Keith v. Sgt. William Hart

Background

Monterey Keith was the plaintiff, and Sgt. William Hart and Det. Roger Savage were the defendants. The parties notified the court that they had reached an agreement in principle resolving all issues. The opinion does not describe the underlying claims or the settlement terms.

Court’s Action

The court canceled all previously scheduled conferences and other deadlines. It dismissed the case with prejudice and without costs, including attorneys’ fees, to either party. The Clerk of Court was directed to terminate all open motions and close the case.

The order allowed the parties to apply to reopen the case within 30 days. Any application had to show good cause for keeping the case open despite the settlement. The court stated that a request filed after 30 days or without a showing of good cause could be denied solely on that basis.

The order also stated that, if the parties wanted the court to retain jurisdiction—continuing authority—to enforce their settlement agreement, they had to submit the agreement and request an order expressly retaining that authority within the same 30-day period.

Disposition

Judge Valerie Caproni dismissed the case with prejudice and without costs, terminated the open motions, and directed that the case be closed. The order did not decide the underlying claims on their merits.