Opinion ID: 2974907
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Schnelz’s Motion for Sanctions

Text: Schnelz moved for sanctions, attorneys’ fees, and costs against Bagsby under Sixth Circuit Rule 30(m) and Rule 30 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure on the grounds that the Joint Appendix Bagsby submitted was “woefully deficient,” thereby causing Schnelz to submit a Supplemental Appendix at a cost of over $5,000.00. Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 30(a)(1) states that the “appellant must prepare and file an appendix to the briefs containing: the relevant docket entries in the proceeding below; the relevant portions of the pleadings, charge, findings, or opinion; the judgment, order, or decision in question; and other parts of the record to which the parties wish to direct the court’s attention.” The rule continues that all parties are “encouraged to agree on the contents of the appendix,” however, if the parties cannot so agree, the appellant must, within ten days after the record is filed, “serve on appellee a designation of the parts of the record the appellant intends to include in the appendix,” and the appellee may, within ten days after receiving the designation “serve on the appellant a designation of additional parts to which it wishes to direct the court’s attention.” The rule advises that the “appellant must include the [appellee’s] designated parts in the appendix.” With respect to costs, “[i]f the appellant considers parts of the record designated by the appellee to be unnecessary, the appellant may advise the appellee, who must then advance the cost of including those parts.” Sixth Circuit Rule 30 states: “appellant shall file and serve as an addendum to the appellant’s brief a designation of those parts of the record to be included in the joint appendix . . . . [t]he appellee shall file and serve as an addendum to the appellee’s brief a cross-designation setting forth any parts of the record the appellee wants to have included in the joint appendix that do not appear 18 in the appellant’s designation[.]” The appellant “has the responsibility to prepare the joint appendix and shall serve and file it not later than 21 days after the filing of the appellee’s ‘proof’ brief.” Finally, “any counsel who so complicates the proceedings in the case by unreasonably and vexatiously failing to comply with the requirements of this local rule may be required by this Court to satisfy personally any excess costs, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1927, and may be subject to disciplinary sanctions.” Schnelz argues that it submitted its Proof Brief with its Joint Appendix Designations “at the designated time,” and that Bagsby’s Joint Appendix was “woefully deficient” because it did not contain several documents that were listed in Appellees’ Joint Appendix Designations. Schnelz asserts that its counsel contacted Bagsby’s counsel regarding the deficiencies, and also contacted officials with the Sixth Circuit regarding Bagsby’s alleged refusal to correct the Joint Appendix. In a letter dated December 22, 2005, Schnelz’s counsel communicated its “serious objections” to the Joint Appendix and requested that Bagsby file a revised Joint Appendix to incorporate all documents requested by the appellees no later than December 28, 2005, the failure of which would result in Schnelz filing a motion for costs. Bagsby’s counsel responded to the December 22, 2005, in a letter dated December 28, 2005, which stated that Bagsby did file a Revised Joint Appendix that was “accepted” by the Court of Appeals and that in a memorandum dated December 2, 2005, the Court of Appeals advised counsel for all appellees to file a “supplemental appendix” no later than January 12, 2006. Schnelz contends that the purpose of this memorandum regarding appellees filing a supplemental appendix was Bagsby’s very failure to include the requested documents in the joint appendix in the first place. Schnelz maintains that it spent $5,172.29 in costs and attorneys’ fees to