Tag:Motion for Sanctions

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Agility Public Whsg. v. DOD (D. D.C., 2017)
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Keathley v. Grange Insur. (Eastern Division Michigan, Southern Division, 2017)
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Estate of Vallina v. County of Teller Sheriff?s Office (D. Colo., 2017)
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TLS Mgmt. and Mktg. Services v. Rodriguez-Toledo, No. 15-2121 (BJM), 2017 WL 115743 (D. P.R. March 27, 2017)
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Crow v. Cosmo Specialty Fiber (W.D. Wash., 2017)
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Harmon v. United States (D. Idaho, 2017)
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Belanus v. Dutton (D. Mont., 2017)
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Nunnally v. District of Columbia, No. 08-1464 (PLF), 2017 Wl 1080900 (D.D.C. Mar. 22, 2017)
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Coyne v. Los Alamos National Security, LLC et al., No. 15-0054 (D.N.M. Mar. 21, 2017)
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Alabama Aircraft Industries v. The Boeing Company, 2:11-cv-03577-RDP (N.D. Alabama, Southern Division, 2017)

Agility Public Whsg. v. DOD (D. D.C., 2017)

Key Insight: 37(e) takes precedence over inherent authority in cases where it can be applied. Spoliation took place before there was anticipation of a trial.

Nature of Case: Defamation, tortious interference with contracts

Electronic Data Involved: e-mails

Keywords: Spoliation, inherent authority, 37(e)

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Keathley v. Grange Insur. (Eastern Division Michigan, Southern Division, 2017)

Key Insight: Spoliation sanctions for missing insurance photos premature before clarifying deposition from party

Nature of Case: insurance coverage litigation

Electronic Data Involved: photos

Keywords: amended declaration inadequate, IT protocol

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Estate of Vallina v. County of Teller Sheriff?s Office (D. Colo., 2017)

Key Insight: Sanctions under rule 37(e) must show actual prejudice, not merely theoretical.

Nature of Case: Wrongful death

Electronic Data Involved: Prison video

Keywords: Spoliation sanctions, actual prejudice, failure to preserve, adverse inference

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TLS Mgmt. and Mktg. Services v. Rodriguez-Toledo, No. 15-2121 (BJM), 2017 WL 115743 (D. P.R. March 27, 2017)

Key Insight: ESI “willfully discarded or deleted”

Nature of Case: Alleged violations of the electronic Communications Privacy Act against defendants accused of stealing plaintiff’s clients and confidential information.

Electronic Data Involved: defendant’s iPhone, laptop and external hard drive

Keywords: adverse-inference instruction, forensic examination of a flash drive.

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Crow v. Cosmo Specialty Fiber (W.D. Wash., 2017)

Key Insight: When ESI is recovered, it is not lost, and thus no spoliation. Further, there is no evidence that the delay was prejudicial.

Nature of Case: Workplace injury

Electronic Data Involved: an e-mail

Keywords: Spoliation sanctions, recovered ESI, prejudice

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Harmon v. United States (D. Idaho, 2017)

Key Insight: Inherent authority was used by the court to find a spoliation violation in failing to keep records as legally required. FRCP Rule 37(e) not cited, but the outcome would likely have been the same.

Nature of Case: Negligence

Electronic Data Involved: Maintenance logs and records

Keywords: Spoliation, sanctions, adverse inference

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Belanus v. Dutton (D. Mont., 2017)

Key Insight: Security footage was overwritten before notice of lawsuit, so no spoliation; no intent to deprive found.

Nature of Case: Prisoner civil rights

Electronic Data Involved: Security video footage, audio recording, medical records

Keywords: video footage, deleted footage, spoliation sanctions

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Nunnally v. District of Columbia, No. 08-1464 (PLF), 2017 Wl 1080900 (D.D.C. Mar. 22, 2017)

Key Insight: Despite rule 37(e), the court ordered sanctions for negligent failure to preserve. The court ruled that since rule 37(b) did not apply without a discovery order, the court may issue sanctions under its inherent power. Relevance is proportional to burden on party seeking the adverse inference.

Nature of Case: Workplace discrimination

Electronic Data Involved: email records

Keywords: sanctions, spoliation, adverse inference

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Coyne v. Los Alamos National Security, LLC et al., No. 15-0054 (D.N.M. Mar. 21, 2017)

Key Insight: Plaintiff reset iPhone, shortly before sending to vendor for forensic examination. Previous sanctions had not proven to deter this activity and recommended dismissal of case.

Nature of Case: Wrongful Termination

Electronic Data Involved: iPhone Records

Keywords: spoliation; destruction; sanctions

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Alabama Aircraft Industries v. The Boeing Company, 2:11-cv-03577-RDP (N.D. Alabama, Southern Division, 2017)

Key Insight: Boeing deleted Pemco ESI from a high level employee and removed 2 CD’s containing Pemco ESI.Court concluded Boeing acted with intent and ordered an adverse inference instruction for the jury if it goes to trial and ordered Boeing to pay attorney’s fees and costs.

Nature of Case: contract dispute/MOA termination

Electronic Data Involved: deleted electronic records; 2 missing CDs with ESI

Keywords: spoliation, deletion, prejudice, adverse inference

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