Janella Smart v. The Professional Group

Summary

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan addresses five plaintiff letter requests seeking leave to file additional motions and strikes an unauthorized, repetitive motion for a preliminary protective order. The court grants leave to file an amended in forma pauperis application and a motion to seal, denies the other requests, and reiterates restrictions on further filings, discovery extensions, and supplementation of the record.

Holdings

1. The Court granted Plaintiff leave to file an amended application to proceed in forma pauperis and a motion to seal ex parte.
2. A separate notice of no expert disclosure was unnecessary; the absence of an expert designation was sufficient and was noted in the record.
3. Leave was unnecessary because a pending motion inherently requests a ruling, and the Court had already scheduled a hearing on two pleading-related motions.
4. Leave to file a motion to extend discovery was denied because Plaintiff gave no explanation establishing a need for the extension and the case history indicated extraordinary efforts to delay or impede discovery.
5. The fourteen-page motion was stricken because it violated the prior order requiring a one-page leave request, was filed without leave, repeated previously rejected discovery challenges, and conflicted with existing discovery orders.
6. Plaintiff was not entitled to supplement the record merely to place materials on the docket for perceived appellate usefulness; the request was denied.

Questions Presented

1. Whether Plaintiff should be granted leave to file the proposed additional motions and notices.
2. Whether Plaintiff's unauthorized fourteen-page motion for a preliminary protective order should be stricken for violating the Court's prior filing restrictions and repeating previously denied discovery requests.
3. Whether Plaintiff could supplement the record merely to preserve matters for appeal.

Disposition

other