of a firearm, MCL 750.224f; possession of a firearm during the commissi ...

LinkedIn Authentication: Merely Downloading Ostensible Social Media Profile and Offering It, without More, Fails to Authenticate It, Which Also Renders Its Contents Hearsay

Lindschei v. Natus Med. Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40255 (N.D. Ga. Mar. 30, 2015): Plaintiffs [*14] also object to the Court's consideration of exhibits attached to the declarations: a document purporting to be Plaintiff Blades's resume from Indeed.com (attached as Exhibit C to Rossi's declaration amd E ...

Lindschei v. Natus Med. Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40255 (N.D. Ga. Mar. 30, 2015): Plaintiffs [*14] also object to the Court's consideration of exhibits attached to the declarations: a document purporting to be Plaintiff Blades's resume from Indeed.com (attached…

Is the Cost of Bates Stamping Taxable under 28 U.S.C. § 1920? Circuit Split — Video Dep Fees Taxable If Incurred Close to Trial, for Unavailable Witnesses — Cost of Burning Docs onto Disk Taxable under 2008 Amendment

Azdel v C&D Zodiac, Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39329 (W.D. Va. Feb. 18, 2015): a. Videographer Fees C&D first seeks costs for obtaining video recordings of the depositions of witnesses who could not be subpoenaed and would not voluntarily come to trial. C&D requested videotaped depositions for three necessary ...

Azdel v C&D Zodiac, Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39329 (W.D. Va. Feb. 18, 2015): a. Videographer Fees C&D first seeks costs for obtaining video recordings of the depositions of witnesses who could not be subpoenaed and would not voluntarily…

“Witnesses Cannot Refuse to Answer Questions Merely Because They Choose Not to — There Is No Opt-Out Box on a Subpoena” — Judicial Options, from Pillow to Sledgehammer — Judge Must Actually Exercise Discretion — Good Quotes

Barnett v. Norman, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 5145 (9th Cir. Mar. 31, 2015): Prisoner Troas Barnett appeals a jury verdict that rejected his pro se § 1983 claims of excessive force by prison guards. On appeal and now with assistance of counsel, Barnett contends that the trial court abused its discretion by permitting three prisoner-witness ...

Rule 804(b)(6) — Hearsay Exception — Forfeiture by Wrongdoing — Applies to Conspirator A Who Didn’t Directly Procure Witness’s Unavailability Where Conspirator B Did So in Course & Scope of Conspiracy and Misconduct Was Reasonably Foreseeable

United States v. Cazares, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 7949 (9th Cir. May 14, 2015): A jury found defendants Fernando Cazares, Gilbert Saldana, Alejandro Martinez, and Porfirio Avila guilty of violating 18 U.S.C. § 241 by conspiring [*5] to intimidate African-American citizens in the Highland Park neighborhood of ...

RICO — Municipal Entities Immune: Not Able to Form Mens Rea, Not Liable for Treble Damages (Which Are at Least Partly Punitive) — Fact of Loss, Not Loss of Legal Entitlement, Sufficient to Show Conclusive Enough Damages

Gil Ramirez Grp., LLC v. Houston Independent Sch. Dist., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 8171 (5th Cir. May 18, 2015): This case, involving multiple causes of action based on allegations of bribery to procure construction contracts, was filed against Houston Independent School District ("HISD" or "the District"), form ...

Gil Ramirez Grp., LLC v. Houston Independent Sch. Dist., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 8171 (5th Cir. May 18, 2015): This case, involving multiple causes of action based on allegations of bribery to procure construction contracts, was filed against Houston Independent …

No Spoliation Unless Person Was on Notice That Evidence Was Potentially Relevant to Litigation Before It Was Destroyed

Salas v. Independent Elec. Contractors Inc., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 7957 (9th Cir. May 14, 2015): 7. The district court's finding of no spoliation is not clearly erroneous. Salas made no showing that IES or IEC destroyed [*4] evidence, much less that they engaged in such destruction because the evidence was potentially relevant t ...

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 ...

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Spoliation — Adverse Inference Instruction Appropriate for Deactivation of Facebook Account Shortly after Initiating Lawsuit and Producing Only Substantially Illegible Printouts of Contents

YouTube Video of Defendant Rapping about Crimes Unfairly Prejudicial When Offered to Prove Intent or Motive to Participate in Different Sort of Crime Committed Many Months Later

LinkedIn Authentication: Merely Downloading Ostensible Social Media Profile and Offering It, without More, Fails to Authenticate It, Which Also Renders Its Contents Hearsay

Is the Cost of Bates Stamping Taxable under 28 U.S.C. § 1920? Circuit Split — Video Dep Fees Taxable If Incurred Close to Trial, for Unavailable Witnesses — Cost of Burning Docs onto Disk Taxable under 2008 Amendment

“Witnesses Cannot Refuse to Answer Questions Merely Because They Choose Not to — There Is No Opt-Out Box on a Subpoena” — Judicial Options, from Pillow to Sledgehammer — Judge Must Actually Exercise Discretion — Good Quotes

Rule 804(b)(6) — Hearsay Exception — Forfeiture by Wrongdoing — Applies to Conspirator A Who Didn’t Directly Procure Witness’s Unavailability Where Conspirator B Did So in Course & Scope of Conspiracy and Misconduct Was Reasonably Foreseeable

RICO — Municipal Entities Immune: Not Able to Form Mens Rea, Not Liable for Treble Damages (Which Are at Least Partly Punitive) — Fact of Loss, Not Loss of Legal Entitlement, Sufficient to Show Conclusive Enough Damages

No Spoliation Unless Person Was on Notice That Evidence Was Potentially Relevant to Litigation Before It Was Destroyed

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

Recent Posts

Rule 37(c)(1) Exclusion of Untimely Expert Report: Failure to Argue Harmlessness Essentially Waives Issue

Rule 37(b) Sanctions — Exclusion of Supplemental Expert Report for Advancing New Opinions — Third Circuit Exclusion Factors — “Importance of Excluded Evidence:” If, As Proponent Argues, There Is Nothing New, Then Exclusion Doesn’t Harm Proponent; If There Is, It Harms Opponent

RICO Pleading: Generic Allegations of Fraud (Failing Even to Set Forth Any False Representation) And Extortion (Failing to Describe Actual Threats) Too Conclusory to State a Claim

RICO Pleading: Statutory Directive That RICO Be Liberally Construed Does Not Extend to More Liberal Pleading Requirements

FRAP 38 Sanctions Imposed Due to the “Striking Legal Emptiness” of Brief/Appeal, “A Legal Nothingburger” — Bad Faith Not Required: An Appeal “May Also Be Frivolous If It Is Filed Out Of Sheer Obstinacy” (Good Quotes)

RICO: Hobbs Act does not apply when the alleged extortion is meant to benefit the state

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

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