Great Southland Limited v. Landash Corporation

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedJanuary 28, 2022
Docket2:17-cv-00719
StatusUnknown

This text of Great Southland Limited v. Landash Corporation (Great Southland Limited v. Landash Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Great Southland Limited v. Landash Corporation, (S.D. Ohio 2022).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO EASTERN DIVISION

GREAT SOUTHLAND LIMITED,

Plaintiff, Case No.: 2:17-cv-719

vs. Judge Sarah D. Morrison

LANDASH CORPORATION, et al., Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Jolson

Defendants.

OPINION & ORDER

Several motions in limine bring this matter to the Court’s attention. Each is decided as noted below. I. STANDARD OF REVIEW A motion in limine is a pre-trial mechanism by which the Court can give the parties advance notice of the evidence upon which they may or may not rely to prove their theories of the case at trial. Although the Federal Rules of Evidence do not explicitly authorize a court to rule on an evidentiary motion in limine, the United States Supreme Court has noted that the practice of ruling on such motions “has developed pursuant to the district court’s inherent authority to manage the course of trials.” Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 41 n.4 (1984). The motions therefore serve “to narrow the issues remaining for trial and to minimize disruptions at trial.” United States v. Brawner, 173 F.3d 966, 970 (6th Cir. 1999). To obtain the in limine exclusion of evidence, a party must prove that the evidence is clearly inadmissible on all potential grounds. Luce, 469 U.S. at 41 n.4. Any motion in limine ruling, however, is “no more than a preliminary, or advisory, opinion that falls entirely within the discretion of the district court, and the district court may change its ruling where sufficient facts have developed that warrant the

change.” United States v. Yannott, 42 F.3d 999, 1007 (6th Cir. 1994). The Court will therefore entertain objections on individual proffers of evidence as they arise at trial, even though the proffered evidence falls within the scope of a denied motion in limine. United States v. Kistner, No. 2:11-cr-00283, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2129, at *4-5 (S.D. Ohio Jan. 7, 2013) (Frost, J.). II. XPO’S MOTIONS IN LIMINE

A. ECF No. 233: Motion in Limine No. 1 to Preclude GSL from Proceeding on a Negligent Hiring, Supervision, or Retention Claim.

Defendants XPO Logistics, Inc. and XPO Global Forwarding, Inc. (collectively “XPO”) argue that GSL’s Amended Complaint (ECF No. 144) fails to raise a claim for negligent hiring, supervision, or retention as to XPO’s employee, Defendant Afif Baltagi. XPO thus moves for an order precluding evidence or argument as to that “claim” at trial. (ECF No. 233.) GSL counters its controlling pleading satisfies Fed. R. Civ. P. 8’s lenient standard. (ECF No. 238.) In support, GSL highlights the following allegations contained within the Amended Complaint: Baltagi acted negligently while acting within the scope of his employment at XPO; XPO was liable for his negligent actions via respondeat superior; XPO had a duty to “hire, manage, and supervise . . . Baltagi”; and “XPO was negligent in its hiring, management, and supervision of Baltagi . . . .” (ECF No. 144, ¶ ¶ 224-226.) The Amended Complaint fails to satisfy Rule 8’s relaxed standards. The

noted allegations equate to nothing more than legal conclusions; absent from the Amended Complaint is “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (internal quotation omitted). Indeed, GSL points to no factual matter within the Amended Complaint addressing: (1) XPO’s actual or constructive knowledge of Baltagi’s incompetence; (2) XPO’s actual or constructive knowledge of Baltagi’s

propensity to engage in similar tortious conduct; (3) XPO’s act of causing GSL’s injuries short of simply employing Baltagi; and (4) XPO’s alleged negligence proximately causing GSL’s injuries, each of which are elements of a negligent hiring, supervision, and retention claim. Simpkins v. Grace Brethren Church of Delaware, 5th Dist. Delaware No. 13 CAE 10 73, 2014-Ohio-3465, ¶ 40, 16 N.E.3d 687, 701. See also Sitton v. Massage Odyssey, LLC, 1st Dist. Hamilton No. C- 190578, 2020-Ohio-4282, ¶ 12, 158 N.E.3d 156, 161. (“plaintiff must show that the

employer knew or should have known of the employee’s propensity to engage in similar tortious or criminal conduct.”) (internal quotation and citation omitted). In sum, reviewing the Amended Complaint in a light most favorable to GSL, the Court concludes that the pleading does not assert a claim for negligent hiring, supervision, and retention of Baltagi. XPO’s Motion to Preclude evidence and testimony at trial regarding such a claim is GRANTED. (ECF No. 233.) B. ECF No. 232: Motion in Limine No. 2 to Preclude GSL from Moving on a RICO Conspiracy Claim. XPO concedes the Amended Complaint sufficiently asserts a claim under 18 U.S.C. 1962(c). But XPO asserts that the Amended Complaint fails to adequately allege an 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) RICO conspiracy claim so that any RICO conspiracy evidence should be excluded at trial. (ECF No. 232.) In particular, XPO contends the Amended Complaint’s failure to allege that XPO “knowingly joined a conspiracy

to violate § 1962(c)” mandates the exclusion of such evidence. Id., PageID 3732. GSL relies on Count VI of the Amended Complaint, wherein GSL alleges that all defendants “violated RICO – 18 U.S.C. § 1961, et seq.”, and to paragraph 298, wherein GSL alleges all “Defendants have violated 18 U.S.C. § 1962 by, among other things, being employed or associated, directly or indirectly, in the enterprise and engaging in conduct through a pattern of racketeering activity” to argue the Amended Complaint put XPO on notice of a § 1962(d) claim. (ECF No. 144, PageID

1774 and ¶ 198; ECF No. 239, PageID 4047). GSL’s argument fails. Generic reference to a code section containing four subsections fails to put XPO on notice that GSL is bringing a claim under one of the unspecified four sections. Additionally, the Amended Compliant lacks a factual predicate sufficient to sustain a RICO conspiracy claim. Namely, the Amended Complaint does not allege or assert any facts regarding whether Baltagi intended to benefit XPO thorough his actions

or that XPO benefitted from the conspiracy. Trollinger v. Tyson Foods, No. 4:02-CV- 23, 2007 WL 1091217, at *4 (E.D. Tenn. Apr. 10, 2007) (citing Davis v. Mut. Life Ins. Co., 6 F.3d 367, 379 (6th Cir. 1993)). The Court has reviewed the Amended Complaint in a light most favorable to GSL and concludes that the pleading does not raise a claim for RICO conspiracy under § 1962(d). XPO’s Motion to Preclude GSL from Moving on a RICO Conspiracy

Claim is GRANTED. (ECF No. 232.) C. ECF No. 231: Motion in Limine No. 3 to Prohibit Plaintiff from Seeking Ponzi Scheme Interest.

GSL borrowed money from seven or eight unidentified investors to fund the Landash deal. (ECF No.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Luce v. United States
469 U.S. 38 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
509 U.S. 579 (Supreme Court, 1993)
Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael
526 U.S. 137 (Supreme Court, 1999)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
United States v. Leonard Joseph Yannott
42 F.3d 999 (Sixth Circuit, 1995)
United States v. Steven D. Brawner
173 F.3d 966 (Sixth Circuit, 1999)
Bethie Pride v. Bic Corporation Societe Bic, S.A.
218 F.3d 566 (Sixth Circuit, 2000)
In Re Scrap Metal Antitrust Litigation
527 F.3d 517 (Sixth Circuit, 2008)
Wellman v. Norfolk & Western Railway Co.
98 F. Supp. 2d 919 (S.D. Ohio, 2000)
Acme Co. v. Saunders TopSoil
2011 Ohio 6423 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2011)
Simpkins v. Grace Brethren Church of Delaware
2014 Ohio 3465 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2014)
Allied Erecting & Dismantling Co. v. City of Youngstown
783 N.E.2d 523 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2002)
Cynthia Madej v. Jeff Maiden
951 F.3d 364 (Sixth Circuit, 2020)
Sitton v. Massage Odyssey, L.L.C.
2020 Ohio 4282 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2020)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Great Southland Limited v. Landash Corporation, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/great-southland-limited-v-landash-corporation-ohsd-2022.