Two attorneys who represented a defendant in state-court criminal proceedings related to a Unite the Right rally failed to quash subpoenas served on them by plaintiffs. The subpoenas did not seek privileged documents, did not require conduct in violation of ...

Tagged with: Evidence Judge Joel Hoppe U.S. District Court - Western District

Where the defendant’s online comment about the plaintiff’s counsel – that he and unidentified others are “going to have a lot of f—ing fun with her” after she “loses this fraudulent lawsuit” – were repugnant, they did not cross the ...

Tagged with: Judge Joel Hoppe Sanctions U.S. District Court - Western District

A non-party’s alleged improper motive in seeking to unseal more than 1,300 pages attached to a motion for summary judgment was insufficient to continue the sealing. The documents were unsealed with personal identifying and financial information redacted. Background On March ...

Tagged with: Evidence Judge Joel Hoppe U.S. District Court - Western District

Where the CEO of an insurance company had no unique or special knowledge of the issues in a case involving the issuance of immigration bonds, and other witnesses likely had relevant knowledge that was not explored during discovery, the CEO ...

Tagged with: Evidence Judge Joel Hoppe U.S. District Court - Western District

Where the deadline for adding parties or amending pleadings was July 31, 2019, in a case alleging negligent construction and repair of a property, a January 2020 motion by defendants to add a new party and assert a new claim ...

Tagged with: Judge Joel Hoppe Negligence U.S. District Court - Western District

Where the parties involved in a claim for insurance coverage arising from a fire that destroyed a garage and personal property agreed to all material terms at a mediation before a magistrate judge, the plaintiff’s subsequent dissatisfaction with that settlement ...

Tagged with: Contract Judge Joel Hoppe U.S. District Court - Western District

Where one of the parties in a settlement action previously agreed to pay its law firm a portion of settlement proceeds as attorneys’ fees, the firm cannot assert claims under state statutory or federal common law liens, but it can ...

Tagged with: Civil Practice Judge Joel Hoppe U.S. District Court - Western District

Although the single-vendor policy of the Virginia Department of Corrections substantially burdened the prisoner’s exercise of his religion by restricting the vendors from whom he could buy prayer oils, the policy served compelling interests in maintaining prison security and efficiency, ...

Tagged with: Constitutional Judge Joel Hoppe U.S. District Court - Western District

A former county employee asserting claims for employment discrimination and retaliation is entitled to various categories of documents from the defendant, including material in the personnel files of other employees. Background Lynda Minke sued her former employer, Page County, alleging ...

Tagged with: Civil Practice Judge Joel Hoppe U.S. District Court - Western District

A patent owner who brought a large number of infringement claims against a manufacturer was not permitted to amend its complaint to assert new claims after the manufacturer successfully challenged the claims before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, or ...

Tagged with: Intellectual Property Judge Joel Hoppe U.S. District Court - Western District