Rhone v. Lake George Steamboat Company, Inc.
- Rochon
- 1:23-cv-03092
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Rhone v. Lake George Steamboat Company, Judge Rochon ordered settlement discussions and a joint status letter, including consideration of standing.
The plaintiffs, including Tonimarie Rhone, and Lake George Steamboat Company, Inc.
What happened
Rhone v. Lake George Steamboat Company concerns an order directing the parties to try to settle the case shortly after the complaint and summons are served.
The court ordered the parties to meet and confer for at least one hour within 30 days of service. They must discuss settlement, whether the plaintiff has met the constitutional requirement of standing, and whether court-connected mediation or a settlement conference before a magistrate judge could help if they cannot settle on their own.
Judge Jennifer L. Rochon also ordered the parties to submit a joint letter within 45 days of service stating whether they settled. If they did not, the letter must request either mediation or a magistrate-judge settlement conference, with a stated preference, or an initial status conference. The order did not decide standing or the merits of the case.
The detailed version
- Rhone v. Lake George Steamboat Company, Inc. · No. 1:23-cv-03092
- Rochon
- Apr. 21, 2023
Order
The court ordered the parties to meet and confer for at least one hour within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint. The discussions must be a good-faith attempt to settle the action.
Issues to Discuss
The parties were directed to consider whether the plaintiff satisfied the threshold requirement of standing, meaning whether the plaintiff has the legally required connection to bring the case. The opinion cites Second Circuit decisions addressing standing. The parties must also discuss whether further settlement efforts through the district court’s mediation program or before a magistrate judge would be productive if they cannot settle themselves.
Joint Letter and Disposition
Within 15 additional days—45 days after service of the summons and complaint—the parties must submit a joint letter stating whether they settled. If they did not settle, the letter must request either referral to mediation or to a magistrate judge for a settlement conference, and state a preference between those options, or request that the court proceed with an initial status conference.
This order sets settlement and case-management requirements. It does not resolve standing, the merits of the claims, or any motion.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.