Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_07-cv-01738/USCOURTS-azd-2_07-cv-01738-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 445
Nature of Suit: Americans with Disabilities Act - Employment
Cause of Action: 42:2000e Job Discrimination (Employment)

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Walter Thomas Sowell, Jr.

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., 

Defendant. 

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No. CV 07-1738-PHX-JAT

ORDER

Currently pending before the Court is Defendant Freescale Semiconductor's Motion

to Dismiss (Doc. #6) that, pursuant to Rule 12(d), the Court converted to a motion for

summary judgment under Rule 56 (Doc. # 17). As part of the conversion, the Court ordered

briefing on two issues: (1) whether equitable tolling applies in this case; and (2) whether the

General Release (Doc. #6, Ex. #1) effectively bars Plaintiff’s claims. While both parties

addressed these issues in their briefs, the Court at this time cannot rule on the motion.

In his supplemental briefing, Plaintiff Walter Thomas Sowell seeks leave to file an

amended complaint pursuant to Rule 15(a). Under Rule 15(a)(1)(A), "[a] party may amend

its pleading once as a matter of course: (A) before being served with a responsive pleading."

Thus, if a defendant has not served plaintiff with a responsive pleading, as a matter of law,

plaintiff has the right to amend his complaint once without seeking leave. The Ninth Circuit

has held that "'a motion to dismiss the complaint is not a responsive pleading' within the

meaning of Rule 15(a)." Rhoades v. Avon Prods., Inc., 504 F.3d 1151, 1158 n.5 (9th Cir.

Case 2:07-cv-01738-JAT Document 20 Filed 06/26/08 Page 1 of 3
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Defendant may file an answer to the Complaint at any time prior to Plaintiff filing

an amended complaint.

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Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(a)(4), the Court can alter the time for

filing a responsive pleading.

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2007) (quoting Miles v. Dep't of Army, 881 F.2d 777, 781 (9th Cir. 1989)). If a defendant

has only filed a motion to dismiss and not a responsive pleading, a plaintiff does "not need

the court's approval to file and an amended complaint." Id.

Here, Freescale has not served Sowell with a responsive pleading. Instead, Freescale

filed a motion to dismiss. Because a motion to dismiss is not a responsive pleading for

purposes of Rule 15(a), Sowell has yet to be served with a responsive pleading. Thus,

Sowell still has the right to file an amended complaint once as a matter of course and does

not need to seek the Court's leave.

Accordingly, the Court will postpone consideration of the pending motion to allow

Sowell to file an amended complaint. Should he file an amended complaint before

Defendant answers the original Complaint,1

 the pending motion will become moot as it will

no longer respond to the operative complaint. In that case, Defendant shall file its response

to the amended complaint within fifteen days. 

If by July 11, 2008, Defendant still has not answered the original Complaint and

Plaintiff has not filed an amended complaint, then Defendant shall answer the original

Complaint by July 18, 2008.2

 Once Defendant answers the Complaint, Plaintiff’s automatic

right to file an amendment is cut off. If the Defendant answers the original Complaint before

Plaintiff files an amended complaint, then the Court shall proceed to the merits of the

pending motion.

Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED that if Plaintiff files an amended complaint before Defendant

answers the original Complaint, then Defendant shall respond to the amended complaint

within fifteen days of its filing.

Case 2:07-cv-01738-JAT Document 20 Filed 06/26/08 Page 2 of 3
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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if by July 11, 2008, Defendant has not answered

the original Complaint and Plaintiff has not filed an amended complaint, then Defendant

shall answer the original Complaint by July 18, 2008.

DATED this 25th day of June, 2008.

Case 2:07-cv-01738-JAT Document 20 Filed 06/26/08 Page 3 of 3