Opinion ID: 715669
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Sanctions against Broderick.

Text: 15 Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1927 and the court's inherent powers, the district court sanctioned John Broderick, Respondents' counsel, in the amount of $2,500 following an incident involving videotaped evidence of the June 28, 1994 protest. On the third and final day of the contempt proceeding, Broderick began to play the hour-long videotape of the protest, which had been introduced in evidence by New York. After approximately fifteen minutes, the court interrupted the viewing to ask Broderick whether there was any relevant evidence on the remainder of the videotape that was not cumulative of the evidence already introduced. Despite having been furnished with the videotape several days before the start of the proceeding, Broderick responded that he had not previously viewed the tape. Broderick then asserted that because the videotape had been introduced as evidence in the case, he and his clients had a right to view the tape during the trial. Broderick also noted that two of the Respondents, Hudson and Yellico, had been incarcerated and had had no other opportunity to see the videotape. 16 The district court informed Broderick that he and his clients should have viewed the videotape outside of court beforehand, noting that the court would have enabled any incarcerated Respondent to view the videotape if an appropriate application for that relief had been made, and warned Broderick that if the tape failed to produce any noncumulative evidence, the court would consider appropriate sanctions against him. The district court interrupted the playing of the videotape several more times to inquire whether Broderick perceived any relevant new evidence. Each time, Broderick insisted that the viewing of the videotape be continued. When the videotape ended, the court concluded that Broderick had multiplied the proceedings ... unreasonably and ... vexatiously, and indicated that it would entertain an application [for sanctions] at an appropriate time. 17 At the conclusion of the proceeding, and following the district court's determination that respondents had violated the 1992 Injunction, the district court gave Broderick the opportunity to apologize for conduct that the district court characterized as inappropriate, unprofessional and ... wasteful of the Court's time. Broderick refused to apologize, maintaining that he had acted appropriately and that his clients had an absolute right to view the videotape in open court once it had been introduced by New York as evidence against them. The court then sanctioned Broderick, and denied Broderick's subsequent motion to vacate the sanction. See New York by Koppell v. Operation Rescue Nat'l, No. 92 Civ. 4884, 1994 WL 557057 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 7, 1994) (Koppell II ).