Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc. v. Spirit of Utah Wilderness, Inc.

Background

The filing concerns Jeffrey Salt’s compliance with earlier orders requiring document production and responses to interrogatories. Counsel stated that Salt had complied with other requirements, including stopping use of Waterkeeper’s trademarks and publicly posting a required statement. Counsel also stated that Salt had not paid imposed fines but had submitted an affidavit, bank statements, and tax returns concerning his inability to pay. The filing says the court had previously recognized that inability to pay.

The court had previously stayed execution of an arrest warrant for limited periods. An earlier order extended the stay only until April 7, 2022 and described that extension as final. Counsel asked the court to reconsider and grant another extension, citing Salt’s medical impairments, hospitalization, and positive COVID-19 test. Counsel also said that Salt had an appeal pending in the Second Circuit involving the contempt and imprisonment orders and asked that the warrant remain stayed until the appeal was resolved.

Ruling

Judge Nelson S. Roman denied Salt’s request without prejudice to renewal before the Second Circuit. The court granted Salt a 21-day stay for the limited purpose of allowing him to make that application. The court stated that the warrant would go into effect on April 21, 2022, and directed the Clerk of Court to terminate the motion at ECF No. 259.

Classification

This is a procedural order concerning a stay of an arrest warrant connected to contempt-order compliance. The ruling did not decide the underlying trademark or contempt issues.