Kelly v. United States

281 F.R.D. 270, 2012 WL 874829, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34291
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. North Carolina
DecidedMarch 14, 2012
DocketNo. 7:10-CV-172-FL
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 281 F.R.D. 270 (Kelly v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kelly v. United States, 281 F.R.D. 270, 2012 WL 874829, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34291 (E.D.N.C. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER

LOUISE W. FLANAGAN, District Judge.

This matter comes before the court on plaintiffs’ motions to compel (DE #37, 47). Plaintiffs’ motions have been fully briefed and the issues raised are ripe for review. For the reasons that follow, plaintiffs’ motions are granted in part and denied in part. Plaintiffs’ motions for oral argument are denied.1

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

This is an action pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2671, et seq. (“FTCA”), to recover damages for injuries allegedly suffered by Morgan Kelly, a minor, at United States Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (“Camp Lejeune”). Morgan Kelly’s parents, Pamela Kelly and Terry Kelly, join their daughter as plaintiffs in this action.

Plaintiffs filed complaint on September 2, 2010. Defendant filed answer on December 29, 2010, stating several affirmative defenses. The court conducted a telephonic scheduling conference on February 23, 2011, and afterward entered a preliminary case management order providing for an initial period of written discovery to be completed by April 1, 2011, and for all Rule 12 motions to be filed by May 15, 2011. Further discovery in the [273]*273case was stayed pending resolution of any motions pursuant to Rule 12.

On May 15, 2011, plaintiffs filed motion to strike defendant’s affirmative defenses pursuant to Rule 12(f), or in the alternative, for partial judgment pursuant to Rule 12(c). On July 6, 2011, defendant filed motion for judgment on the pleadings. The motion asserts that the court does not have subject matter jurisdiction over the instant matter based on the discretionary function exception to the FTCA, 28 U.S.C. § 2680(a). On August 11, 2011, the court granted in part and denied in part plaintiffs’ motion to strike. The court allowed defendant’s affirmative defense as to plaintiff Pamela Kelly’s waiver of her daughter, Morgan’s, claims.

On September 26, 2011, the court entered second consent order amending the preliminary case management order, lodged on the docket at entry 36. The second consent order set forth certain deadlines for the conduct of limited discovery, as requested by plaintiffs, relating to defendant’s Rule 12(c) discretionary function motion. (DE #36, ¶ 1.) The order further provided that other disputed discovery matters “not raised, adjudicated, or that are otherwise deferred shall not be deemed waived in the event discovery proceeds after resolution of defendant’s Rule 12(c) motion or the continuation of discovery upon further order of the Court.” (Id. ¶ 4.)

On January 5, 2012, upon being alerted that multiple discovery disputes had arisen in this case, particularly the filing of the instant motions to compel on October 11, 2011, and January 3, 2012, the court entered order staying briefing on defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings.

BACKGROUND

In July, 2007, Morgan Kelly, then a fifteen-year-old high school student, was a cadet in the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (“NJROTC”) program at her high school. As part of the program, she voluntarily attended an orientation visit to Camp Lejeune. The United States Marines Corps (“the Marines”) required all NJROTC cadets attending the orientation visit to sign a waiver, which was drafted by the Marines, before being allowed to enter Camp Lejeune. The Marines also required the parent or guardian of any cadet who was a minor to sign the waiver. Morgan Kelly and her mother, Pamela Kelly, both signed the waiver, which is dated July 20, 2007.

The NJROTC group arrived at Camp Lejeune on July 23, 2007. On July 25, 2007, Morgan Kelly participated in scheduled training activities at the confidence course. On the last obstacle, called the “Slide for Life” (“SFL”), Morgan Kelly fell as she was climbing and suffered unspecified but allegedly serious injuries. Plaintiffs seek damages in excess of ten million dollars ($10,000,-000.00).

DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

Generally, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26 governs discovery practice in federal court. Rule 26(b) provides that “[ujnless otherwise limited by court order, the scope of discovery is as follows: Parties may obtain discovery regarding any nonprivileged matter that is relevant to any party’s claim or defense — including the existence, description, nature, custody, condition, and location of any documents or other tangible things and the identity and location of persons who know of any discoverable matter ... Relevant information need not be admissible at the trial if the discovery appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b)(1).

In this case, both parties acknowledge that discovery has proceeded on a limited basis, specifically as to the arguments raised in defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings regarding the discretionary function exception to the FTCA. A general understanding of the exception as well as interpretation of it in the case law is necessary to set forth here in order to clearly delineate the limited scope of discovery to determine whether plaintiffs’ requests for discovery are reasonable or are outside of the permissible scope.2

[274]*274Title 28 of United States Code, section 2680 sets forth the discretionary function exception to the FTCA. The statute provides in relevant part:

The provisions of this chapter and section 1346(b) of this title shall not apply to — (a) Any claim based upon an act or omission of an employee of the Government, exercising due care, in the execution of a statute or regulation, whether or not such statute or regulation be valid, or based upon the exercise or performance or the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or duty on the part of a federal agency or an employee of the Government, whether or not the discretion involved be abused.

28 U.S.C. § 2680(a). The Supreme Court has established a two-step analysis for applying the discretionary function exception in United States v. Gaubert, 499 U.S. 315, 111 S.Ct. 1267, 113 L.Ed.2d 335 (1991) and Berkovitz v. United States, 486 U.S. 531, 108 S.Ct. 1954, 100 L.Ed.2d 531 (1988). The Fourth Circuit has interpreted the same in Smith v. Wash. Metro. Area Transit Auth., 184 Fed.Appx. 311, 315 (4th Cir.2006):

The Supreme Court has set forth a two-tiered analysis for determining whether official conduct is discretionary for purposes of § 2680(a). First, “a court must consider whether the action is a matter of choice for the acting employee____[Conduct cannot be discretionary unless it involves an element of judgment or choice.” [Berkovitz, 486 U.S. at 536,108 S.Ct.

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281 F.R.D. 270, 2012 WL 874829, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34291, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kelly-v-united-states-nced-2012.