In Sloan v. Allen, 323 A.3d 439 (D.C. 2024), the D.C. Court of Appeals considered, inter alia, whether a loan agreement “contained an unlawful usurious interest rate.” Id. at 441. The Court held that it did and thus the lender
D.C. Law Blog
The D.C. Law Blog, published by Douglas C. Melcher, Attorney-at-Law, focuses on legal developments and court decisions within the District of Columbia. It covers topics such as usury laws and interest rate limits in loan agreements, standards for civil contempt related to attorney fee awards, procedural rules governing dismissal of cases for want of prosecution, deposition conduct and sanctions for improper attorney instructions, and revisions to court mediation procedures including sanctions for noncompliance. The blog analyzes appellate court rulings and Superior Court procedural changes, providing insight into civil litigation, contract law, court rules, and dispute resolution practices in the D.C. jurisdiction.
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Court of Appeals Rules that Order of Civil Contempt Cannot Be Based Solely on Failure to Pay Award of Attorney’s Fees and Costs
On April 11, 2024, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals decided Kayode v. Midas Construction, LLC, 21-CV-0561, Slip op. (D.C. Apr. 11, 2024) in which it considered whether a party may be held in civil contempt for failing to…
Court of Appeals Reverses Dismissal of Lawsuit for Want of Prosecution Where Plaintiff Arrived Late for Trial
On April 4, 2024, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals decided Hasbrouck v. Bernstein Management Corporation, 22-CV-0537, Slip op. (D.C. Apr. 4, 2024), in which it explained and applied the standards for determining whether a case should be dismissed…
Court of Appeals Affirms Award of Sanctions Where Attorney Instructed Client Not to Answer Questions at Deposition
On November 3, 2023, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals decided Wendemu v. Tesema, 304 A.3d 953 (D.C. 2023) in which it affirmed an award of sanctions where an attorney instructed his client not to answer certain questions during…
Superior Court Revises General Mediation Order to Establish System for Imposing Financial Penalties on Lawyers Who Fail to Comply with Certain Mediation Procedures
In April 2022, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia issued a revised General Mediation Order setting forth revised mediation procedures for all cases in the Court’s Civil Division. By way of background, cases in the Civil Division are…
Superior Court Amends Civil Rule Governing Motions Practice
On March 24, 2022, the Superior Court adopted Rule Promulgation Order 22-05, which, among other things, amends Superior Court Civil Rule 12-I, the principal civil rule governing motions practice. The amendment makes three changes to motions practice.
First, the amendment…
New Statute Provides Alternative Means for Service of Process in Certain Motor Vehicle Collision Cases
The D.C. Council recently enacted a statute providing an alternative means for service of process in certain motor vehicle collision cases. The statute applies where the defendant is “a resident and who was the owner or operator of a motor…
New Statute Bans Non-Compete Provisions in Employment Contracts and Employer Policies
On January 11, 2021, the D.C. Council enacted legislation to ban non-compete provision in employment contracts and employer policies in the District of Columbia. The legislation, known as the “Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2020” (A23-0563), became effective…
Superior Court Releases Data on Jury Trial Verdicts in Medical Malpractice, Slip-and-Fall, and Auto Accident Cases for 2019
The Superior Court of the District of Columbia has released compilations of data regarding jury trial verdicts in medical malpractice, slip-and-fall, and auto accident cases for 2019 (i.e., January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019). According to the compilations:
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Court of Appeals Clarifies Procedures and Standards for Deciding a Special Motion to Dismiss Under Anti-SLAPP Act
On December 10, 2020, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals decided Saudi American Public Relations Affairs Committee v. Institute for Gulf Affairs, 18-CV-1296, Slip op. (D.C. Dec. 10, 2020), in which it reviewed a trial court’s decision to summarily…