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District Court of New Jersey Requires Production of Surveillance Video Prior to Plaintiff's Deposition - Gardner v. Norfolk Southern Corporation

Per the NJ Law Journal:

"A defendant in a personal injury case must turn over surveillance video to plaintiffs prior to deposing them, despite the objection that disclosure would defeat the footage's impeachment value.

"U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio's April 17 ruling, denying a protective order to Conrail, appears to be one of first impression in the District of New Jersey.

"Because the surveillance materials directly relate to the plaintiffs' physical condition, they have a substantive value in the case that goes beyond using them for impeachment and thus, permitting the delay sought by the defense 'would nullify the discovery process,' Donio wrote in Gardner v. Norfolk Southern Corporation.

"'Fairness concerns weigh against the kind of sandbagging involved when the moving party sets up grounds for impeachment by using undisclosed materials in an attempt to manufacture inconsistencies.'"

Full article after the jump...

U.S. Supreme Court Invalidates Political Donation Limits - MCCUTCHEON ET AL. v. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

Per Reuters:

"The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday expanded how much political donors can give candidates and parties in federal elections by striking down a key pillar of campaign finance law.

"On a 5-4 vote, the court struck down the overall limits on how much individuals can give to candidates, parties and political action committees in total during the federal two-year election cycle.

"The ruling leaves in place base limits on how much a donor can give individual candidates and laws that require candidates, parties and political action committees to disclose information about donors.

"The court was divided over how sweeping the ruling actually is. The biggest impact is that a single donor can now give the maximum amount by law to as many federal candidates, parties and committees as he or she wishes.

"The 5-4 split was along party lines, with the five justices appointed by Republican presidents joining the majority and the four appointed by Democratic presidents dissenting."

Full article and full decision after the jump...