Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_09-cv-00908/USCOURTS-casd-3_09-cv-00908-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 18:1962 Racketeering (RICO) Act

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

- 1 - 09cv0908

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MICHAEL IRICK,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 09cv0908 JM(AJB)

ORDER VACATING ENTRY OF

vs. DEFAULT (DOCKET NO. 10)

GRAHAM NOBLE & ASSOCIATES, et al.,

Defendants.

On the court’s own motion, the Clerk’s Entry of Default (Docket No. 10) is hereby vacated.

As a prerequisite to entry of default, Fed.R.Civ.P. 55(a) requires that the party seeking entry of default

must show by “affidavit or otherwise” that the prospective defaulting party “has failed to plead or

otherwise defend” the action. Fed.R.Civ.P. 55(a). The original complaint, filed on April 29, 2009,

named Graham Noble & Associates as the only defendant. (Docket No. 1). Plaintiff also submitted

a returned executed summons for this defendant. (Docket No. 3). 

The First Amended Complaint, filed on June 30, 2009, named four additional defendants:

Graham, Noble & Associates, L.L.C.; Graham & Noble; Graham, Noble & Associates Bookkeeping;

and Graham Beagle and Associates, Inc. (Docket No. 4). There is no returned executed summons for

any of these four defendants. Furthermore, the proof of service submitted by Plaintiff in support of

his request for entry of default’s represents that these four defendants were served by mail. (Docket

No. 9-2). As simple mail service is inadequate to commence the action against the four new

defendants, Fed.R.Civ.P. 4, these defendants, based upon the record currently before the court, are

Case 3:09-cv-00908-JM-AJB Document 11 Filed 12/16/09 Page 1 of 2
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

- 2 - 09cv0908

under no obligation to “plead or otherwise defend” the action. Fed.R.Civ.P. 55(a). Consequently,

Plaintiff fails to establish that entry of default is warranted under the circumstances and the court

vacates the Clerk’s Entry of Default. Nothing in this order prevents Plaintiff from seeking, a third

time, to establish default.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: December 16, 2009

 Hon. Jeffrey T. Miller

 United States District Judge

cc: All parties

Case 3:09-cv-00908-JM-AJB Document 11 Filed 12/16/09 Page 2 of 2