Contempt For Pursuing Discovery

The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld a contempt citation against an attorney who had filed suit on behalf of a client suing the Chancellor and President of the University of Arkansas for an alleged  failure to properly investigate a campaign of email harassment against a student-athlete. The attorney had sought third-party discovery shortly after suit was filed. The suit was dismissed with an order that discovery cease. The attorney refiled the suit and continued efforts at discovery. The attorney was found to have violated the dismissal/stay order by pressing discovery and disclosing information obtained as a result to a newspaper. The court also rejected claims of bias on the part of the trial court against the attorney. (Mike Frisch)