Gipson v. Amazon.Com, Inc.
- Ronnie Abrams
- 1:19-cv-00462
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Gipson v. Amazon, Judge Abrams denied as moot plaintiffs’ filing request after dismissing the suit with prejudice.
The ruling affected the plaintiffs’ request to submit settlement-approval papers electronically and under seal, and the defendants, who had consented to that request. The action itself had already been dismissed with prejudice.
What happened
In Gipson v. Amazon.Com, Inc., the plaintiffs asked the court for permission to submit settlement-approval papers electronically and have the filing treated as sealed. They said the parties had reached a global settlement involving wrongful-death claims and that the settlement required court approval.
The plaintiffs also requested permission to file redacted papers through the court’s electronic filing system as an alternative. The defendants consented to the requested relief.
Judge Ronnie Abrams stated that the court had dismissed the suit with prejudice on May 27, 2020, under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1). She therefore denied the motion as moot and directed the Clerk of Court to terminate the motion at Docket No. 48.
The detailed version
- Gipson v. Amazon.Com, Inc. · No. 1:19-cv-00462
- Ronnie Abrams
- Oct. 14, 2020
Background
Plaintiffs’ counsel submitted a letter requesting permission to file electronically the papers supporting a motion for approval of the parties’ global settlement, including an unredacted settlement agreement and a proposed order. The letter also requested that the email filing be treated as sealed. Alternatively, plaintiffs asked to file redacted papers through the court’s electronic filing system. The letter stated that the parties had agreed to strict confidentiality terms and that defendants consented to the requested relief.
The letter stated that the settlement involved plaintiffs’ wrongful-death claims and that the parties believed court approval was required under Southern District of New York Local Rule 83.2 and New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law § 5-4.4. It also referred to an earlier 45-day dismissal order and an extension of the deadline to restore the action without prejudice.
Ruling
The court stated that it had dismissed the suit with prejudice on May 27, 2020, under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1). Because of that dismissal, the court denied the motion as moot. Judge Abrams also directed the Clerk of Court to terminate the motion pending at Docket No. 48. The order did not state that the court approved the settlement or rule on whether the settlement agreement should be sealed.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.