United States of America, Community Action Against Poverty of Greater Indianapolis, Inc. v. Robert Defrantz, Sr.

POSNER, Circuit Judge.

The district court entered a default judgment for $187,000 in favor of the plaintiffs because the defendant, DeFrantz, had failed to appear for his deposition, and we must consider whether this sanction was so disproportionate that the judgment should be set aside. The applicable legal principles are not disputed. Rule 37 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure authorizes the entry of a default judgment as a sanction for a defendant’s failure to show up at his deposition, whether or not the court has ordered him to attend, Rule 37(b)(2)(C), (d); but the sanction is…