On Demand Direct Response, LLC et al v. McCart-Pollak
Filing
456
ORDER and REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION : ORDERED that McCart-Pollak's Motion to Enforce Court Order (ECF No. #429 ) is granted, in part, and denied, in part, according to the provisions herein. IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED that Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff McCart-Pollak's Motion for Further Contempt Proceedings (ECF No. #428 ) be granted as specified herein. Objections to R&R due by 7/1/2019. Signed by Magistrate Judge George Foley, Jr on 6/17/2019. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - DRM)
1
2
3
4
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
5
DISTRICT OF NEVADA
6
***
7
ON DEMAND DIRECT RESPONSE, LLC,
8
Case No. 2:15-cv-01576-MMD-GWF
Plaintiff,
v.
9
ORDER AND
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
SHANA LEE MCCART-POLLAK,
10
Defendant.
11
12
This matter is before the Court on Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff McCart-Pollak’s (“McCart-
13
Pollak”) Motion for Further Contempt Proceedings (ECF No. 428), filed on March 11, 2019.
14
Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant On Demand Direct Response, LLC (“On Demand”) filed its
15
Opposition (ECF No. 433) on March 25, 2019. McCart-Pollak filed her Reply (ECF No. 438) on
16
April 3, 2019. Also before the Court is McCart-Pollak’s Motion to Enforce Court Order 408 (ECF
17
No. 429) on March 13, 2019.
18
BACKGROUND
19
McCart-Pollak requests that the Court conduct further contempt proceedings against On
20
Demand for failing to respond to discovery requests and failing to comply with orders of the
21
Court. On June 19, 2018, the Court accepted and adopted the Magistrate Judge’s report and
22
recommendation that case dispositive sanctions be imposed against On Demand, including entry
23
of default judgment on McCart-Pollak’s counterclaims. See ECF No. 362. The Court found that
24
On Demand and its counsel, Mr. Miller1, were in contempt of the Court’s orders. They were
25
ordered to respond to McCart-Pollak’s requests for production nos. 3, 4, 5, 8, 15, 17, 18, 20, and
26
21 as well as to reimburse McCart-Pollak for reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in bringing the
27
In addition to being On Demand’s former counsel of record, Mr. Miller also appears to be an
officer of On Demand. See Report and Recommendation (ECF No. 341).
1
28
1
1
motions that led to such sanctions. Id. at 3. The Court warned that failure to comply would
2
result in further monetary sanctions. On Demand has failed to comply with the Court’s order.
3
On January 11, 2019, the Court granted McCart-Pollak’s motion to compel compliance
4
with subpoena to produce documents. See ECF No. 408. On October 24, 2018, McCart-Pollak
5
served a subpoena for production of documents on Spiral Toys via its registered agent, Incorp.
6
Services, Incorporated. After Spiral Toys failed to respond, she contacted the registered agent to
7
inquire as to whether the subpoena was served, the registered agent informed her that the
8
subpoena was sent to Spiral Toys via email. McCart-Pollak requests that the Court compel the
9
registered agent to disclose the name as well as contact information for the individual associated
10
with the email support@spiraltoys.com. She further requests reasonable costs and fees for
11
having to prepare her motion.
DISCUSSION
12
13
1.
Contempt
14
Civil contempt is designed to compel a party's obedience to a specific and definite court
15
order after that party failed to take all reasonable steps to comply. GoVideo, Inc. v. Motion Picture
16
Ass'n of Am., 10 F.3d 693, 695 (9th Cir. 1993). A fine and imprisonment can be imposed for civil
17
contempt by serving “as coercive sanctions to compel the contemnor to do what the law made it
18
his duty to do.” See § 703 Distinction from Civil Contempt, 3A Fed. Prac. & Proc. Crim. § 703
19
(4th ed.) (quoting Penfield Co. v. Securities and Exchange Commission, 330 U.S. 585, 590 (1947)).
20
Mankel v. Gov't Employees Ins. Co., 2017 WL 3234382, at *2 (D. Nev. July 31, 2017), report and
21
recommendation adopted, 2017 WL 4248174 (D. Nev. Sept. 25, 2017), vacated, 2017 WL
22
7792701 (D. Nev. Nov. 28, 2017).
23
“Sanctions for civil contempt may be imposed to coerce obedience to a court order, or to
24
compensate the party pursuing the contempt action for injuries resulting from the contemptuous
25
behavior, or both.” Taddeo v. Am. Invsco Corp., 2015 WL 751072, at *2 (D. Nev. Feb. 20, 2015)
26
(quoting Gen. Signal Corp. v. Donallco, Inc., 787 F.2d 1376, 1380 (9th Cir.1986)). The civil
27
contempt power of a magistrate judge regarding failure to abide by a discovery order is governed
28
by 28 U.S.C. § 636(e), which provides as follows:
2
1
2
3
the magistrate shall forthwith certify the facts to a judge of the district court and
may serve or cause to be served upon any person whose behavior is brought into
question under this section an order requiring such person to appear before a judge
of that court upon a day certain to show cause why he should not be adjudged in
contempt by reason of the facts so certified.
See 28 U.S.C. 636(e)(6)(B)(iii)(2013).
4
5
Here, the Court instructed On Demand and Mr. Miller to respond to discovery requests and
6
to reimburse McCart-Pollak for her costs in bringing her motion. On Demand and Mr. Miller have
7
failed to do so. Mr. Abbantangelo states that he has attempted to contact Mr. Miller by telephone
8
and email but has not received a response and, therefore, is unable to provide any substantial
9
response. See Opposition (ECF No. 433), 2. It appears that neither On Demand nor Mr. Miller
10
have taken any reasonable steps to comply with the Court’s orders or offer any explanations as to
11
their noncompliance. As a result, the undersigned magistrate judge hereby certifies that On
12
Demand and Mr. Miller have defied the Court’s orders by failing to respond to such discovery
13
requests as instructed by the Court. It is recommended that On Demand and Mr. Miller be
14
adjudged in contempt of Court and be ordered to pay McCart-Pollak’s reasonable costs in bringing
15
her motion for contempt (ECF No. 428).
16
2.
Motion to Enforce Court Order
17
McCart-Pollak requests that the Court compel Non-Party Spiral Toys’ registered agent,
18
Incorp. Services, Incorporated, to disclose the name and contact information for the individual
19
associated with the email support@spiraltoys.com. To the extent that Incorp Services,
20
Incorporated has this information, it is directed to provide the name and contact information
21
associated with such email address to McCart-Pollak.
22
McCart-Pollak further requests an order instructing Spiral Toys to comply with the
23
subpoena for production of documents she served in October 2018 and for sanctions in the amount
24
of her reasonable fees and costs in bringing her motion. Pursuant to Rule 45, a nonparty served
25
with a subpoena has three options: it may (1) comply with the subpoena, (2) serve an objection on
26
the requesting party in accordance with Rule 45(c)(2)(B), or (3) move to quash or modify the
27
subpoena in accordance with Rule 45(c)(3). Genx Processors Mauritius Ltd. v. Jackson, 2018 WL
28
5777485, at *9 (D. Nev. Nov. 2, 2018) (citing In re Plise, 506 B.R. 870, 878 (B.A.P. 9th Cir.
3
1
2014)). When a nonparty raises timely objections to the subpoenas, the nonparty is not required
2
to produce documents, or even search for them, until the propounding party obtains an order
3
directing compliance. Id. The Court grants McCart-Pollak’s motion to compel and instructs Spiral
4
Toys to comply with the subpoena. Whether to impose sanctions under the Court's inherent power
5
lies within the Court's discretion. Gomez v. Vernon, 255 F.3d 1118, 1134 (9th Cir. 2001). A court
6
must exercise its inherent powers “with restraint and discretion,” and must make a specific finding
7
of bad faith before sanctioning under its inherent powers. Yagman v. Republic Ins., 987 F.2d 622,
8
628 (9th Cir.1993).
9
recommended that the district court enter an order finding Spiral Toys in civil contempt for failing
10
to obey the subpoena and to order it to pay McCart-Pollak’s reasonable costs. The Court finds that
11
further sanctions are not warranted. The Court, therefore, denies Plaintiff’s additional request for
12
sanctions. Accordingly,
13
14
15
In its report and recommendation (ECF No. 434), the undersigned
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that McCart-Pollak’s Motion to Enforce Court Order 408
(ECF No. 429) is granted, in part, and denied, in part, according to the provisions herein.
RECOMMENDATION
16
IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED that Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff McCart-Pollak’s
17
Motion for Further Contempt Proceedings (ECF No. 428) be granted. It is recommended that the
18
district court enter an order regarding On Demand and Mr. Miller as follows (1) finding On
19
Demand and Mr. Miller in civil contempt for failing to respond to discovery requests and for failing
20
to abide by the Court’s orders; and (2) ordering On Demand to pay McCart-Pollak’s reasonable
21
costs for bringing her motion for further contempt proceedings.
22
23
NOTICE
Pursuant to Local Rule IB 3–2, any objection to this Finding and Recommendation must
24
be in writing and filed with the Clerk of the Court within fourteen (14) days. The Supreme Court
25
has held that the courts of appeal may determine that an appeal has been waived due to the
26
failure to file objections within the specified time. Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140, 142 (1985).
27
This circuit has also held that (1) failure to file objections within the specified time and (2)
28
failure to properly address and brief the objectionable issues waives the right to appeal the
4
1
District Court's order and/or appeal factual issues from the order of the District Court. Martinez
2
v. Ylst, 951 F.2d 1153, 1157 (9th Cir. 1991); Britt v. Simi Valley United Sch. Dist., 708 F.2d 452,
3
454 (9th Cir. 1983).
4
Dated this 17th day of June, 2019.
5
6
GEORGE FOLEY, JR.
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
5
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.
Why Is My Information Online?