The Scott Sibella court case took an unexpected turn on Nov. 28, when the judge recused herself from the lawsuit filed by gambler Robert Cipriani. The new judge, Miranda M. Du, will now need to rule on separate requests to dismiss by Sibella and co-defendant Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV), of which he was formerly the president. Cipriani’s legal team has just filed its response to Sibella’s motion and has until Dec. 6 to respond to RWLV’s.
On Nov. 28, the Nevada federal court granted US District Court Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey the recusal for an unspecified “good cause.” She was immediately replaced by Judge Du.
It’s unclear why Dorsey asked to be removed. Recusal is generally required when a conflict of interest or other factors may impact a judge’s impartiality.
Dorsey had been assigned to oversee the case on Oct. 10, the day after Cipriani filed the civil lawsuit.
Cipriani is alleging Sibella and RWLV knowingly allowed felons on the casino floor to gamble. Plus, he claims, the entities permitted one of those individuals to harass him. Sibella and RWLV deny the allegations.
Twenty docket entries later, Dorsey requested to be recused. The case can now resume with Du on the bench.
On Nov. 29, Cipriani’s legal team filed its response to Sibella’s request to dismiss the portion of the case naming him as a defendant.
Scott Sibella Court Case Continues
Cipriani initiated his suit against Sibella and RWLV on Oct. 9.
On Nov. 29, he replied to Sibella’s attempts to have the case dismissed with a 15-page-long Opposition to Scott Sibella’s Motion to Dismiss.
Sibella’s motion to dismiss is based on his selective and self-serving reading of the Complaint. He focuses on allegations that he believes supports his arguments while turning a blind eye to a plethora of allegations that form the actual basis of Plaintiff’s claims. The motion should be denied.
Cipriani has a deadline of Dec. 6 to reply to RWLV’s separate motion to dismiss his lawsuit against the casino.
That reply may address RWLV’s claim that Cipriani is suing frivolously in his own pursuit of fame and fortune.
RWLV’s motion alleged that Cipriani was using the legal action to gain social media followers and further his attempt to sell a fictional drama based on his life story to Sony TV. The protagonist of the proposed series is a gambler who becomes an FBI informant.
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