Pettit v. Allina Health System
- Jerry Blackwell
- 0:23-cv-02789
- U.S. District Court · District of Minnesota
- 2
In Pettit v. Allina Health System, Judge Blackwell accepted the report and granted in part and denied in part Allina’s Rule 11 motion, dismissing claims and ordering fees.
DaJovan B. Pettit’s amended complaint was dismissed with prejudice. Richard Hechter and Morris Law Group, P.A. must pay $10,000 toward Allina Health System’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, while the request for Rule 11 fees from Ms. Pettit was denied.
What happened
In Pettit v. Allina Health System, Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty recommended a ruling on Allina Health System’s motion for penalties under Rule 11. No one objected to the recommendation, so the district court reviewed it for obvious error and found none.
The court accepted the recommendation and granted in part and denied in part Allina’s motion. It dismissed DaJovan B. Pettit’s amended complaint with prejudice, ordered Richard Hechter and Morris Law Group, P.A. to pay $10,000 toward Allina’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, and denied the request to impose Rule 11 fees on Ms. Pettit.
Judge Jerry W. Blackwell entered the order and directed that judgment be entered. The order does not explain the underlying claims or the specific conduct supporting the sanctions.
The detailed version
- Pettit v. Allina Health System · No. 0:23-cv-02789
- Jerry W. Blackwell
- Mar. 25, 2025
Background
United States Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty issued a Report and Recommendation on January 30, 2025, addressing Allina Health System’s motion for sanctions under Rule 11. No objections were filed within the permitted time. Under the stated review standard, the district court reviewed the recommendation for clear error and found none.
Ruling
The district court accepted the Report and Recommendation. It ruled that Allina’s Rule 11 motion was granted in part and denied in part:
- The motion was granted to the extent it sought dismissal of DaJovan B. Pettit’s claims. The amended complaint was dismissed with prejudice. - The motion was granted to the extent it sought attorneys’ fees. Richard Hechter and Morris Law Group, P.A. were ordered to pay $10,000 toward Allina’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs associated with litigating the matter. - The motion was denied to the extent it sought attorneys’ fees from Ms. Pettit as a Rule 11 sanction.
The court directed that judgment be entered. The opinion does not state the underlying claims or provide the factual basis for the Rule 11 sanctions.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.