Opinion ID: 1883935
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Striking DuPont's experts.

Text: ¶ 11. This appeal follows a laborious and highly contentious discovery process during which the trial court struck nine of DuPont's witnesses, including the majority of its designated experts. The trial court determined that based upon the record, the history of abuses in this case, and pursuant to Miss. R. Civ. P. 37(b)(2), 37(e), Rule 11 and the court's inherent powers to impose sanctions on those who abuse the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure, the Court finds that DuPont has indeed abused the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure. ¶ 12. In its order in cause number 2005-M-01583-SCT dated August 16, 2005, this Court already ruled on DuPont's emergency petition for interlocutory appeal and motion for stay regarding the trial court's ruling to strike its experts, stating: Petitioner seeks relief from the trial court's order striking certain report and fact witnesses from participation in the trial scheduled for August 17, 2005. The Court finds that the trial court granted the motion to strike these witnesses as a sanction for petitioner's prior abuse of the discovery process. The Court therefore finds that the emergency petition for interlocutory appeal and motion for stay should be denied. (Emphasis added). Under Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 37 and the inherent power of the trial court to protect the integrity of its process, the trial court has the broad authority to impose sanctions for abuse-of-discovery violations. While the striking of DuPont's expert witnesses is an extreme measure, we find that the trial court acted within its discretion to do so. See Miss. Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Parker, 921 So.2d 260, 265 (Miss.2005). ¶ 13. In Parker, the Court stated: Our trial judges are charged with this responsibility and are in a much better position to resolve all pre-trial issues, including discovery, and it is not, and should not, be part of our mandated appellate review, to resolve such issues. . . . Our trial judges are likewise in a much better position to decide which parties and/or lawyers need to be sanctioned for their behavior, and our trial judges should unhesitatingly exercise this inherent power and authority. Here, we find that the trial court properly exercised its authority to impose sanctions for abuse-of-discovery violations.