SAN FRANCISCO When Gregory Haynes faced $360,000 in sanctions for litigation misconduct, he argued to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White that he couldn’t afford to pay it. Haynes, a San Francisco solo practitioner, claimed he had no assets and income of only $20,000 a year.
White sanctioned him anyway, pointing to a Seventh Circuit decision by Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook that an attorney’s ability to pay should have no bearing on sanctions, which are meant not only to deter misconduct but also compensate the litigation opponent for wasted time and money.
