Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_24-cv-01542/USCOURTS-caed-2_24-cv-01542-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JANE DOE,

Plaintiff,

v.

MARCUS JOHNSON, et al.,

Defendant.

No. 2:24-cv-01542-DJC-AC

ORDER

Presently before the Court is Plaintiff’s ex parte Motion to Proceed under a 

Pseudonym.1 Plaintiff seeks to proceed under a pseudonym as the case involves 

allegations of sexual abuse which raise issues of privacy and safety of Plaintiff. For the 

reasons stated below, the Court grants Plaintiff’s Motion (ECF No. 2).

LEGAL STANDARD

“The normal presumption in litigation is that parties must use their real names.” 

Doe v. Kamehameha Schools/Bernice Pauahi Bishop Est., 596 F.3d 1036, 1042 (9th Cir. 

2010); see also Fed. R. Civ. P. 10(a) (“[t]he title of the complaint must name all the 

parties”); Fed. R. Civ. P. 17(a)(1) (“An action must be prosecuted in the name of the 

1 Plaintiff did not file this motion explicitly as an ex parte request. However, it was filed without being 

noticed on the calendar or proof of service and before Defendants have appeared in the action. 

Accordingly, the Court will view this, at this stage, as an ex parte motion.

Case 2:24-cv-01542-DJC-AC Document 10 Filed 07/02/24 Page 1 of 3
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real party in interest.”). The Ninth Circuit has held that “a party may preserve his or her 

anonymity in judicial proceedings in special circumstances when the party’s need for 

anonymity outweighs prejudice to the opposing party and the public’s interest in 

knowing the party’s identity.” Does I thru XXIII v. Advanced Textile Corp., 214 F.3d 

1058, 1068 (9th Cir. 2000). This may be the case where a pseudonym is “necessary . . .

to protect a person from harassment, injury, ridicule or personal embarrassment.” Id.

at 1067–68. “Courts have generally permitted plaintiffs to proceed anonymously 

when their claims involved allegations of sexual assault or rape.” Doe v. Rose, No. 15-

cv-07503-MWF-JC, 2016 WL 9137645, at *1 (C.D. Cal. June 17, 2016) (collecting 

cases).

DISCUSSION

Plaintiff here has brought claims partially stemming from sexual abuse allegedly 

inflicted on her by Defendant Johnson. (See Compl. (ECF No. 1) at 6–7.) The factual 

allegations include descriptions of “sexual acts she was forced to perform on her 

abuser . . . .” (Mot. at 3.) Plaintiff states she wants to keep this information private from 

public filings and that Defendants will know of her identity regardless as a result of 

filed grievances and resulting a prison investigation. (Id.) She also indicates that she 

wishes to prevent “retaliatory harm” for reporting staff misconduct which Plaintiff 

claims is a common concern among California Institution for Women prisoners. (Id.)

The Court finds good cause to grant Plaintiff’s request at this stage of the 

proceedings based on the sensitive nature of the allegations and the fact Defendants 

will not suffer prejudice as Plaintiff’s identity will be known due to her prior grievances. 

The court will reconsider the issue should Defendants object once they have 

appeared in this action. See Doe v. County of San Joaquin, 2:24-cv-00899-CKD, 2024 

WL 1344677, at *1 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 29, 2024).

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CONCLUSION

In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Motion to 

Proceed Under Pseudonym (ECF No. 2) is GRANTED, subject to reconsideration 

should Defendants object once they have appeared in this action.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 1, 2024 

Hon. Daniel J. Calabretta

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

DJC1 – doe24cv01542.pseudonym

Case 2:24-cv-01542-DJC-AC Document 10 Filed 07/02/24 Page 3 of 3