Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-02464/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-02464-4/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 340
Nature of Suit: Marine Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

AUDREY PONSI,

Plaintiff,

 v.

MAGICAL CRUISE CO., LTD. AND THE

VESSEL “DISNEY MAGIC,”

Defendants. /

No. C 06-02464 WHA

ORDER RE ATTORNEY’S FEES

In an effort to sort out the scheduling snafu on the motion to dismiss, the Court has

reviewed the record and the parties’ submissions about service of the motion. This is what

happened:

1. On April 6, 2006, defendants served the moving papers by mail on plaintiff, with

the hearing date blank. It was blank because the petition for removal had not yet

been filed with the Clerk. The case therefore had not been assigned to a judge,

so it was impossible then for defendants to know for what time they could notice

the hearing. 

2. On April 7, the petition and motion were filed with the Clerk. At that time, the

blanks related to the hearing date were filed in. Plaintiff received notice of this

filing by email. The email, however, only alerted plaintiff’s counsel to the filing. 

It did not provide the hearing date or time. Also, it was impossible for plaintiff’s
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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counsel to access the documents online, because no PDF version of the filings

had yet been provided to the Court. 

3. Defendants failed to file these updated moving papers, containing the hearing

date and time on plaintiff. Defendants concede this failure (Foo Decl. ¶ 7). 

4. Defendants failed to file PDF versions of the petition and motion papers, as

required. On April 28, the Clerk informed defendants of their failure to do so. 

5. Defendants finally filed PDF versions of the moving papers, including the

hearing time and date, on May 9, 2006, two days before the opposition was due. 

It was only at that time that plaintiff would have been able to consult the online

docket to determine the time of the hearing. 

These facts demonstrate that counsel for defendants Magical Cruise Co. and the vessel

“Disney Magic” failed to properly notice the motion for dismiss, both in hard copy and by not

providing timely electronic versions of the notice and motion. As a result, counsel for plaintiff

Audrey Ponsi incurred unnecessary and additional expenses by attending the June 1 hearing. 

Defendants are therefore ORDERED TO PAY $1,000 in attorney’s fees to plaintiff by NOON,

JUNE 9, 2006. The Court finds that this amount is sufficient and proper to compensate

plaintiff’s counsel for the lost time. If any party objects to the amount, they must do so by

NOON, JUNE 9, 2006. Any objection that the amount is too high immediately will stay the

requirement to pay the money. The Court then will direct parties on how to litigate the amount. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 5, 2006 

WILLIAM ALSUP

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE