The government cannot introduce evidence against a man charged with sex trafficking and child pornography regarding his alleged sexual abuse of a minor. Background By a superseding indictment filed on Dec. 19, 2017, Richard Todd Haas was charged with four ...

Tagged with: Criminal Judge Robert E. Payne U.S. District Court - Eastern District

A company found liable for antitrust violations will be required to divest a doorskin manufacturing facility in order to restore competition to the industry. Background Steves and JELD-WEN both sell interior molded doors that include a product called “doorskins” JELD-WEN ...

Tagged with: Commercial Judge Robert E. Payne U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Despite the fact the jury found that only eight of 67 alleged trade secrets were actually trade secrets, and only seven had been misappropriated, its resulting damages award was supported by the record. Background Steves is an independent manufacturer of ...

Tagged with: Intellectual Property Judge Robert E. Payne U.S. District Court - Eastern District

A supplier’s motion to set aside a jury’s award to a door manufacturer was granted because the award was not supported by the record or was based on anerroneous damages argument. Background Steves & Sons is an independent manufacturer of ...

Tagged with: Contract Judge Robert E. Payne U.S. District Court - Eastern District

A Title VII gender discrimination case with a tangled procedural history has led to a request for a judgment against the LeClairRyan law firm for more than $1 million in compensation, fees and costs. A three-member arbitration panel found disparate ...

Tagged with: Judge Robert E. Payne Judge Rosemarie Annunziata Magistrate Judge F. Bradford Stillman

Holding that “unclean hands” is not a defense to equitable relief in antitrust, the court excluded the defendant’s evidence that the plaintiff misappropriated its trade secrets, finding such evidence not probative under Federal Rule of Evidence 402. Background Plaintiff Steves ...

Tagged with: Evidence Judge Robert E. Payne U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Holding that “unclean hands” is not a defense to equitable relief in antitrust, the court excluded the defendant’s evidence that the plaintiff misappropriated its trade secrets, finding such evidence not probative under Federal Rule of Evidence 402. Background Plaintiff Steves ...

Tagged with: Evidence Judge Robert E. Payne U.S. District Court - Eastern District

A warrant to search a vehicle was supported by probable cause, based on facts in the affidavit that a confidential witness observed child pornography on the owner’s laptop computer and that, based on the swearing officer’s experience, people who collect ...

Tagged with: Judge Robert E. Payne Search & Seizure U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Given evidence that two prison doctors failed to address the plaintiff’s need for approved stoma reversal surgery, summary judgment in their favor on a federal prisoner’s Eighth Amendment claims was not merited. The plaintiff was appointed counsel as to claims ...

Tagged with: Constitutional Judge Robert E. Payne U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Rejecting the reasoning in unpublished 4th Circuit decisions on the question, the court held that under Sentencing Guidelines § 4A1.2, a defendant’s criminal history category calculation did not include petty offenses for which active imprisonment was less than 30 days, ...

Tagged with: Judge Robert E. Payne Sentencing U.S. District Court - Eastern District