Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-02767/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-02767-4/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CHRISTOPHER LIPSEY,

Plaintiff,

v.

NORUM, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 14-cv-02767-VC 

ORDER FOR PLAINTIFF TO FILE 

MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE PROPER 

PARTY OR FACE DISMISSAL OF

CLAIM AGAINST DEFENDANT 

NORUM

Plaintiff Christopher Lipsey filed a pro se civil rights complaint alleging that employees of 

Pelican Bay State Prison, where Lipsey was previously incarcerated, violated his constitutional 

rights. The Court found cognizable an Eighth Amendment claim for deliberate indifference to 

Lipsey’s serious medical needs against Dr. Vance Norum. Although the Court directed that 

Norum be served, he is unserved because he was no longer employed at Pelican Bay and, 

subsequently, the United States Marshal was unable to find him. Now, Lipsey has notified the 

Court that Norum is deceased and that he wishes to proceed against Norum’s estate. 

When a party dies and the claim is not extinguished, the court may order substitution of the 

proper legal representative. Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(a); Hilao v.Estate of Marcos, 103 F.3d 762, 766 

(9th Cir. 1996). Any party to the action or the deceased party’s successors may file a “statement 

of fact of death” of the deceased party. Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(a). A motion for substitution may be 

made by any party or the decedent’s successor or representative, but if it is not made within ninety 

days after service of the statement noting the death, the action against the decedent must be 

dismissed. Id. 

Service of the statement of death on non-party successors or representatives must be 

effected in the manner provided in the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4 for service of a 

Case 3:14-cv-02767-VC Document 64 Filed 06/08/15 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

summons. Barlow v. Ground, 39 F.3d 231, 233 (9th Cir. 1994). This commences the running of 

the ninety day period for substitution motions set forth in Rule 25(a)(1). Id.

Although Lipsey has filed a notice of Norum’s death with the Court, the notice has not 

been properly served on Norum’s non-party successor or representative. Lipsey has forty-five

days from the filing date of this order to notify the Court of the name and address of Lipsey’s 

successor or representative and file a motion for substitution, so that the Marshal may serve the 

proper party. 

If Lipsey does not notify the Court of the proper party to be served within forty-five days, 

the claim against Lipsey will be dismissed. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m) (if defendant not served 

within 120 days after complaint is filed, court must dismiss the action against that defendant or 

order that service be made within a specified time).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 8, 2015

______________________________________

VINCE CHHABRIA

United States District Judge

Case 3:14-cv-02767-VC Document 64 Filed 06/08/15 Page 2 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CHRISTOPHER LIPSEY,

Plaintiff,

v.

NORUM, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 14-cv-02767-VC 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. 

District Court, Northern District of California.

That on June 8, 2015, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing 

said copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by 

depositing said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery 

receptacle located in the Clerk's office.

Christopher Lipsey ID: F-18039

Corcoran State Prison Housing 4AIL/64

P.O. Box 3476

Corcoran, CA 93212 

Dated: June 8, 2015

Richard W. Wieking

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

Kristen Melen, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable VINCE CHHABRIA

Case 3:14-cv-02767-VC Document 64 Filed 06/08/15 Page 3 of 3