Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00430/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00430-55/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 380
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Property Damage
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Fraud

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Non-parties Land O’Lakes, Inc. (“Land O’Lakes”) and Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. 

(“DFA”) seek to file an amicus curia brief in opposition to Plaintiffs’ pending motion for leave to 

file a fourth amended complaint. Plaintiffs seek to amend their complaint to add Land O’Lakes 

and DFA as defendants. For the reasons that follow, Land O’Lakes and DFA’s motion will be 

granted. 

It has been recognized that district courts have the inherent authority to permit and 

consider amicus curiae briefs, even though such briefs are not specifically provided for in the 

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. See In re Bayshore Ford Trucks Sales, Inc., 471 F.3d 1233, 

1249 n.34 (11th Cir. 2006) (“Unlike the Supreme Court Rules and the Federal Rules of Appellate 

Procedure, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not specifically provide for the filing of 

amicus curiae briefs at the district court level. Nevertheless, district courts possess the inherent 

authority to appoint ‘friends of the court’ to assist in their proceedings.”); see also Rocky 

GERALD CARLIN, JOHN RAHM, PAUL 

ROZWADOWSKI and DIANA WOLFE, 

individually and on behalf of themselves and 

all others similarly situated,

 Plaintiffs,

v.

DAIRYAMERICA, INC., and 

CALIFORNIA DAIRIES, INC.,

Defendants.

CASE NO. 1:09-CV-00430 AWI EPG 

ORDER ON NON‐PARTY AND AMICI 

CURIAE LAND O’LAKES, INC. AND 

DAIRY FARMERS OF AMERICA 

INC.’S MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE 

A BRIEF IN OPPOSITION TO 

PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR LEAVE 

TO FILE FOURTH AMENDED 

CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION 

COMPLAINT

(Doc. No. 385)

Case 1:09-cv-00430-AWI-EPG Document 393 Filed 03/22/17 Page 1 of 2
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Mountain Farmers Union v. Goldstene, 2010 WL 1949146, at *2 (E.D. Cal. May 11, 2010) (“This 

Court retains broad discretion to either permit or reject the appearance of amicus curiae. A court 

may grant leave to appear as an amicus if the information offered is timely and useful. An amicus 

brief should normally be allowed when a party is not represented competently or is not represented 

at all.”) (internal citations and quotations omitted). The Court previously allowed a similar motion

from a non-party earlier in this litigation under similar circumstances. See ECF No. 176. 

Therefore, Land O’Lakes and DFA’s motion to file an amicus curia brief will be granted. 

ORDER

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 

1. Land O’Lakes and DFA’s motion to file an amicus curia brief in opposition to Plaintiffs’ 

pending motion for leave to file a fourth amended consolidated complaint (Doc. No. 385) 

is GRANTED. 

2. Land O’Lakes and DFA’s opposition (attached as exhibit A to their motion, Doc. No. 385) 

is deemed filed as of March 17, 2017. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 22, 2017 

 SENIOR DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 1:09-cv-00430-AWI-EPG Document 393 Filed 03/22/17 Page 2 of 2