Anita Lee has the story of Judge Ackers ruling yesterday in Renfroe v Rigsby along with a copy of his order denying Renfroe’s motion to compel – and today’s updated version.
Two Ocean Springs sisters who adjusted State Farm Katrina claims already are bound by a court ruling to return company records they took, a federal judge has ruled in denying a motion to compel the women to turn over missing records.
Alabama-based E.A. Renfroe claims that former employees Cori and Kerri Rigsby violated a employee confidentiality agreement and the Alabama Trade Secrets Act when they took State Farm Katrina records in late 2005 through June 2006. The sisters say they took the records because State Farm was trying to cheat policyholders, an allegation the company denies…
After Renfroe sued the Rigsbys in September 2006, presiding Judge William M. Acker Jr. issued an injunction ordering that they turn over the State Farm records to Renfroe’s attorneys. As a result, boxloads of documents were returned.
Renfroe argued Thursday that one set of records has not been returned – documents that pertained to policyholders represented by attorney Dickie Scruggs. The Rigsbys have said they do not know what became of those documents, which were stored in a boot box. Renfroe wanted Acker to compel the Rigsbys to return those records.
But Acker ruled that his injunction already covers all records the Rigsbys took and that they can not return records they don’t possess.
On Friday, Renfroe argued in a court document that the company should be entitled to recover any benefit the Rigsbys have received from the records they took…
Two Ocean Springs sisters who adjusted State Farm Katrina claims already are bound by a court order to return company records they took, a federal judge ruled Thursday in refusing to compel the women to turn over some of those records to their former employer, independent adjusting firm E.A. Renfroe.
Alabama-based Renfroe sued former adjusters Cori and Kerri Rigsby in September 2006, claiming they violated a employee confidentiality agreement and the Alabama Trade Secrets Act when they took Katrina claims files. The sisters say they took the records because they believed State Farm was wrongly working to minimize policyholder claims after the unprecedented disaster. State Farm has denied any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, back in Alabama, the Rigsby sisters still have one wheel in the ditch; and, as Judge Acker’s scheduling order indicates, many more miles to go. Today’s updated story in the Sun Herald includes Renfroe’s response to the Rigsby motion for summary judgment.
Maybe now that a judge has recognized they can’t give what they don’t have, their depositions will be viewed in a similar fashion – they couldn’t answer what they didn’t know regardless of how many ways it was asked or how many times their meaningless response is offered as evidence of something it was not.
This updated post references both Sun Herald stories – and have a great weekend!
This guy Acker was to the point with that order. Renfroe/State Farm must be looking for something because the Rigsbys testified that they have turned over all documents,what gives.
Wish I knew, duesouth. Do you have any idea what it could be?
I bet that SFRenfroe KNOW particular documents the gals purloined (love that word and gotta work it in whenever ya can,) and are setting up another “gotcha” because if they have the proof the girls got them and then the Rigsbys say they dont have them, it will cause them other credibility issues.
Could be, Lurker, be sure and read the Motion I just posted – and welcome to slabbed.