Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_00-cv-01733/USCOURTS-caed-2_00-cv-01733-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights 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 1

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JEAN MILLER,

Plaintiff,

v.

COUNTY OF BUTTE, et al.,

Defendants.

_____________________________/

CIV. NO. S-00-1733 EJG/JFM

ORDER CONFIRMING WITHDRAWAL OF

ATTORNEY; VACATING AND

CONTINUING STATUS CONFERENCE

This matter is before the court on plaintiff’s request for a

continuance of the status conference currently scheduled for

March 3, 2006. Defendants have timely filed their status

conference report. Plaintiff has failed to file a report and has

instead requested a continuance of the status conference to

enable her previous attorney, George Kezios, to formally

withdraw, and to allow her to retain new counsel. After

reviewing the file, the court issues the following order.

BACKGROUND

This case was remanded from the Ninth Circuit Court of

Appeals in a memorandum filed November 16, 2005. In an order

Case 2:00-cv-01733-EJG -JFM Document 117 Filed 02/28/06 Page 1 of 3
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 2

filed December 19, 2005 the court set a status conference for

January 27, 2006. In a letter dated January 12, 2006, plaintiff

informed the court that she was no longer represented by her

previous attorney and requested a continuance of the status

conference until early March to allow her to retain new counsel. 

The court granted the request.

Now, on the eve of the status conference, set at a time and

on a date requested by plaintiff, she is again seeking a

continuance, and for the same reasons articulated six weeks ago. 

The court is ready to proceed with this case now, as are the

defendants, and the court does not take lightly plaintiff’s

multiple requests to extend indefinitely these proceedings. 

Accordingly, the court issues the following orders.

1. Attorney George Kezios’s request to withdraw, made at

plaintiff’s request and with her agreement as indicated in

multiple documents filed with the court in recent weeks, is

GRANTED. 

2. Plaintiff’s request to continue the status conference to

retain new counsel is GRANTED. However, since plaintiff has

already had two months to seek new counsel, the continuance will

be short. 

3. The status conference currently set for March 3, 2006 is

VACATED and reset for April 7, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. Plaintiff, or

her attorney if she has retained one by that date, shall file a

status report seven days prior to the conference addressing

Case 2:00-cv-01733-EJG -JFM Document 117 Filed 02/28/06 Page 2 of 3
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 3

future scheduling of the case. The status conference will

proceed regardless of whether plaintiff has retained counsel.

4. Plaintiff is placed on notice that her failure to file a

status report or failure to appear for the status conference may

be viewed by the court as abandonment of her case and may result

in dismissal for lack of prosecution pursuant to Federal Rule of

Civil Procedure 41(b). 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 27, 2006

/s/ Edward J. Garcia 

EDWARD J. GARCIA, JUDGE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

Case 2:00-cv-01733-EJG -JFM Document 117 Filed 02/28/06 Page 3 of 3