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Rule Revision Roundelay, Carl W. Tobias
Rule Revision Roundelay, Carl W. Tobias
Law Faculty Publications
A critique of the proposed revision of F.R.C.P. Rule 11.
Reconsidering Rule 11, Carl W. Tobias
Reconsidering Rule 11, Carl W. Tobias
Law Faculty Publications
The Advisory Committee on the Civil Rules recently proposed that the Supreme Court and Congress amend Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11. 1 The Rule, as revised in 1983, has been the most controversial amendment in the half-century history of the Federal Rules. Judges have inconsistently applied the 1983 revision, and it has engendered much expensive satellite litigation. Considerable evidence suggests that Rule 11 activity has chilled civil rights plaintiffs and attorneys. These difficulties led the Advisory Committee to initiate a study of the Rule in August of 1990, to solicit written public comments on its operation which were due …
Environmental Litigation And Rule 11, Carl W. Tobias
Environmental Litigation And Rule 11, Carl W. Tobias
Law Faculty Publications
The 1983 amendment to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11 has been the most controversial revision in the half-century history of the Federal Rules. Judges have applied amended Rule 11, which requires them to sanction lawyers and parties who do not conduct reasonable inquiries before filing papers, in over 1000 reported opinions, considerably more unreported determinations, and numerous informal contexts. The Rule has engendered much unnecessary satellite litigation and has been implemente4 inconsistently, while attorneys' fees remain the "sanction of choice" for violations. Rule 11 activity has especially disadvantaged civil rights plaintiffs and lawyers, whose lack of resources can make …
Civil Rights Conundrum, Carl W. Tobias
Civil Rights Conundrum, Carl W. Tobias
Law Faculty Publications
As a case study of the impediments imposed by the revised F.R.C.P. Rule 11 in civil rights litigation, Professor Tobias relates the story of the Robeson County, N.C. prosecution of Eddie Hatcher and Timothy Jacobs, their subsequent civil rights action, and the ensuing Rule 11 sanctions imposed upon their counsel, as reported in In re Kunstler, 914 F.2d 505 (4th Cir. 1990).