United States v. Dish Network LLC

256 F. Supp. 3d 810, 2017 WL 2427297, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85543
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. Illinois
DecidedJune 5, 2017
DocketNo. 09-3073
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 256 F. Supp. 3d 810 (United States v. Dish Network LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Dish Network LLC, 256 F. Supp. 3d 810, 2017 WL 2427297, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85543 (C.D. Ill. 2017).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

Sue E. Myerscough, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

. This matter came before the Court on January 19, 2016, for a bench trial. The first phase of the bench trial was completed on February 17, 2016. The trial resumed, on October 26, 2016. The Court heard testimony on October 25-27, 2016 and November 2, 2016. The Plaintiff United States appeared by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Runkle, Lisa Hsiao, and Sang Lee, and also by Federal Trade Commission Attorney Russell Deitch and Gary Ivens; the Plaintiff State of California appeared by Assistant Attorneys General Jinsook Ohta, Jon Worm, and Adelina Acuna; the Plaintiff State of Illinois appeared by Assistant Attorneys General Paul Isaac, Elizabeth Backston, and Philip Heimlich; the Plaintiff State of North Carolina appeared by Assistant Attorney General David Kirkman and Teresa Townsend; and the Plaintiff State of Ohio appeared by Assistant Attorneys General Erin Leahy and Jeff Loeser. The Defendant Dish Network, LLC (Dish) appeared by attorneys Peter Bicks, Elyse Echtman, John Ewald, Jamie Shookman, Shasha Zou, Louisa Irving, Joseph Boyle, and Lauri Mazzuchetti.1 Dish’s in-house counsel Stanton Dodge, Larry Katzin, and Brett Kitei also appeared. On November 2, 2016, the parties and the witness appeared by videoconference, except that Dish in-house counsel Dodge’s and Kitei’s and California’s counsel Ohta and Acuna appeared by telephone.

The Plaintiffs alleged twelve counts against Dish for violations of federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting certain outbound telemarketing calls (Do-Not-Call Laws). The term “Do-Not-Call” is also sometimes referred to as “DNC.” The Plaintiffs allege that.Dish violated the Telemarketing Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act (Telemarketing Act), 15 U.S.C. § 6101 et seq.; the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), 47 U.S.C. § 227; the Telephone Sales Rule (TSR) promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) pursuant to the Telemarketing Act, 16 C.F.R. Part 310; the Rule (FCC Rule) promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pursuant to the TCPÁ, 47 C.F.R. 64.1200 et seq.; the California Do-Not-Call Law, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17592(c); the California Unfair Competition Law, Cal’ Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200; the North Carolina Do-Not-Call Law, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-102(a); the North Carolina Automatic Telephone Dialer Law, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-104; the Illinois Automatic Telephone Dialers Act (IATDA), 815 ILCS 305/1 et seq.; and the Ohio Consumer Sales Protection Act, Ohio Rev. Code §§ 1345.02 and 1345.03. Third Amended Complaint (d/e 483), Count I-XII. For a detailed discussion of the applicable statutes and rules, see Opinion entered December 14, 2014 (d/e 445) (Opinion 445), 75 F.Supp.3d 942, 954-62, 1026-31 (C.D. Ill. 2014), vacated in part on reconsideration, 80 F.Supp.3d 917 (C.D. Ill. 2015). The Court entered partial summary judgment on some the Plaintiffs’ claims. Opinion 445, 75 F.Supp.3d at 1032-34.

For the reasons set forth below, this Court enters judgment in favor of the Plaintiffs United States and the States of California, Illinois, North Carolina, and Ohio and against Defendant Dish on [818]*818Counts I, II, III, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, and XII of the Third Amended Complaint and judgment in favor of. Plaintiff United States and against Defendant Dish on the claim that Defendant provided substantial assistance to Dish Order Entry Retailer Star Satellite as alleged in Count IV of the Third Amended Complaint, and judgment in favor o'f Defendant Dish and against the United States on the claim that Dish provided substantial assistance to Dish Order Entry Retailer Dish TV Now as alleged in Count IV ■ of the Third Amended Complaint. The Court enters judgment in favor of Defendant Dish' and against Plaintiff State of Illinois on Count-XI of the Third Amended Complaint.

The Court awards civil penalties and statutory damages in favor of the Plaintiffs United States and the States of California, Illinois, -North Carolina, and Ohio and against Defendant Dish-in Counts. I, II; III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, and XII of the Third Amended Complaint in the total súm of $280,000,000.00. The amount awarded in each Count is set forth below in the Conclusion.

The Court also enters.a.Permanent injunction in favor of the Plaintiffs and against Defendant Dish Network, L.L.C. in the manner set forth in the separate Permanent Injunction Order filed with this Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.

The following constitutes findings of fact and conclusions of law for the issues remaining for trial. Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(a).

This case is complex and covers years of telemarketing by Dish and numerous related- entities, The Court organizes the findings of fact under various headings. The organizational structure does not limit any findings to any particular issue. Unless otherwise indicated, all findings of fact may be relevant to all issues.

JURISDICTION

This Court has jurisdiction to hear the United States’ claims in Counts I-IV pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ .1331, 1337(a), 1345, and 1365; Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act), Í5 U.S.C. §§ 45(m)(l)(A), 53(b), 56(a), and 57(b); and the Telemarketing Act, 15 U.S.C. § 6105(a) & (b). The FTC authorized the Attorney General to commence this action on behalf of the United States pursuant to' FTC Act § 56(a). This Court has jurisdiction to hear the -Plaintiff States’ TCPA claims in Counts V & VI' pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1337(a), 1345, and 1355; and exclusive jurisdiction pursuant to TCPA, 47 U.S.C. § 227(g)(2). This Court has supplemental jurisdiction to hear the Plaintiff States’ state law claims in Counts VII-XII pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a).

Dish argues that the Plaintiff States lack standing to bring the TCPA claims alleged in Counts V and VI. A lack of standing is jurisdictional, Steel Co. v.

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256 F. Supp. 3d 810, 2017 WL 2427297, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85543, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-dish-network-llc-ilcd-2017.