Judge fines attorneys $6,000 for poor documentation in election-related libel case
- Judge Nina Wang issued $6,000 sanctions against defense attorneys for improper citations in legal filings.
- The court found that the errors constituted a violation of Rule 11 due to lack of reasonable diligence.
- The ruling emphasizes the need for attorneys to maintain professional standards in legal documentation.
In July 2025, the United States District Court for Colorado, presided over by Judge Nina Wang, issued a ruling in the case Coomer v. Lindell that included sanctions against legal counsel for the defense, specifically against Mr. Kachouroff and Ms. DeMaster. The sanctions were triggered by significant errors in legal document citations that were deemed to have violated Rule 11. The court's determination stemmed from Mr. Kachouroff’s admission that he had delegated citation responsibilities to his co-counsel, Ms. DeMaster, which raised concerns regarding the competence of the defense team. During the trial preparation phase, the court set deadlines for various motions, including a Motion in Limine, and the defendants filed a brief in response to this motion. However, discrepancies were noted, with the court indicating that the document filed was not the correct version but rather an earlier draft. Mr. Kachouroff's explanation that this was an inadvertent mistake was met with skepticism by Judge Wang, who pointed out the lack of corroborating evidence to support his claims. The court emphasized the expectation of competence and diligence from attorneys before it, stating that counsel must ensure their submissions have a rational basis in law. The court concluded that the errors made were not mere oversights, but rather indicative of lax practices that warranted disciplinary action. The fact that similar issues had arisen in a different case, Pelishek v. City of Sheboygan, brought to light a troubling pattern of carelessness by the defendants' counsel. Ultimately, the court’s decision to sanction the attorneys was not solely about the individual errors but spoke to more significant concerns regarding the standards of practice in legal representation. Judge Wang's ruling reflects a broader commitment to uphold the integrity of the judicial process and ensure that attorneys adhere to professional standards, underscoring the necessity for accountability in legal proceedings.