Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District / Jun 12, 2018
Patrick M. Davis, Mandee Rowen Pingel and Davis/Pingel & Associates vs. Daniel Wieland
Attorneys Patrick Michael Davis, Mandee Rowen Pingel, and their firm appealed a $100,000 sanctions judgment imposed in a child custody modification case. This was the second appeal concerning sanctions against the attorneys for various instances of bad-faith conduct, including abusive pleadings and improper contact with expert witnesses. The appellate court affirmed the sanctions judgment, finding no abuse of discretion in the trial court's determination of bad faith and rejecting the attorneys' arguments regarding procedural protections and the nature of the sanctions.