Brad D. Greenspan v. News Corporation

COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE SAM GLASSCOCK III STATE OF DELAWARE COURT OF CHANCERY COURTHOUSE VICE CHANCELLOR 34 THE CIRCLE GEORGETOWN, DELAWARE 19947 Date Submitted: January 22, 2016 Date Decided: January 22, 2016 Brad Greenspan Kathaleen St. J. McCormick, Esquire 2995 Woodside Road, Suite 400 Daniel M. Kirshenbaum, Esquire Woodside, CA 94062 Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor 100 North King Street Gregory V. Varallo, Esquire Wilmington, DE 19899 Kevin M. Gallagher, Esquire Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. A. Thompson Bayliss, Esquire One Rodney Square Abrams & Bayliss LLP 920 North King Street 20 Montchanin Road, Suite 200 Wilmington, DE 19801 Wilmington, DE 19807 Kevin M. Coen, Esquire Daniel B. Rath, Esquire Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LP Rebecca L. Butcher, Esquire 1201 North Market Street Tyler O’Connell, Esquire Wilmington, DE 19801 Landis Rath & Cobb LLP 919 North Market Street Wilmington, DE 19801 Re: Brad D. Greenspan v. News Corporation, et al., Civil Action No. 9567-VCG Dear Counsel and Mr. Greenspan: I have Mr. Greenspan’s “Application for Certification of Interlocutory Appeal,” which attaches an “Additional Motion 59(A) New Trial,” filed today. This pleading is largely incomprehensible to me. There has been no “trial” in this matter; to the extent Mr. Greenspan seeks to reargue my decision granting certain Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss, I have already disposed of that motion by Letter Opinion of this date, and further reargument is untimely. To the extent Mr. Greenspan seeks an interlocutory appeal, the pleading states no grounds supporting such an appeal, and I have attached an Order denying certification of an interlocutory appeal. Mr. Greenspan’s pleading seems in reality to be a request that I recuse myself from this proceeding. His sole ground is that by Letter Opinion of January 6, 2016, I referred to him as an “enthusiastic” pro se plaintiff, to which appellation he takes offense, and from which he concludes I am biased against him. To the latter point, I bear absolutely no ill-will or bias against Mr. Greenspan, nor can I conceive of any reason why I cannot render an impartial adjudication in this matter. As to the former, I do not consider enthusiasm to be a quality implying censure, nor “enthusiastic” an epithet. I characterized the Plaintiff as “enthusiastic” based upon the vigor, initiative, and even brio he has demonstrated by filing many, many pro se pleadings in this Court. Mr. Greenspan points out that “enthusiasm,” according to Merriam-Webster, implies not only eagerness, but “eager enjoyment,” and argues strenuously that he takes no enjoyment from these proceedings. If so, it is not the first time I have employed one word where another would have been more appropriate. Nonetheless, despite my lack of erudition, no disrespect was meant. To the extent this pleading may be characterized as a motion to recuse, that motion is denied. 2 IT IS SO ORDERED. A separate order declining to certify an interlocutory appeal is attached. Sincerely, /s/ Sam Glasscock III Sam Glasscock III 3 IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE BRAD D. GREENSPAN, : : Plaintiff, : : v. : C.A. No. 9567-VCG : ST NEWS CORPORATION, 21 : CENTURY FOX CORPORATION, : NEWS AMERICA CORPORATION, : WASHINGTON POST : CORPORATION, SONY : CORPORATION, SONY : CORPORATION AMERICA, SONY : MUSTIC ENTERTAINMENT INC., 550 : DIGITAL MEDIA VENTURES, INC., : SONY BROADBAND : ENTERTAINMENT, INC., : EUNIVERSE, INC., RGRD LAW LLC, : NTAGEPOINT VENTURE : PARTNERS, ORRICK HERRINGTON : LAW LLC, EM1 MUSIC, WARNER : MUSIC GROUP, IAC CORPORATION, : MYSPACE, INC., ASKJEEVES, INC., : JP MORGAN CHASE : CORPORATION, REDPOINT : PARTNERS CORPORATION, and : ARENT FOX LAW LLC INC., : : Defendants. : ORDER DENYING LEAVE TO APPEAL FROM INTERLOCUTORY ORDER AND NOW, TO WIT, this 22nd day of January, 2016, the Plaintiff having made application under Rule 42 of the Supreme Court for an order certifying an appeal from the interlocutory order of this Court, dated January 6, 2016; and the Court having found that such order lacks a substantial issue of material importance that merits appellate review before a final judgment and that the none of the criteria of Supreme Court Rule 42(b)(iii) apply; IT IS ORDERED that certification to the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware for disposition in accordance with Rule 42 of that Court, is DENIED. /s/ Sam Glasscock III Vice Chancellor