Judge denies Vince McMahon’s motion to enforce stay order in Janel Grant lawsuit

Vince McMahon’s motion to enforce a federal court’s stay order against Janel Grant has been denied.

Grant filed a petition in the state of Connecticut last month seeking to obtain medical records related to her treatment with Dr. Carlon Colker at Peak Wellness, which she alleges were arranged through McMahon. The following week, McMahon’s lawyers argued that Grant filing the petition violated the federal stay order that had been placed on Grant’s lawsuit against McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis back in June.

“After telling the Federal Court that she would pause her lawsuit, Ms. Grant immediately violated the Stay Order seeking one-sided discovery for her own benefit,” McMahon’s lawyer Jessica Taub said in response to Grant’s petition.

McMahon’s lawyers asked the court to prevent Grant from obtaining the materials from Peak Wellness. They also asked that Grant be subject to contempt and financial sanction.

Grant’s lawyers responded that the petition wasn’t subject to the federal stay order since it was filed in a state court and neither Dr. Colker nor Peak Wellness are defendants in Grant’s lawsuit against McMahon and WWE.

“We did not violate a federal stay by filing a state action against a non-defendant,” Grant’s lawyer Ann Callis responded.

Today, Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer ruled that the stay order does not apply to Grant’s petition to obtain medical records from Peak Wellness.

“The Court does not interpret its entry of the stay order to apply to state court proceedings that are outside the scope of discovery prescribed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure governing the conduct of discovery in federal court litigation.”

“Federal district courts do not ordinarily regulate or sit in review of proceedings in state courts, and the Court’s stay order did not purport to extend to any state court proceedings. If there is any objection to state court proceedings, relief should in state court rather than in this Court. Accordingly, the Court DENIES defendant McMahon’s motion to enforce the Court’s stay order for failure to show that there has been a violation of the Court’s stay order. It is so ordered.”

On Wednesday, McMahon’s lawyer offered the following statement to WON/F4W and other media:

“Ms. Grant’s attempt to seek discovery in state court despite a stay in federal court exemplifies her consistently deceitful behavior and lack of integrity; we will, per the Federal Court’s order, continue to pursue a court order to stop her,” Jessica Taub Rosenberg, partner, Akin Gump, counsel to Vince McMahon