Asks the court to punish litigation misconduct — frivolous filings, discovery abuse, or evidence destruction.
A request asking the court to penalize the opposing party (or their lawyer) for misconduct — frivolous filings under Rule 11, discovery abuse under Rule 37, or destruction of evidence under Rule 37(e). Penalties range from monetary fines to evidence preclusion to default judgment.
Most often filed after a party violates a discovery order, destroys responsive documents, or makes representations to the court without evidentiary support. Rule 11 motions require a 21-day safe-harbor letter before filing.
Opposes by disputing the misconduct, arguing the position was substantially justified, or asserting the sanction sought is disproportionate.
Granted (fees, fines, evidentiary sanctions, adverse-inference instruction, or in extreme cases default), denied (no misconduct or harmless), or granted with a lesser sanction. Severe sanctions like dismissal require willful conduct.