Opinion ID: 1445166
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Motions to Amend the Complaint

Text: In April 2005, Popoalii filed this § 1983 suit alleging that the defendants were deliberately indifferent to her serious medical needs in violation of her Eighth Amendment rights. Pursuant to the district court's scheduling order, any motion to amend the pleadings was to be filed on or before January 31, 2006. Discovery closed September 1, 2006. Popoalii first requested to file an amended complaint on June 23, 2006, which was five months after the deadline for amending the pleadings. Popoalii's motion stated that she wanted to add additional counts and to add and dismiss some defendants. Popoalii's counsel argued Popoalii's illness had prevented identification of all proper claims and defendants. This motion did not include a copy of the proposed amended complaint. The district court denied this motion on June 28, 2006. About a month later, on July 24, 2006, Popoalii again requested to amend her complaint. The new motion to amend attached a proposed amended complaint to the motion as required by Rule 15 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule. The proposed amended complaint removed several defendants and added a negligence claim against CMS and its employees. The district court held a teleconference on July 27, 2006, to discuss this second motion to amend. During this teleconference, the defendants objected to the amended complaint based on the timing of the amendment and the nature of the changes. The defendants argued that they would be unfairly prejudiced by an amendment so close to the discovery deadline. The district court informed Popoalii that it would grant the motion provided that Popoalii agreed to reimburse certain defense costs and fees. Popoalii's counsel declined this offer, and the court denied Popoalii's motion.