Chambers v. Nasco, Inc.
501 U.S. 32 (1991) Cited 9,172 times 14 Legal AnalysesHolding that courts "may bar from the courtroom a criminal defendant who disrupts a trial" may "assess attorney fees when a party has acted in bad faith, vexatiously, wantonly, or for oppressive reasons," and "may act sua sponte to dismiss a suit for failure to prosecute"
Fink v. Gomez
239 F.3d 989 (9th Cir. 2001) Cited 895 timesHolding sanctions can be imposed for recklessness "coupled with an improper purpose"
Henry v. Gill Industries, Inc.
983 F.2d 943 (9th Cir. 1993) Cited 1,083 times 1 Legal AnalysesHolding that, in order to justify dismissal under Rule 37, "the losing party's non-compliance must be due to willfulness, fault, or bad faith"
Wanderer v. Johnston
910 F.2d 652 (9th Cir. 1990) Cited 762 timesFinding "[t]he severe sanction of default was justified by the defendants' repeated and inexcusable obstruction of every type of discovery attempted by the plaintiffs"
U.S. for Use of Wiltec Guam v. Kahaluu Const
857 F.2d 600 (9th Cir. 1988) Cited 238 timesFinding that delayed deposition did not interfere with trial schedule or claims and thus did not prejudice opposing party, despite inconvenience
Porter v. Martinez
941 F.2d 732 (9th Cir. 1991) Cited 60 timesHolding that dismissal sanctions were not justified where litigant failed to comply with "massive discovery" requests based, in part, on fact that litigant was homeless, indigent and disabled and was proceeding pro se