Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_14-cv-05027/USCOURTS-cand-5_14-cv-05027-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Other Contract

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Case Nos.: 5:14-CV-05027-PSG

OORDER DENYING MOTION TO REQUEST CLERK ENTRY OF DEFAULT JUDGMENT

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN JOSE DIVISION

JOHN NKWUO,

 Plaintiff,

 v. 

T-MOBILE, et al., 

 Defendants. 

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Case No. 5:14-cv-05027-PSG

ORDER DENYING MOTION TO 

REQUEST CLERK ENTRY OF 

DEFAULT JUDGMENT

(Re: Docket No. 12) 

 Plaintiff John Nkwuo seeks an entry of default judgment against Defendants T-Mobile and 

MetroPCS Inc. on the grounds that Defendants have failed to respond to the complaint in any way. 

While the court offers no opinion on the merits of Nkwuo’s request, the motion for entry of default 

judgment is procedurally defective. In the Ninth Circuit, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 551

“requires a two-step process consisting of: (1) seeks a clerk’s entry of default, and (2) filing a 

 

1 Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(a)-(b):

(a) Entering a Default. When a party against whom a judgment for affirmative relief is 

sought has failed to plead or otherwise defend, and that failure is shown by affidavit or 

otherwise, the clerk must enter the party’s default.

(b) Entering a Default Judgment.

(1) By the Clerk. If the plaintiff’s claim is for a sum certain or a sum that can be made 

certain by computation, the clerk—on the plaintiff’s request, with an affidavit showing 

the amount due—must enter judgment for that amount and costs against a defendant 

who has been defaulted for not appearing and who is neither a minor nor an 

incompetent person. 

(2) By the Court. In all other cases, the party must apply to the court for a default 

judgment. 

Case 5:14-cv-05027-PSG Document 13 Filed 02/03/15 Page 1 of 2
Case 5:14-cv-05027-PSG Document 13 Filed 02/03/15 Page 2 of 2