UPDATE: Plaintiff Files Oppositions to All Motions to Dismiss
Date: September 3, 2025
Event: On September 3, 2025, Plaintiff filed timely oppositions to all three pending Motions to Dismiss in Strickland v. Ramsey County, et al. These included:
- State Defendants: Opposition addressing referees Clysdale, Larmouth, Rossow, Elsmore, and court administrator Nicole Rueger.
- County Defendants: Opposition responding to Ramsey County’s institutional liability arguments.
- Barna, Guzy & Steffen (BGS): Opposition filed despite the absence of a supporting memorandum, which BGS did not submit until September 4. As a result, the opposition to BGS was necessarily as bare as their own defective filing.
Context and Concerns
The filing of all three oppositions on the same day underscores Plaintiff’s effort to preserve procedural timelines despite repeated irregularities by the defendants. The BGS delay in filing its memorandum until September 4 not only created asymmetry in the briefing schedule, but also highlighted a pattern of disregard for deadlines by private counsel aligned with Ramsey County’s litigation posture.
Appearance of Procedural Imbalance
Plaintiff has raised concerns that the staggered filing of memoranda creates an unfair burden, forcing her to respond without the benefit of the full arguments being advanced. While the County and State defendants submitted formal briefs, BGS’s late filing effectively deprived Plaintiff of a meaningful opportunity to engage with their arguments at the opposition stage.