When I started this blog I asked fellow attorneys what issues they would like me to address. I received this response from a lawyer in San Francisco:

“Key problem – judges that won't crack down on parties that lodge bogus objections and don't answer interrogs, and object to discovery demands that are straight forward. Amount of sanctions awarded is usually pitiful.”

I can easily respond to this complaint by saying “Judges want to be liked,” or “Maybe the judge was intimidated by the big law firm” or “The judge is trying to establish a working relationship with the parties and awarding sanctions makes the losing party more hostile” or “The judge may have seen fault on both sides of the table.” However, the bottom line is I dont know why your judge didn’t give you sanctions and neither do you, unless you argued the issue at the hearing.

In order to overcome the reluctance of the judge, you need to be proactive in your moving papers and your arguments at the hearing regarding your request for sanctions.