Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_14-cv-02880/USCOURTS-cand-4_14-cv-02880-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 375
Nature of Suit: False Claims Act
Cause of Action: 31:3729 False Claims Act

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1 MELINDA HAAG (CABN 132612) 

United States Attorney 

2 ALEX G. TSE (CABN 152348) 

Chief, Civil Division 

3 MELANIE L. PROCTOR, (SBN 228971) 

Assistant United States Attorney 

450 Golden Gate Avenue. Box 36055 

San Francisco, California, 94102-3495 

Telephone: (415) 436-6730 

FAX: (415) 436-7169 

Melanie.Proctor@usdoj .gov 

Attorneys for the United States of America 

RECEIVED 

JUN 1 0 2015 

RICHARD V'l. WleKfNG , ,.~Lf=._RK, U.S. DISTRICT CO 

NO(\ TI.~:RN D!STH:cr OF CALI~~hNtA 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ex rei. 

MICHAEL O'CONNELL, 

Plaintiff: 

v. 

REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF 

CALIFORNIA, 

Defendant. 

DECLINATION NOTICE 

C 14-02880 HSG 

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C 14-02880 HSG 

UNITED STATES' NOTICE OF ELECTION TO 

DECLINE INTERVENTION; [PROPOSED] 

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE 

FILED UNDER SEAL 

Case 4:14-cv-02880-HSG Document 16 Filed 06/11/15 Page 1 of 4
1 Pursuant to the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b){4)(B), the United States hereby notifies 

2 the Court of its decision not to intervene in this qui tam action. 

3 We respectfully refer the Court to Vermont Agenc,y o.fNatural Resources v. United States ex rei. 

4 Stevens, 529 U.S. 765 (2000), in which the United States Supreme Court held that the False Claims Act 

5 does not subject states or state entities to liability in qui tam actions brought by relators in which the 

6 United States has not intervened. The Ninth Circuit has previously detennined that the Regents are a 

7 state entity. United States ex rei. D'onald v. University (~f California Board of Regents, 329 F .3d 1040, 

8 1 044 (9th Cir. 2003 ); see also United States ex rei. Adrian v. Regents of the University of Calffornia, 363 

9 F.3d 398 (5th Cir. 2004) (holding that the Regents are a state entity when managing the Lawrence 

10 Livermore National Laboratory); Doe v. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 131 F.3d 836, 839 

11 (9th Cir. 1997) (holding that the University of California is an arm of the State of California). 

12 Accordingly, we suggest that the Court should issue an order to show cause why the case should not be 

13 dismissed. 

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Dated; June ID, 2015 

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Respectfully submitted, 

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MELINDA HAAG 

United States Attorney 

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MELANIE L. PROCTOR 

20 Assistant United States Attorney 

21 Attorneys for the United States of America 

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DECLINATION NOTICE 

C 14-02880 HSG 2 

Case 4:14-cv-02880-HSG Document 16 Filed 06/11/15 Page 2 of 4
1 [PROPOSED]ORDER 

2 The United States having declined to intervene in this action pursuant to the False Claims Act, 

3 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b)(4)(B), the Court rules as follows: 

4 1. All sealed contents of the Court's file in this action shall remain under seal and not be made 

5 public or served upon the defendants, except for the Complaint, this Order, and the accompanying 

6 United States' Notice of Election to Decline Intervention, which are hereby unsealed. 

7 2. The relator shall have 60 days to show cause why this action should not be dismissed 

8 pw·suant to Vermont Agency ofiVatural Resources v. United States ex rei. Stevens, 529 U.S. 765 (2000). 

9 IT IS SO ORDERED. 

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11 Dated: 

HAYWOOD S. GILLIAM 

12 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

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DEC LIN A TJON NOTICE 

C 14-02880 HSG 3 

Case 4:14-cv-02880-HSG Document 16 Filed 06/11/15 Page 3 of 4
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

United States ex rei. Michael O'Connell v. Regents. 

C 14-02880 HSG 

The undersigned hereby certifies that she is an employee of the Office of the United States 

Attorney for the Northern District of California and is a person of such age and discretion to be 

competent to serve papers. The undersigned further certifies that she is causing a copy of the 

following document(s): 

UNITED STATES' NOTICE OF ELECTION TO DECLINE INTERVENTION; 

[PROPOSED] ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE 

to be served this date upon the party(ies) as follows: 

_L_ FIRST CLASS MAIL by placing such envelope(s) with postage thereon fully prepaid in 

the designated area for outgoing U.S. mail in accordance with this office's practice. 

PERSONAL SERVICE (BY MESSENGER) I caused such envelope to be delivered by 

hand to the person or offices of each addressee below. 

FACSIMILE (FAX) Telephone No.: I caused each such 

document to be sent by facsimile to the person or offices of each addressee below. 

FEDERAL EXPRESS 

CERTIFIED MAIL 

__ BY E-MAIL I caused each such document to be sent by e-mail to the person or offices of 

each addressee below. 

to the party(ies) addressed as follows: 

Michael J. 0' Connell 

Law Office of Michael J. 0' Connell 

100 Pine Street, Suite 1250 

San Francisco, CA 94111 

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the 

foregoing is true and correct. Executed on June 10, 2015 at San Francisco, California. 

D{lf/l;RmA ~ 

Case 4:14-cv-02880-HSG Document 16 Filed 06/11/15 Page 4 of 4