Complex Lit Blog

Inherent Power Sanctions (Criminal Case): Punitive Sanctions Awardable Even If Some Non-Frivolous Arguments Are Combined With The Frivolous Arguments — Is Bad Faith A Prerequisite for Inherent Power Sanctions Other Than Attorney Fees? — Factors In Assessing Financial Penalties Include Ability To Pay And Likelihood That Financial Penalty Will Have Some Deterrent Effect

United States v. Akers, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 20142, *1 (10th Cir. Aug. 4, 2023): *1 Montgomery Akers appeals from a district court order imposing upon him a $40,000 punitive san ...

United States v. Akers, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 20142, *1 (10th Cir. Aug. 4, 2023): *1 Montgomery Akers appeals from a district court order imposing upon him a $40,000 punitive sanction for advancing frivolous arguments and assertions in a request …

INHERENT POWER SANCTIONS FOR INTENTIONAL SPOLIATION OF EVIDENCE: DEFAULT JUDGMENT ON LIABILITY AND CAUSATION, PRECLUSION OF CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE DEFENSE — DETERRENCE IMPORTANT DUE TO SPOLIATOR’S “DEMONSTRATED PATTERN OF ABUSE” — DUE PROCESS SATISFIED BY OPPONENT’S MOTION, WHICH PROVIDED CLEAR NOTICE OF THE FACT SANCTION WERE UNDER CONSIDERATION, THE REASONS WHY, AND THE TYPES OF SANCTIONS BEING CONSIDERED

Anderson v. BNSF Rwy. Co., 2023 WL 4418221 (S.D. Iowa July 6, 2023): INTRODUCTION *1 In this Federal Employers’ Liability Act case, Plaintiff Bradley A. Anderson alleges he was injured when he hit his head on a sign placed too close to the railroad tracks when he was working for Defendant BNSF Railway Company. Ande ...

Anderson v. BNSF Rwy. Co., 2023 WL 4418221 (S.D. Iowa July 6, 2023): INTRODUCTION *1 In this Federal Employers’ Liability Act case, Plaintiff Bradley A. Anderson alleges he was injured when he hit his head on a sign placed too …

Inherent Power — Do Federal Courts Have the Power to Impose Inherent Power Sanctions in Criminal Cases? — Undecided in Sixth Circuit — Vexatious Litigant Filing Restriction Requires Findings That Party Has Engaged in Repetitive, Frivolous Litigation — Federal Courts Lack Coram Nobis Jurisdiction Over a Criminal Defendant While the Defendant Is In Custody — A Deported Defendant Is Not In Custody, Even If Technically on Supervised Release, Which Typically Counts As “Custody”

United States v. Petlechkov, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 16349, 2023 WL 4230905 (6th Cir. June 28, 2023):

United States v. Petlechkov, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 16349, 2023 WL 4230905 (6th Cir. June 28, 2023): *1 This is Dimitar Petlechkov’s third time before us. He now challenges the final forfeiture order entered in his criminal case…

Inherent Power — Perils of Protective Orders: Fugitive Defendant Properly Denied Access to Confidential Discovery Materials Because, Having Removed Himself from The Jurisdiction of The District Court, The Court Could Not Enforce the Protective Order Against Him — Discovery Access Limitation Thus a Reasonable Exercise of the Court’s Inherent Authority to Protect Its Own Discovery Orders

United States SEC v. Iftikar A. Ahmed, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 16310, 2023 WL 4219923 (2d Cir. June 28, ...

United States SEC v. Iftikar A. Ahmed, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 16310, 2023 WL 4219923 (2d Cir. June 28, 2023): *1 Defendant Iftikar Ahmed defrauded his former employer and its investors of some $65 million over the span…

Authority of Appeals’ Court’s Grievance (Disciplinary) Panel Does Not Require That Merits Panels Refer All Sanctions Matters to Grievance Panel — Discipline and Sanctions Are Distinct Concepts

In re Atty. Griev. Complaint Filed by David Harris, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 16307, *1, 2023 WL 4243254 (2d Cir. June 28, 2023): ORDER OF GRIEVANCE PANEL *1 David Ha ...

In re Atty. Griev. Complaint Filed by David Harris, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 16307, *1, 2023 WL 4243254 (2d Cir. June 28, 2023): ORDER OF GRIEVANCE PANEL *1 David Harris has submitted an attorney grievance complaint to this Court,…

Supreme Court: Associational Standing — If Traditional 3-Part Test Is Satisfied, and the Organization Has Identified Members and Represents Them In Good Faith, Associational Standing Is Satisfied

Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President, 2023 U.S. LEXIS 2791, 2023 WL 4239254 (U.S. June 29, 2023): Chief Justice Roberts delivered the opinion of the Court. In these cases we consider whether the admissions systems used by Harvard ...

Supreme Court: Corporation Subject to Suit (Personal Jurisdiction) in Any State in Which It Registers to Do Business If The Registration Statute Makes Consent to Suit A Condition of Registration (5-4) – However, The Concurring Fifth Justice Believes That Such Statutes May Violate The Dormant Conference Clause, And The 4-Justice Dissent Points Out That Few Registration Statutes Require Consent to Jurisdiction And Suit

Mallory v. Norfolk S. Ry. Co., 2023 U.S. LEXIS 2786, 2023 WL 4187749 (U.S. June 27, 2023) (5-4 opinion) Justices

Mallory v. Norfolk S. Ry. Co., 2023 U.S. LEXIS 2786, 2023 WL 4187749 (U.S. June 27, 2023) (5-4 opinion) Justices Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, and Jackson joined with respect to Parts I and III-B. Justices Thomas,…

Supreme Court: RICO – Domestic Injury Determined Contextually — Court Considers All Case-Specific Facts Bearing — Domestic Injury Exists When The Circumstances Surrounding The Injury Indicate It Arose In The United States — Issue Is Not Merely Where The Injury Is Felt — Other Factors: Whether Racketeering Activity Occurred in the United States, Whether Racketeering Activity That Occurred Abroad Was Initiated In Or Directed Toward The United States

Yegiazaryan v. Smagin, 2023 U.S. LEXIS 2635, 2023 WL 4110234 (U.S. June 22, 2023): Respondent Vitaly Smagin holds a multimillion dollar California judgment against petitioner Ashot Yegiazaryan, who lives in California. Smagin, who ...

Yegiazaryan v. Smagin, 2023 U.S. LEXIS 2635, 2023 WL 4110234 (U.S. June 22, 2023): Respondent Vitaly Smagin holds a multimillion dollar California judgment against petitioner Ashot Yegiazaryan, who lives in California. Smagin, who resides in Russia, filed suit in…

Supreme Court: Federal Arbitration Act – U.S. District Court Must Stay Its Proceedings While An Interlocutory Appeal On Arbitrability Is Pending

Coinbase, Inc. v. Bielski, 2023 U.S. LEXIS 2636 (U.S. June 23, 2023): When a federal district court denies a motion to compel arbitration, the losing party has a statutory right to an interlocutory appeal. See

Coinbase, Inc. v. Bielski, 2023 U.S. LEXIS 2636 (U.S. June 23, 2023): When a federal district court denies a motion to compel arbitration, the losing party has a statutory right to an interlocutory appeal. See 9 U. S. C. …

Affirmative Defense Properly Considered On Dismissal Motion If It Is Clear From The Face Of The Complaint And Matters Of Which The Court May Take Judicial Notice That The Claim Is Barred As A Matter Of Law

Lewis v. M&T Bank, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 6596, 2022 WL 775758 (2d Cir. Mar. 15, 2022) (unpublished): SUMMARY ORDER UPON DUE CONSIDERATION, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the judgm ...

Lewis v. M&T Bank, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 6596, 2022 WL 775758 (2d Cir. Mar. 15, 2022) (unpublished): SUMMARY ORDER UPON DUE CONSIDERATION, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED…

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Authority of Appeals’ Court’s Grievance (Disciplinary) Panel Does Not Require That Merits Panels Refer All Sanctions Matters to Grievance Panel — Discipline and Sanctions Are Distinct Concepts

Supreme Court: Associational Standing — If Traditional 3-Part Test Is Satisfied, and the Organization Has Identified Members and Represents Them In Good Faith, Associational Standing Is Satisfied

Supreme Court: Federal Arbitration Act – U.S. District Court Must Stay Its Proceedings While An Interlocutory Appeal On Arbitrability Is Pending

Affirmative Defense Properly Considered On Dismissal Motion If It Is Clear From The Face Of The Complaint And Matters Of Which The Court May Take Judicial Notice That The Claim Is Barred As A Matter Of Law

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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