Linda Cotter v. Kevin Dias

Because I am convinced that the trial justice acted within her discretion by dismissing the plaintiffs case pursuant to Rule 41(b) of the Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure, I respectfully dissent.

A trial justice’s ability to manage each case in her caseload is crucial to the handling of a crowded calendar efficiently and effectively. This Court has recognized that “ ‘[t]he widest discretion must be given to calendar justices and trial justices’ in managing a trial calendar, a task that is ‘among the most difficult .of all judicial assignments.’ ” Coates v. Ocean State Jobbers, Inc., 18…