Over the past six months, federal judges across the country have had strong words and, in some cases, even stronger sanctions for litigants whose antics have stalled litigation at a time when judicial resources are stretched paper thin and courts are struggling to clear backlogged dockets.

The Driver:

Discovery delays are, of course, often calculated moves, typically by the defense. They’re also calculated risks, as the possibility of ticking off a judge by needlessly prolonging a case has always been a potential pitfall of such strategies.