Opinion ID: 2995343
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Motion for Leave to File Motion to

Text: Dismiss First, we address whether the district court erred in denying Melvin leave to file a motion to dismiss the amended complaint and for leave to file a motion for judgment on the pleadings. As noted above, on March 3, 1998, the court entered a scheduling order directing the parties to complete all discovery by August 31, 1998, and to file all dispositive motions by September 14, 1998. After Locher was substituted as counsel for Melvin on November 3, 1998, the court gave him leave to reopen discovery and to file an amended answer by March 19, 1999. Locher did not take advantage of these extensions, instead filing all of the motions which are the subject of this appeal well after the March 19, 1999 deadline. If a party misses a deadline, Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(b) provides that the schedule shall not be modified except upon a showing of good cause and by leave of the district judge . . . . We review a trial court’s refusal of a request for an extension for an abuse of discretion. See Jovanovic v. InSink-Erator Div. of Emerson Elec. Co., 201 F.3d 894, 896-97 (7th Cir. 2000). The district court denied Melvin’s motion for leave, finding he did not establish good cause justifying the delay. On appeal, Melvin does not present any facts supporting a finding of cause. Rather, he argues that he did not file the motion for the purpose of delaying trial. This argument misses the mark. The judge is not required to allow a party to file any untimely motion as long as it does not delay trial. Rather, a party must provide the court with good cause to excuse the tardiness, regardless of whether or not there will be a delay. Courts have a legitimate interest in ensuring that parties abide by scheduling orders to ensure prompt and orderly litigation. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(f) (allowing the imposition of sanctions where a party’s attorney fails to obey a scheduling order). Locher entered this case in November 1998. Melvin offers no explanation for why Locher waited until April 1, 1999 to first challenge the complaint. Factual discovery and months of legal analysis are not typically necessary to challenge a complaint’s sufficiency. Nor does Melvin claim a necessity in this case. Rather, he claims that the district court abused its discretion because it had extended the trial date several times and allowed the government to amend its complaint on the first day of trial, implying that the district court treated him unfairly. Aside from the fact that the government’s amendment involved a minor technicality, Locher’s insinuations ignore the fact that, upon entrance to the case, he too was given ample time to conduct discovery and to file an amended answer and motions. Moreover, in almost every instance, even though the district court denied leave, it alternatively addressed the merits of his untimely discovery and dispositive motions, concluding (with respect to the motion to dismiss) that it would be denied on the merits. Under these circumstances, the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Melvin leave to file the challenged dispositive motions./7