Troendle v. Hanson

TERNUS, Justice.

In this appeal, the plaintiffs challenge the district court’s imposition of the ultimate discovery sanction — dismissal. In three separate court orders, the district court directed the plaintiffs to respond to discovery requests propounded by the defendants. Notwithstanding the court’s directives, the plaintiffs’ attorney failed to obtain his clients’ responses to discovery until the eve of trial, almost one full year after the requests were propounded. The district court, exercising its discretion, concluded the adverse consequences of this situation should fall on the party…