Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00076/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00076-4/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

GERMAINE SANDERS,

Plaintiff,

v.

DR. NEUBARTH, M.D., et al.,

Defendants.

 /

CASE NO. 1:05-CV-00076-AWI-SMS-P

ORDER NOTIFYING DEFENDANTS THAT

NINETY-DAY PERIOD WITHIN WHICH TO

FILE MOTION FOR SUBSTITUTION HAS

NOT BEEN TRIGGERED BY FILING OF

NOTICE DUE TO DEFICIENCIES

(Doc. 23)

Plaintiff Germaine Sanders (“plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma

pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This action has been pending since

January 19, 2005. (Doc. 1.) On July 24, 2006, defendants filed a statement of fact of plaintiff’s

death on the record. Fed. R. Civ. P. 25. (Doc. 23.) 

Rule 25(a)(1) provides:

If a party dies and the claim is not thereby extinguished, the court may order

substitution of the proper parties. The motion for substitution may be made by any

party or by the successors or representatives of the deceased party and, together with

the notice of hearing, shall be served on the parties as provided in Rule 5 and upon

persons not parties in the manner provided in Rule 4 for the service of a summons,

and may be served in any judicial district. Unless the motion for substitution is made

not later than 90 days after the death is suggested upon the record by service of

statement of the fact of the death as provided for herein for the service of the motion,

the action shall be dismissed as to the deceased party.

Two things are required of a party for the running of the ninety-day period to commence: a party

must 1) formally suggest the death of the party on the record, and 2) serve the suggestion of death

on the other parties and nonparty successors or representatives. Barlow v. Ground, 39 F.3d 231, 233

(9th Cir. 1994). In order for the ninety-day period for substitution to be triggered, a party must

Case 1:05-cv-00076-LJO -SMS Document 24 Filed 07/31/06 Page 1 of 2
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formally suggest the death of the party upon the record and must serve other parties and nonparty

successors or representatives of the deceased with a suggestion of death in the same manner as

required for service of the motion to substitute. Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(a)(1). Thus, a party may be

served the suggestion of death by service on his or her attorney, Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(b), while non-party

successors or representatives of the deceased party must be served the suggestion of death in the

manner provided by Rule 4 for the service of a summons. Barlow v. Ground, 39 F.3d at 232-234.

Rule 25 requires dismissal absent a motion for substitution within the ninety-day period only if the

statement of death was properly served. Unicorn Tales, Inc., v. Bannerjee, 138 F.3d 467, 469-471

(2d. Cir. 1998).

Defendants are HEREBY NOTIFIED that the ninety-day period has not been triggered by

the defendants’ filing of the notice because there is no declaration of service or other proof reflecting

that there has been proper service of the suggestion of death on the nonparty successors or

representatives of plaintiff.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 28, 2006 /s/ Sandra M. Snyder 

icido3 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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