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S.D.N.Y.Procedural orderFiled July 9, 2020

Beckerman v. Fresh Digital Group, Inc.

Judge
Valerie Caproni
Docket
1:20-cv-01530
Court
U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
Pages
2
Civil Procedure
In one sentence

In Beckerman v. Fresh Digital Group, Judge Caproni ordered Beckerman to seek default judgment or explain why the case should not be dismissed for delay.

Who this affects

Sophie Beckerman and the defendants named in the action, including Fresh Digital Group, Inc. and Doug Robinson.

What happened

In Beckerman v. Fresh Digital Group, Inc., the defendants’ deadline to respond to the complaint had passed, and Beckerman had obtained a certificate from the Clerk of Court. She had not yet requested a default judgment.

The court ordered Beckerman to either request a default judgment by July 24, 2020, or explain why the case should not be dismissed for failure to prosecute. The order also addressed settlement discussions and required prompt notice to the court, with any settlement agreement submitted for approval.

Judge Valerie Caproni issued the order. The court did not decide the underlying claims or enter a default judgment or dismissal.

The detailed version

For law students, journalists, and other readers who want the full reasoning

Case
Beckerman v. Fresh Digital Group, Inc. · No. 1:20-cv-01530
Judge
Valerie Caproni
Date
July 9, 2020

Background

Defendants’ deadline to respond to the complaint had elapsed. On June 18, 2020, Sophie Beckerman obtained a certificate from the Clerk of Court. The order does not identify the certificate’s contents. Beckerman had not yet moved for a default judgment.

Order

The court ordered Beckerman, no later than July 24, 2020, to do one of two things: move for a default judgment under Judge Caproni’s individual practices, or show cause—meaning explain—why the case should not be dismissed for failure to prosecute.

The court further ordered that, if Beckerman was negotiating with any defendant, her counsel must promptly inform the court. If the parties had reached a settlement agreement, Beckerman was required to submit it for court approval under the cited Second Circuit decision, Cheeks v. Pancake House, 796 F.3d 199 (2d Cir. 2017).

Disposition and Significance

Judge Valerie Caproni issued a case-management order requiring Beckerman to take a specified next step or explain the lack of progress. The order did not decide the merits of the claims, enter default judgment, or dismiss the case.

The authoritative version

Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.

Open opinion PDF →
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