(PC) Garces v. Gamboa

District Court, E.D. California·Decided November 7, 2022·No. 1:21-cv-00392·Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 LUIS MANUEL GARCES, Case No. 1:21-cv-00392-JLT-EPG (PC) 12 Plaintiff, ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO REVOKE CONSENT TO MAGISTRATE 13 v. JUDGE (Doc. 68) 14 D. HERNANDEZ, et al., ORDER OVERRULING PLAINTIFF’S OBJECTIONS AND DENYING PLAINTIFF’S 15 Defendants. REQUEST TO WITHDRAW CONSENT (Doc. 70) 16 ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S 17 RENEWED REQUESTS FOR ENTRY OF DEFAULT AND DEFAULT JUDGMENT 18 (Doc. 74) 19 ORDER DENYING MISCELLANEOUS RELIEF (Docs. 66, 69, 75) 20 21 Luis Manuel Garces proceeds pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil action pursuant to 22 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Currently before the Court are various motions, objections, and filings 23 submitted by Plaintiff: a second motion for extension of time, (Doc. 69), a motion for the Court to 24 hear the amended complaint, lodged objections, motion for default judgment, and request for 25 extension of time, (Doc. 66), a motion to revoke consent to the assigned magistrate judge, (Doc. 26 68), objections to the magistrate judge’s ruling and request to withdraw consent, (Doc. 70), a 27 reply to Defendants’ counterclaims, (Doc. 71), a reply to Defendants’ answer and renewed 28 request for entry of default and default judgment against Defendants, (Doc. 74), and a motion for 1 an extension of time to respond to Defendants’ scheduling statement, (Doc. 75). 2 For the following reasons, the Court will deny Plaintiff’s motion to revoke consent, 3 motion for the Court to act, renewed request for entry of default and motion for default judgment, 4 and motions for extensions of time. The Court warns Plaintiff that further frivolous filings may 5 result in sanctions up to and including dismissal of this action. 6 I. BACKGROUND 7 On August 30, 2022, this Court issued an order adopting findings and recommendations 8 that Plaintiff’s request for entry of default be denied. (Doc. 62.) The Court also denied Plaintiff’s 9 motion for default judgment. (Id. at 2-3.) Plaintiff had objected to the findings and 10 recommendations on the grounds that “the magistrate judge exceeded her authority in granting the 11 extensions of time for Defendants to respond to his complaint.” (Id. at 2 (internal citations 12 omitted).) Furthermore, Plaintiff asserted the findings and recommendations were contrary to the 13 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure based on the fact that Defendants were granted a 90-day 14 extension, but did not file an answer. (Id.) The Court noted that “the Federal Rules of Civil 15 Procedure clearly authorize the Court to extend the deadline to file a responsive pleading for good 16 cause.” (Id.) As the Court explained, entry of default, and thus, default judgment, would be 17 premature because Defendants filed a responsive pleading within the deadline. (Id. at 2-3.) 18 On August 31, 2022, Plaintiff filed a motion for a 21-day extension of time to respond to 19 Defendants’ answer. (Doc. 64.) The magistrate judge denied Plaintiff’s request on September 6, 20 2022. (Doc. 65.) 21 On September 6, 2022, Plaintiff filed a second motion for extension of time to respond to 22 “both Defendants answers.” (Doc. 69.) Plaintiff asserts that his first request for extension of time 23 was submitted on August 25, 2022, and that his request was “ignored by the magistrate judge.” 24 (Id. at 1.) 25 On September 8, 2022, Plaintiff filed a request for “this District Court to move the Court 26 to Process the Second/Third Amended Complaint that has been sent to this Court, as well as 27 objection to Magistrate Judge; Motion for Default Judgment, and Request for Extension of time.” 28 (Doc. 66.) Plaintiff requests that the Court issue a decision on his motion for leave to amend and 1 motion for default judgment. (Id. at 1-2.) Plaintiff also states that the Court has taken no action at 2 all regarding his motion for default judgment that was submitted on July 29, 2022, or his request 3 for an extension of time that was submitted on August 25, 2022. (Id. at 2.) Plaintiff further asserts 4 that in not promptly hearing his objections to the magistrate judge the Court is “harassing the 5 Plaintiff” by forcing him to respond to untimely answers. (Id.) Plaintiff also request the Court to 6 “stop” Defendants from filing motions or requests until a resolution is reached on Plaintiff’s 7 pending motions. (Id. at 3.) 8 On September 12, 2022, Plaintiff filed a motion to revoke consent to the assigned 9 magistrate judge. (Doc. 68.) Plaintiff alleges that United States Magistrate Judge Erica P. 10 Grosjean is biased toward Defendants and has not properly followed the Federal Rules of Civil 11 Procedure. (Id. at 1.) Plaintiff also states that his motion for leave to amend the complaint “has 12 been submitted to her office of the Clerk with no avail.” (Id. at 2.) For those reasons, Plaintiff 13 states that he withdraws magistrate consent and requests the Court to assign his case to a District 14 Judge. (Id.) 15 On September 16, 2022, Plaintiff filed objections to the magistrate’s denial of Plaintiff’s 16 request for extension of time, and a request to withdraw consent. (Doc. 70.) Plaintiff asserts that 17 the magistrate judge screened Plaintiff’s complaint without providing Plaintiff “the opportunity to 18 reply to Defendants’ counterclaims that has been submitted to Plaintiff in the Defendants’ 19 answer.” (Id. at 1.) Further, Plaintiff objects to the magistrate judge’s denial of his request for an 20 extension of time to respond to Defendants’ answer. (Id. at 2.) Plaintiff requests this Court to 21 withdraw consent to the magistrate judge, and to grant his request for a 21-day extension. (Id. at 22 3.) 23 Plaintiff subsequently filed a reply addressing Defendants’ counterclaims on September 24 19, 2022. (Doc. 71.) On October 3, 2022, Plaintiff filed a second reply to Defendants’ answer. 25 (Doc. 74.) Plaintiff asserts that Defendants have failed to answer the complaint according to the 26 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (Id. at 20.) Further, Plaintiff requests that this Court grant his 27 “declaration for entry of default and his filed motion for default judgment.” (Id.) 28 On October 14, 2022, Plaintiff filed an “emergency request” for a 30-day extension of 1 time to respond to Defendants’ scheduling statement. (Doc. 75.) 2 II. LEGAL STANDARDS REGARDING FRIVOLOUS FILINGS 3 A. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11 4 Federal “Rule [of Civil Procedure] 11 provides for the imposition of sanctions when a 5 filing is frivolous, legally unreasonable, or without factual foundation, or is brought for an 6 improper purpose.” Simpson v. Lear Astronics Corp., 77 F.3d 1170, 1177 (9th Cir. 1996) 7 (footnote omitted). Rule 11 sanctions may be imposed on “a showing of objectively unreasonable 8 conduct.” In re DeVille, 361 F.3d 539, 548 (9th Cir. 2004). 9 “‘Although Rule 11 applies to pro se plaintiffs, the court must take into account a 10 plaintiff’s pro se status when it determines whether the filing was reasonable.’” Warren v. 11 Guelker, 29 F.3d 1386, 1390 (9th Cir. 1994) (quoting Harris v. Heinrich, 919 F.2d 1515, 1516 12 (11th Cir. 1990).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

(PC) Garces v. Gamboa, (E.D. Cal. 2022).

(PC) Garces v. Gamboa ((PC) Garces v. Gamboa) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related