Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-00936/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-00936-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question

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- 1 - 07CV936 WQH (CAB)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

HOLLY HERMANSON,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 07CV936 WQH (CAB)

ORDER GRANTING

DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO SET

ASIDE DEFAULT

vs.

BERT HUNTER and UNITED STATES

ATTORNEY GENERAL,

Defendants.

HAYES, Judge:

Pending before the Court is Defendant United States Attorney General’s motion to set aside

the Clerk’s entry of default. (Doc. # 7).

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On May 23, 2007, Plaintiff Holly Hermanson filed the Complaint in this matter against

Defendants Bert Hunter and the United States Attorney General. (Doc. # 1). Plaintiff seeks to enforce

a State court judgment for child support against Defendant Bert Hunter. (Doc. # 1). Hunter is in the

protective custody of the United States Attorney General. (Doc. # 1).

On June 6, 2007, the Clerk of the Court issued summonses for the Defendants. (Docs. # 3, 4).

On August 3, 2007, Plaintiff filed a proof of service indicating that she served the United States

Attorney General by delivering the summons and Complaint to Mary Wiggins, the Civil Process Clerk

for the United States Attorney’s office in San Diego, California. (Doc. # 4). 

On October 1, 2007, Plaintiff filed a request for entry of default with the Clerk of the Court

Case 3:07-cv-00936-WQH-LSP Document 10 Filed 12/19/07 Page 1 of 2
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- 2 - 07CV936 WQH (CAB)

as to Defendant United States Attorney General. (Doc. # 5). On October 2, 2007, the Clerk of the

Court entered default against the United States Attorney General. (Doc. # 6).

On October 11, 2007, Defendant United States Attorney General filed the pending motion to

set aside default on the grounds that Plaintiff failed to properly serve Defendant United States

Attorney General pursuant to FED. R. CIV. P. 4(i). (Doc. # 7). On October 30, 2007, Plaintiff filed

a qualified opposition to the motion to set aside default in which Plaintiff conceded errors in service

and noted that she did not oppose Defendant’s motion to set aside default. (Doc. # 8).

DISCUSSION & ORDER

FED. R. CIV. P. 55(c) provides in pertinent part that, “[f]or good cause shown the court may

set aside an entry of default . . . .” “The court’s discretion is especially broad where, as here, it is entry

of default that is being set aside rather than a default judgment.” O’Connor v. Nevada, 27 F.3d 357,

364 (9th Cir. 1994). “Where timely relief is sought from a default . . . and the movant has a

meritorious defense, doubt, if any, should be resolved in favor of the motion to set aside the [default]

so that cases may be decided on the merits.” Mendoza v. Wight Vineyard Management, 783 F.2d 941,

945-56 (9th Cir. 1986) (citing Schwab v. Bullock’s Inc., 508 F.2d 353, 355 (9th Cir. 1974)). 

It is undisputed that Plaintiff failed to properly complete service upon Defendant United States

Attorney General as of the date that Defendant filed the motion to set aside default. (Docs. # 8, 9);

see also FED. R. CIV. P. 4(i). In addition, both parties agree that the Court should grant Defendant’s

motion to set aside the Clerk’s entry of default because of the errors in service. (Docs. # 8, 9).

Accordingly, and after reviewing the briefing in this case, the Court finds that good cause appears for

setting aside the Clerk’s entry of default. Defendant United States Attorney General’s motion to set

aside default (Doc. # 7) is GRANTED.

Defendants shall file a responsive pleading to the Complaint on or before Friday, January

4, 2008.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: December 19, 2007

WILLIAM Q. HAYES

United States District Judge

Case 3:07-cv-00936-WQH-LSP Document 10 Filed 12/19/07 Page 2 of 2