‘Soiled and Spoiled’: Federal Judge Sanctions Atlanta Law Firm for Misleading Court, Hiding Evidence in Civil Suit

Two partners at Gray, Rust, St. Amand, Moffett & Brieske in Atlanta were sanctioned, along with their client, by the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia for intentionally misleading the court and parties during discovery in a premises liability lawsuit filed against an apartment complex.

The district court found that the defense attorneys engaged in purposeful misconduct, including hiding witnesses and presenting inconsistent testimonies, which plaintiffs had argued amounted to a violation of Rule 26(g) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The provision compels sanctions if a party provides blatant false discovery responses.