Brian Blundell v. County of Los Angeles

MEMORANDUM

Plaintiff-Appellant Brian Blundell appeals the dismissal of his § 1983 action against the County of Los Angeles as a sanction for violating three discovery orders.

On February 2, 2009, the County served its First Set of Interrogatories on Blundell. Blundell failed to respond by the March 9th deadline. After Blundell belatedly served inadequate responses on April 2, the magistrate judge ordered Blundell to supplement the answers within thirty days. Blundell failed to do so.

On September 21, the magistrate judge ordered Blundell to supplement his answers to the interrogatories within seven days. The judge also ordered Blundell to pay $50 in sanctions to the County (and his former attorney to pay $1,345 in sanctions). The judge warned Blundell of the possibility of dismissal of his action if he failed to comply with this discovery order. Blundell again failed to meet the deadline for supplementing his answers to the interrogatories.

On October 30, after a hearing on the County’s third motion for sanctions, the judge ordered Blundell to serve supplemental answers immediately. The judge also ordered Blundell to pay $100 sanctions to the County. The judge again warned…