Overview
In two letter endorsements this week, Judge Forrest made clear that she will not rubber stamp requests for extensions, even if unopposed. In one case, the parties jointly requested that dispositive motions be briefed by October 30, but Judge Forrest granted the request only to September 24. Counsel wrote a joint letter asking Judge Forrest to reconsider, stating “[We] will both be going on vacation for the last two weeks of August . . . . September is extremely difficult for both of us, there are numerous Jewish holidays including September 17, which is Rosh Hashanah, and September 24, which is the day before Yom Kippur, which [we] both observe. In September, we both face the usual back up of work that busy attorneys have when they return from vacation, not to mention numerous already scheduled events on other matters, all of which make it necessary to have the extra time.” Judge Forrest was not persuaded: “The parties have had ample time to pursue discovery in this case. The original case was filed well over a year ago and this is not a complicated case. Counsel have known about the discovery deadline for some time. There is no requirement for dispositive motions; we can proceed straight to trial. If the parties wish to serve motions, the Court’s schedule set on 8/7/12 stands.” In the other case, the plaintiff asked for an extension to September 19 to oppose a motion to dismiss, stating that it was a “complex matter and we will need time to thoroughly familiarize ourselves with this matter.” Judge Forrest gave the plaintiff a shorter time, writing “Denied. Plaintiff should have been prepared since he is the plaintiff. Extension only to 8/13/12.”
