Key Insight: Defendant changed phones and with them photos of fire were lost. Plaintiff requested sanctions due to loss of photos. Court rejects sanction as Defendant could not have known about litigation when phones changed.
Nature of Case: Breach of Contract; Fraud
Electronic Data Involved: Cell Phone Photos
Keywords: spoilation; sanctions
Key Insight: Responsive communications were intentionally withheld and destroyed when the plaintiffs switched to an encrypted communication app
Nature of Case: wrongful termination and age discrimination
Electronic Data Involved: emails, text messages.
Keywords: Intentional spoliation, bad faith, encrypted communication application
Key Insight: whether the delays in a case as a result of attorney error or inattention could be a reason to dismiss a case
Nature of Case: breach of contract, fraud
Electronic Data Involved: emails, documents
Keywords: evasive, face value
Key Insight: Plaintiff’s motion for terminating spoliation sanctions granted in part, with a permissive inference spoliation jury instruction.
Nature of Case: Dispute over a software platform
Electronic Data Involved: Exported ScholarChip email account to “One Drive” clouds storage and saved copy on defendant’s personal computer.
Keywords: spoliation, permissive inference, intent to deprive
Key Insight: whether deleting documents for the purpose of depriving the plaintiff of their use in litigation satisfies Rule 37(e)
Nature of Case: breach of contract and unfair competition
Electronic Data Involved: deleted electronic records
Keywords: scholarchip, entrepreneur, webinar
Key Insight: internal investigations of private companies heavy pressure from the government creates coercive evidence
Nature of Case: criminal case, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud
Electronic Data Involved: internal investigations requested by the DOJ and government entities
Keywords: internal investigation, government, DOJ
Key Insight: whether sanctions are appropriate where defendant donated plaintiff’s computer per usual practice but after receiving preservation notice
Nature of Case: workplace discrimination
Electronic Data Involved: deleted electronic records
Keywords: sanctions, destruction, failure to preserve
Key Insight: whether showing of prejudice is necessary for 37(e) sanctions
Nature of Case: dissolution of business
Electronic Data Involved: emails, deleted electronic records
Keywords: Quickbooks
Key Insight: Non party third parties do not have a duty to preserve in anticipation of litigation.
Nature of Case: Spoliation (property rezoning)
Electronic Data Involved: Electronic documents
Keywords: Preservation, spoliation, third-party, Shamrock
Identified State Rule(s): 440.39(7)
Key Insight: whether the government intentionally acted in a way that destroyed evidence
Nature of Case: copyright infringement
Electronic Data Involved: TETRA healthcare data federation software, hard drives, digital information
Keywords: spoliation, reasonable steps to preserve, decommissioning
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