Monday, November 30, 2009

Motion to compel

The Department of Finance has filed a motion to compel discovery against Barbara Nagel, Steve Cabezud, and John Thomson. We filed our discovery requests in August, and they have never responded.

The motion is set for hearing on December 14, 2009, at 11:00 AM, in the Fourth District courthouse, in Boise.

The judge has not yet ruled on Impact's Motion to Dismiss.

Update: The motion to compel was postponed due to a potential conflict that arose with the date. Unless an arrangement can be reached with counsel for defendants, we will re-set the motion for hearing.

There have been no other new developments.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

New Catledge counsel

James Catledge and his Impact companies have retained new local counsel; Monte N. Stewart of the Boise firm Belnap Law, PLLC. So far, no other out-of-state counsel has requested admission.

Mr. Stewart has substituted in, thus rendering the motion to withdraw moot as to Catledge and the Impact companies. The motion is still pending as to David Brimley.

With the substitution of counsel, we should be able to proceed without further delays. As of today, the judge has not ruled on the pending motion to dismiss, or the pending motion for reconsideration.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Hearing result

At the hearing held on Monday, November 2, 2009, I moved to vacate the hearing on the motion to compel, until such time as new counsel appears, and the judge granted that.

Attorney Mike Diaz appeared by phone, and informed the court that he had been contacted on October 15, 2009 by Nevada (I think) attorney Rob Graham who stated he was taking over the Catledge cases. Diaz said they've now withdrawn from all Catledge cases.

The judge took both the Motion to Dismiss and the Motion to Withdraw under advisement. I had requested that he rule on the Motion to Dismiss as a means to avoid delay if new counsel were to appear and want to contest that motion.

The judge is considering whether to grant the Motion to Withdraw now and then wait to rule on the Motion to Dismiss, or whether to rule on the Motion to Dismiss and then grant the Motion to Withdraw. I argued that the former exposes us to additional delay, and the latter will help move the case along.

The judge said he'd try to rule within 30 days. Once he signs the Order Granting Withdrawal, Catledge will have an additional 20 days to appear either through new counsel, or pro se.