Mkhitaryan et al v. US Bancorp et al
Filing
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ORDER Denying 182 Defendant's Motion for Magistrate Judge to Reconsider the 177 Order and Report and Recommendation. Signed by Magistrate Judge Carl W. Hoffman on 7/30/2013. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - SLD)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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SERGEY MKHITARYAN, et al.,
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Plaintiffs,
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vs.
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U.S. BANK, N.A., et al.,
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Defendants.
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Case No. 2:11-cv-01055-JCM-CWH
ORDER
This matter is before the Court on Defendant Dennis Lyon McGee’s Motion to Reconsider
Order and Report and Recommendation #177 (#182), filed on July 29, 2013.
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BACKGROUND
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A lengthy summation of the facts and history of this case is unnecessary as the Court and
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the parties are familiar with both and they were detailed exhaustively in the undersigned’s Report
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and Recommendation #177. On February 21, 2013, Plaintiffs filed their Third Motion to Strike
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Defendant Dennis Lyon McGee’s (“McGee”) Answer, claiming that McGee failed to timely submit
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a declaration by midnight on February 19, 2013. On June 11, 2013, the Court recommended that
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Plaintiff’s Motion be granted and McGee’s Answer be stricken due to his repeated failure to
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comply with court orders. On July 29, 2013, McGee filed the instant motion requesting
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reconsideration of the Court’s Recommendation based on evidence that his 2005 arrest record is
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sealed. In doing so, McGee contends that there is newly discovered evidence that addresses a
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previously unaddressed concern warranting reconsideration.
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DISCUSSION
I.
Timeliness of the Motion for Reconsideration
While the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not explicitly recognize a petition for
rehearing or motion to reconsider, the court has the inherent power to revise, correct, and alter
interlocutory orders at any time prior to entry of a final judgment. See Sch. Dist. No. 5 v. Lundgren,
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259 F.2d 101, 105 (9th Cir. 1958); Santamarina v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 466 F.3d 570, 571-72
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(7th Cir. 2006). Although the undersigned’s Report and Recommendation #177 is not a final
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judgment, the Court looks to Rule 59 to provide the framework for a motion for reconsideration.
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Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e) provides that “[a] motion to alter or amend a judgment must
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be filed not later than 28 days after the entry of judgment.”
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The Court finds that this Motion for Reconsideration is untimely. The Court issued its
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Report and Recommendation #177 on June 11, 2013. McGee filed the instant motion on July 29,
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2013, which is well past the 28 day deadline of July 9, 2013. In addition, McGee timely filed an
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objection to the Report and Recommendation #177 on June 25, 2013. See Objection #178. As a
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result, the proper method for appealing the undersigned’s Report and Recommendation #177 was
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the objection process. This motion for reconsideration appears to be an untimely attempt to submit
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a new argument that will be considered by the District Judge. Nevertheless, the undersigned will
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provide an analysis of the Motion for Reconsideration.
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II.
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Grounds for Reconsideration
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not contemplate reconsideration of interlocutory
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orders. See, e.g., Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b) (specifying that this rule only applies to “a final judgment,
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order, or proceeding”). However, a district court “possesses the inherent procedural power to
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reconsider, rescind, or modify an interlocutory order for cause seen by it to be sufficient” so long as
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it has jurisdiction. City of L.A., Harbor Div. v. Santa Monica Baykeeper, 254 F.3d 882, 885 (9th
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Cir. 2001). This plenary power derives from the common law, and is not limited by the provisions
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of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, so long as it is not exercised inconsistently with those
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rules. See id. at 886–87. Although several districts in the Ninth Circuit have adopted local rules
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governing reconsideration of interlocutory orders, see Motorola, Inc., v. J.B. Rodgers Mechanical
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Contractors, 215 F.R.D. 581, 583–85 (D. Ariz. 2003) (collecting examples), this court has not done
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so. Instead, it has utilized the standard for a motion to alter or amend judgment under Rule 59(e)
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when evaluating motions to reconsider an interlocutory order.
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The Court’s authority to reconsider an order is governed by the doctrine that a court will
generally not reexamine an issue previously decided by the same or higher court in the same case.
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Lucas Auto. Eng'g, Inc. v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., 275 F.3d 762, 766 (9th Cir. 2001); United
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States v. Cuddy, 147 F.3d 1111, 1114 (9th Cir. 1998). Accordingly, a court has discretion to depart
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from a prior order when (1) the motion is necessary to correct manifest errors of law or fact upon
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which the judgment is based; (2) the moving party presents newly discovered or previously
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unavailable evidence; (3) the motion is necessary to prevent manifest injustice; or (4) there is an
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intervening change in controlling law. Turner v. Burlington N. Santa Fe R. Co., 338 F.3d 1058,
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1063 (9th Cir. 2003) (quoting McDowell v. Calderon, 197 F.3d 1253, 1254 n. 1 (9th Cir. 1999) (en
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banc)). More specifically, reconsideration of an interlocutory order may be appropriate if (1) the
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court is presented with newly discovered evidence, (2) has committed clear error, or (3) there has
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been an intervening change in controlling law. Kona Enters., Inc. v. Estate of Bishop, 229 F.3d
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877, 890 (9th Cir.2000). “There may also be other, highly unusual, circumstances warranting
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reconsideration.” School Dist. No. 1J, Multnomah Cnty., Or. v. ACandS, Inc., 5 F.3d 1255, 1263
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(9th Cir. 1993).
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On the other hand, a motion for reconsideration is properly denied when the movant fails to
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establish any reason justifying relief. Backlund v. Barnhart, 778 F.2d 1386, 1388 (9th Cir. 1985).
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A motion to reconsider must set forth the following: (1) some valid reason why the court should
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revisit its prior order; and (2) facts or law of a “strongly convincing nature” in support of reversing
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the prior decision. Frasure v. United States, 256 F.Supp.2d 1180, 1183 (D. Nev. 2003). A motion
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for reconsideration should not merely present arguments previously raised; that is, a motion for
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reconsideration is not a vehicle permitting the unsuccessful party to reiterate arguments previously
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presented. See Merozoite v. Thorp, 52 F.3d 252, 255 (9th Cir.1995); Khan v. Fasano, 194
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F.Supp.2d 1134, 1136 (S.D. Cal. 2001) (“A party cannot have relief under this rule merely because
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he or she is unhappy with the judgment.”). Moreover, a motion for reconsideration “may not be
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used to raise arguments or present evidence for the first time when they could reasonably have been
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raised earlier in the litigation.” Kona Enters., Inc., 229 F.3d at 890. As the case law indicates,
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motions to reconsider are granted sparingly. See, e.g., School Dist. No. 1J, 5 F.3d at 1263.
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Here, the Court finds that McGee has failed to demonstrate that reconsideration is proper.
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McGee contends that the 2005 arrest record is sealed and thus, not subject to admission at trial or
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production as part of the discovery process. As a result, McGee alleges that pursuant to NRS
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179.285, the 2005 arrest record referred to in his deposition is deemed to have never occurred and
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therefore, could not prejudice Plaintiffs and negates the need to strike his answer. McGee further
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contends that this is not newly discovered evidence, but rather, demonstrates that reconsideration is
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appropriate to prevent clear error given that the Report and Recommendation #177 was issued
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based on incomplete or incorrect information regarding this arrest record.
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The Court is not persuaded that McGee has met his burden to establish a reason justifying
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relief from the Report and Recommendation #177 for several reasons. First, this is the first time
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that this reason for failing to produce McGee’s criminal records, despite several court orders, has
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been articulated. Defense counsel contends that the evidence of sealing is not newly discovered
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evidence, but rather, characterizes it as “a previously unaddressed concern.” Def.’s Mot. #182, 7.
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The Court interprets this to be a new argument against striking McGee’s Answer that was not
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articulated in the briefing for the Third Motion to Strike. It constitutes newly discovered evidence
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that, with reasonable diligence, could have been discovered in time for the Court’s consideration
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prior to issuing the Report or Recommendation #177. Indeed, McGee admits that he did not
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discover that his 2005 arrest record was sealed until after the Report and Recommendation #177
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was issued despite this evidence being accessible by subpoena at any time. See Def.’s Mot. #182,
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7-8. The linchpin of the Court’s Recommendation was McGee’s repeated demonstration that he
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refused to act with reasonable diligence during the discovery process and willfully disobeyed court
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orders. McGee’s failure to discover that his 2005 arrest record is sealed prior to the issuance of the
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Report and Recommendation #177 is another example of his failure to act with reasonable
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diligence during the discovery period. Accordingly, the Court finds that the sealing of McGee’s
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2005 arrest record is not newly discovery evidence warranting reconsideration.
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Second, the Court is not convinced that it committed clear error by issuing its Report and
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Recommendation #177 without knowledge of this sealing information. In fact, McGee has
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presented insufficient evidence to establish that his 2005 arrest record is actually sealed. NRS
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179.285 details the documentation that a person would receive subsequent to a court order sealing
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an arrest record including: an official document and written notice. Here, the only evidence
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presented to the Court is the arrest record with a post-it note that states, “sealed.” Def.’s Mot.
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#182, 20. McGee did not provide the Court with an affidavit authenticating the post-it note
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information nor any official notice from the court that ordered the record sealed. Moreover, the
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same arrest record has been provided to the Court several times without the post-it note. See Def’s
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Mot. #182, 276 and 280; Pla.s’ Resp. #131, 52. Therefore, McGee has committed a procedural
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error in failing to authenticate his evidence. Remedying a party’s error is plainly not the objective
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of the reconsideration process. Moreover, as will be articulated more fully below, the Court did not
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commit clear error in recommending that McGee’s Answer be stricken as at least three of the five
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factors that weigh in favor of issuing case-dispositive sanctions continue to exist despite this new
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sealing argument. Accordingly, the Court did not commit clear error and reconsideration is not
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justified on this rationale.
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Third, the Court finds that this is not one of the highly unusual circumstances warranting
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reconsideration discussed by the court in School Dist. No. 1J. 5 F.3d 1255. The Court gave
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McGee multiple opportunities to comply with its orders. It issued lesser sanctions of ordering him
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to produce the records, submit a declaration of compliance, and pay reasonable costs and fees.
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These lesser sanctions failed to deter McGee from violating the Court’s orders. Similarly, McGee’s
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attempt to shift the blame to his counsel cannot relieve him of his responsibility to comply with
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court orders. The mere fact that McGee’s prior counsel admitted that he never consulted with
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McGee to obtain his criminal records or verify his deposition testimony is insufficient to insulate
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McGee from the Court’s authority. Furthermore, the Court finds that Plaintiffs have been
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prejudiced by McGee’s wilful disobedience with its orders. McGee contends that given that this
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2005 arrest record is sealed, Plaintiffs were not prejudiced by its lack of production because it is
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inadmissible at trial. The Court previously rejected McGee’s argument as to admissibility during
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the first hearing on this issue. Since then, Plaintiffs have expended significant time and expense in
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pursuit of McGee’s criminal records, which affected their ability to prepare for trial. The Court has
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conducted several hearings and this issue has resulted in three motions for sanctions. Moreover,
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McGee’s failure to produce all criminal records has interfered with the public’s interest in
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expeditious resolution of litigation and the court’s need to manage its docket. As a result, the Court
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finds that of the five factors articulated in Connecticut General Life Ins. Co. v. New Images of
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Beverly Hills, 482 F.3d 1091, 1096 (9th Cir. 2007) to determine whether a case-dispositive sanction
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under Rule 37 is just, at least three factors strongly support striking McGee’s Answer. See Rpt. &
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Rec. #177. McGee’s failure to comply with this Court’s orders is an abusive litigation practice that
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has interfered with the Court’s ability to hear this case by delaying the case, disrupting the Court’s
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timely management of its docket, and wasting judicial resources. Indeed, this issue came before the
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Court on August 9, 2013, which means that Court has been dealing with the production of McGee’s
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criminal records for almost a year. As a result, McGee’s actions have threatened the integrity of the
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Court’s orders and the orderly administration of justice. As ascending sanctions failed to ensure
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compliance with the Court’s Orders, the Court was justified in recommending that McGee’s
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Answer be stricken. A party should not be rewarded for repeated, willful refusal to comply with
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Court orders by being given a fourth chance to correct its error. Therefore, the Court finds that
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McGee has not articulated any grounds warranting reconsideration of the Report and
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Recommendation #177, which recommended striking his Answer.
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Based on the foregoing and good cause appearing therefore,
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ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendant Dennis Lyon McGee’s Motion to Reconsider
Order and Report and Recommendation #177 (#182) is denied.
DATED this 30th day of July, 2013.
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______________________________________
C.W. Hoffman, Jr.
United States Magistrate Judge
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