Judge tells Chevy Centre manager to amend lawsuit

YOUNGSTOWN — A federal judge ordered the company managing the Chevrolet Centre to amend its breach of contract lawsuit against the city.

In the two-page court entry, U.S. District Court Judge David D. Dowd Jr. wrote that if International Coliseums Co.’s attorneys don’t amend the original Sept. 19 complaint by Oct. 12 they “may face sanctions,” including “striking the specific defense.”

When asked to comment, Mary Nance, executive vice president of The Miller Group, ICC’s Phoenix-based media adviser, only said the company’s attorneys have copies of the judge’s order. She declined further comment Thursday.

“It’s pretty clear the complaint as filed was insufficient and he’s instructed them to file an amended complaint,” said Mayor Jay Williams. “We felt from the very beginning this case was without merit.”

Judge Dowd “has a reputation for being a no-nonsense judge,” said Lewis R. Katz, the John C. Hutchins Professor of Law at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University, where he’s taught law for the past 42 years. “He demands attorneys on both sides of the case to be prepared and to file proper paperwork.”

While Katz doesn’t know the particulars of this case, he said the judge’s order puts ICC’s attorneys “on notice.”

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