Opinion ID: 488008
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Denial of motion for leave to amend the complaint

Text: 56 Appellant sought to amend his complaint after discovery was complete, and on the same day the parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment. The amended complaint added five new counts alleging slander and defamation, abuse of process or malicious prosecution, and negligent or fraudulent misrepresentation. It also deleted one count not here relevant. The district court acknowledged that leave to amend pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 15 is ordinarily liberally granted, but held that here the prejudice and expense would inure to defendant without a significant offsetting benefit. Anderson, 619 F.Supp. at 1198. We agree. 57 The discovery schedule had been agreed to by the parties and completed as planned to insure an expeditious resolution of the case. In addition, the slander, defamation, prosecution, and process counts were based on facts known prior to the completion of discovery. The one claim based on new facts--Anderson's allegation that USAir misrepresented its seating policy in a May 14, 1984 letter to a member of the National Federation of the Blind--was properly held to bear only tangential relation to the underlying incident. Under these circumstances, the district court cannot be found to have abused its discretion in denying plaintiff's motion. See, e.g., Zenith Radio Corp. v. Hazeltine Research, Inc., 401 U.S. 321, 330, 91 S.Ct. 795, 802, 28 L.Ed.2d 77 (1971); Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 182, 83 S.Ct. 227, 230, 9 L.Ed.2d 222 (1962) (factors supporting denial of motion to amend include undue delay and undue prejudice to the opposing party) (dicta). 58 Furthermore, appellant, in attempting to assert a cause of action for false arrest, was not harmed by the denial. He remained free to file an independent action against the FAA police on that ground. 59