Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_10-cv-00575/USCOURTS-cand-4_10-cv-00575-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 423
Nature of Suit: Bankruptcy Withdrawal 28 USC 157
Cause of Action: 28:0157 Motion for Withdrawal of Reference

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IN RE FRANCISCO MOLINA JR. AND

JOSEPHINE MOLINA.

___________________________________/

No. C-10-0575 SBA (EMC)

ORDER DENYING DEBTORS’

MOTION TO COMPEL

(Docket No. 14)

Debtors the Molinas have filed a motion to compel responses to subpoenas which they issued

to Creditor Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Having considered the parties’ briefs and accompanying

submissions, as well as the oral arguments presented at the hearing on June 30, 2010, the Court

hereby DENIES the Molinas’ motion.

As the Court ruled at the hearing on the motion, a denial is appropriate for the following

reasons. First, a motion to compel is premature because the assigned judge in the case has not yet

made a determination as to whether the reference to the bankruptcy court should be withdrawn. See

28 U.S.C. § 157(d); Bankr. L.R. 5011-2. In other words, the assigned judge has not yet determined

that she will exercise jurisdiction over the case.

Second, because Wells Fargo is a party to the action, the Molinas should have sought

documents via a Rule 34 document request, and not a Rule 45 subpoena. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 34(a)

(providing, in relevant part, that “[a] party may serve on any other party a request within the scope

of Rule 26(b) . . . to produce and permit the requesting party . . . to inspect, copy, test, or sample . . .

any designated documents”).

Case 4:10-cv-00575-SBA Document 22 Filed 07/02/10 Page 1 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Finally, it does not appear from the record that, prior to filing the motion to compel, the

Molinas met and conferred with Wells Fargo about the discovery dispute in a manner that satisfies

the applicable rules. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(a)(1) (providing that a motion to compel “must include a

certification that the movant has in good faith conferred or attempted to confer with the person or

party failing to make disclosure or discovery in an effort to obtain it without court action”); Civil

Local Rule 37-1(a). Although the Molinas asserted at the hearing that they had attempted to meet

and confer, they did not certify such in the papers they submitted.

Accordingly, the motion to compel filed by the Molinas is denied. The Court notes that it

shall not entertain any other discovery dispute until the assigned judge has made a determination as

to whether to exercise jurisdiction over the case.

This order disposes of Docket No. 14.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 2, 2010

_________________________ EDWARD M. CHEN

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 4:10-cv-00575-SBA Document 22 Filed 07/02/10 Page 2 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IN RE FRANCISCO MOLINA JR. AND

JOSEPHINE MOLINA.

___________________________________/

No. C-10-0575 SBA (EMC)

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the U.S. District Court, Northern

District of California. On the below date, I served a true and correct copy of the attached, by placing

said copy/copies in a postage-paid envelope addressed to the person(s) listed below, by depositing

said envelope in the U.S. Mail; or by placing said copy/copies into an inter-office delivery

receptacle located in the Office of the Clerk.

Francisco Molina

810 Morrill Street

Hayward, CA 94541

Josephine Molina

810 Morrill Street

Hayward, CA 94541

USBC Manager-Oakland

U.S. Bankruptcy Court

1300 Clay Street

#300

Oakland, CA 94612

Lois I. Brady

P.O. Box 12754

Oakland, CA 94604

Judge Randall J. Newsome

U.S. Bankruptcy Court

1300 Clay Street, Suite 300

P.O. Box 2070

Oakland, CA 94604

Case 4:10-cv-00575-SBA Document 22 Filed 07/02/10 Page 3 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Dated: July 2, 2010 RICHARD W. WIEKING, CLERK

By: /s/ Leni Doyle 

Leni Doyle

Deputy Clerk

Case 4:10-cv-00575-SBA Document 22 Filed 07/02/10 Page 4 of 4