Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01444/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01444-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 360
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question: Personal Injury

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

Stanley K. Jacobs, Esq., SBN 30363

Thomas F. Borcher, Esq., SBN 110255

JACOBS, JACOBS & EISFELDER, LLP

11755 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2150

Los Angeles, California 90025

Telephone: (310) 473-9211/(310) 820-4500

Fax: (310) 473-6811/(310) 826-0683

Attorneys for Plaintiff

GEORGINA SHANTELL THOMAS

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA – FRESNO DIVISION

GEORGINA SHANTELL THOMAS,

Plaintiff,

vs.

BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA

FE CORPORATION; BURLINGTON

NORTHERN AND SANTA FE

RAILWAY COMPANY; BNSF

RAILWAY COMPANY; NATIONAL

RAILROAD PASSENGER

CORPORATION (AMTRAK);

ERNEST MARTINEZ; STATE OF

CALIFORNIA, DEPARTMENT OF

TRANSPORTATION, CALTRANS;

FRESNO CITY COLLEGE; STATE

CENTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

DISTRICT; COUNTY OF FRESNO;

CITY OF FRESNO; CLARDY LEE

MULLIN, JR.; DOES 1 through 500,

inclusive,

Defendants.

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CASE NO. 1:05-CV-01444 OWW DLB

Judge: Oliver W. Wanger

EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER

FOR SERVICE OF SUMMONS BY

PUBLICATION; MEMORANDUM OF

POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN

SUPPORT THEREOF; DECLARATION OF

THOMAS F. BORCHER AND

DECLARATION OF HAROLD B.

THOMAS IN SUPPORT THEREOF;

ORDER

TRIAL DATE: August 14, 2007

TO THIS HONORABLE COURT:

COMES NOW the Plaintiff, Georgina Shantell Thomas, and presents this Ex

Parte Request for an Order For Service of Summons and Complaint by Publication as to

Case 1:05-cv-01444-OWW -DLB Document 34 Filed 09/27/06 Page 1 of 12
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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

defendant Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr.. This application is made on the grounds that this

defendant is a necessary party to this action but cannot with reasonable diligence be

found and served in any other manner specified in California Code of Civil Procedure

§§415.10 through 415.30.

This application is based upon Rule 4(e) of the Federal Rules of Evidence and 

California Code of Civil Procedure §415.50, the attached Memorandum of Points and

Authorities, the declaration of Thomas F. Borcher, the declaration of Harold B. Thomas,

and the files and records in this action.

Prior to the submission of the Ex Parte Motion, Plaintiff’s counsel contacted

counsel for all parties in this action by telephone and advised them of Plaintiff’s intention

to present this Ex Parte request and has faxed a copy of this motion on all parties

concurrently with the filing of the motion. Based on those contacts, Plaintiff has

determined that there is no opposition to this request.

Wherefore, Plaintiff requests the Court issue an Order permitting Plaintiff to serve

defendant Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr. by publication.

Dated: September 26, 2006 JACOBS, JACOBS & EISFELDER, LLP

By: /s/ Thomas F. Borcher

THOMAS F. BORCHER

Attorneys for Plaintiff

Georgina Shantell Thomas

5:\clients\Thomas\Publication Application.wpd

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

DECLARATION OF THOMAS F. BORCHER IN SUPPORT

OF EX PARTE REQUEST FOR SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

I, THOMAS F. BORCHER, declare:

1. I am an attorney licensed to practice law before all of the courts in the State

of California. I am an associate attorney in the law office of Jacobs, Jacobs and Eisfelder

and one of the attorneys for plaintiff Georgina Shantell Thomas. I have personal

knowledge of all the facts set forth herein. If called and sworn as a witness, I could and

would competently testify to the following. 

2. Plaintiff’s complaint in this action was filed on October 14, 2005 and

contains one cause of action for wrongful death. Plaintiff Georgina Shantell Thomas is

the mother of the deceased Deondrae Marcquise Mullin, whose wrongful death is the

basis of this action. This Declarant is informed and believes, and thereon states, that

Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr., is the father of the deceased Deondrae Marcquise Mullin. (A true

and correct copy of the death certificate of Deondrae Marcquise Mullin is attached to this

Motion as Exhibit “A” on which it is indicated that Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr. was the

decedent’s father.)

3. Prior to the filing of this action, Plaintiff was unable to determine whether

or not the decedent’s father, Clardy Lee Mullin Jr., wanted to make a claim for the

wrongful death of his son. Therefore, the decedent’s father was made a defendant to the

action in order to protect both Plaintiff’s and the father’s rights and interests.

4. The last known address for Mr. Mullin, Jr, was obtained from plaintiff

Georgina Shantell Thomas. This Declarant provided that address to Harold B. Thomas

an investigator with the firm of Oliver, Thomas and Caeton Investigations in Fresno,

California for the purpose of locating and serving defendant with the summons and

complaint in this action. Mr. Thomas informed this Declarant that Mr. Mullin no longer

resided at the address provided by the Plaintiff as defendant Mullin’s last known address. 

This Declarant then requested Mr. Thomas to make all reasonable efforts to determine

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

and locate the whereabouts of Mr. Mullin. Mr. Thomas’ extensive efforts to locate and

serve of Mr. Mullin are detailed in the Declaration of Harold B. Thomas which

accompanies this Motion. 

5. Despite all of the reasonable efforts and diligence, we have been unable to

locate defendant Clardy Lee Mullin Jr., within or outside the State of California.

6. To the best of this Declarant’s knowledge, no person, firm, or entity other

than as mentioned in the Declaration of Howard B. Thomas knows, or is likely to know,

the whereabouts of said Defendant, and there is no other source known to Plaintiff from

which the Defendant’s whereabouts can be ascertained. 

7. The Fresno Bee has been determined to be a newspaper of general

circulation, published in California. This Declarant is informed and believes that

publication of the summons in said newspaper is most likely to give actual notice to

defendant Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr. of the pendency of this action, because Defendant’s last

known address was in the city and county in which this newspaper is published and

Defendant is most likely to have acquaintances in this city or county having most recently

lived in this area.

8. Prior to the filing of this Motion, this Declarant spoke personally by

telephone with Leora Ragones, counsel for BNSF and the National Railroad Passenger

Corporation (Amtrak), and with David Overstreet, counsel for the City of Fresno and for

the State Center Community College District. Both counsel advised that their clients

would not oppose this motion.

I declare under the penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that

the foregoing is true and correct. 

Executed this the 25th day of September, 2006 at Los Angeles, California.

 /s/ Thomas F. Borcher

Thomas F. Borcher

Stanley K. Jacobs, Esq., SBN 30363

Thomas F. Borcher, Esq., SBN 110255

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

JACOBS, JACOBS & EISFELDER, LLP

11755 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2150

Los Angeles, California 90025

Telephone: (310) 473-9211/(310) 820-4500

Fax: (310) 473-6811/(310) 826-0683

Attorneys for Plaintiff

GEORGINA SHANTELL THOMAS

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA – FRESNO DIVISION

GEORGINA SHANTELL THOMAS,

Plaintiff,

vs.

BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA

FE CORPORATION; BURLINGTON

NORTHERN AND SANTA FE

RAILWAY COMPANY; BNSF

RAILWAY COMPANY; NATIONAL

RAILROAD PASSENGER

CORPORATION (AMTRAK); ERNEST

MARTINEZ; STATE OF

CALIFORNIA, DEPARTMENT OF

TRANSPORTATION, CALTRANS;

FRESNO CITY COLLEGE; STATE

CENTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

DISTRICT; COUNTY OF FRESNO;

CITY OF FRESNO; CLARDY LEE

MULLIN, JR.; DOES 1 through 500,

inclusive,

Defendants.

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CASE NO. 1:05-CV-01444 OWW

DLB

Judge: Oliver W. Wanger

Dept.: 1

DECLARATION OF PLAINTIFF’S

INVESTIGATOR HAROLD B.

THOMAS

I, HAROLD B. THOMAS declare:

1. I am an investigator with the firm of Oliver, Thomas & Caeton

Investigations located in Fresno, California. I have personal knowledge of all the facts

set forth herein. If called and sworn as a witness, I could and would competently testify to

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

the following.

 2. At the request of Plaintiff’s counsel, Thomas F. Borcher, I attempted to

locate Defendant Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr., father of the decedent. This Declaration sets

forth the efforts I made to locate this individual.

 3. His last known address which was furnished by attorney Thomas F.

Borcher, was 103 N. Fulton, Apt. 112, Fresno. This is a small, two-level apartment

complex located in a very low income area at the edge of downtown Fresno. Apartment

112 was vacant. The manager reported that Mr. Mullin had been evicted and had possibly

been involved in drugs.

 4. Record searches furnished additional addresses:

(1) 1317 E. Florence Avenue, Fresno is in a redevelopment project

consisting of many duplex-style units. The manager of the property had no record of Mr.

Mullin having lived there nor did he currently occupy the unit;

(2) 1275 N. 9th St., Fresno is also a small two-level, low-income

complex. Mr. Mullin was not known at this location;

(3) 5655 E. Huntington Avenue, Fresno is a large, two-level apartment

complex with an onsite manager who had no record of Mr. Mullin;

(4) The manager at the 103 N. Fulton address informed me Mr. Mullin's

"significant other" at the time he was evicted was Jennifer Mack. Thus, a data search of

her name provided several addresses. I went to four of the addresses, three of which

were, essentially, in the same general area. Occupants at those locations were not familiar

with her name nor that of Mr. Mullin.

(5) Another record search provided information that Clardy Mullin was

living at 2279 S. Poppy Avenue, Fresno when a traffic citation was issued. The

residence, itself, is reasonably well maintained. I have been to this location twice and on

both occasions the fence gate has been padlocked with a van parked inside. Even though

the lawn sprinkler was operating, no one would respond to efforts to make contact. A

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

neighbor informed me police respond to this residence occasionally. The citation

indicated the vehicle Mr. Mullin was operating was registered to Fidel Ayala, 399 W.

Manning Avenue, a rural residence. My first visit resulted in meeting Mrs. Ayala who

spoke only Spanish. I made telephone contact with an interpreter while there who

communicated with Mrs. Ayala for me. She was unable to provide any information

regarding Mr. Mullin, but I arranged for the interpreter to contact Mr. Ayala that evening.

He informed the interpreter that he knew a Ray Mullin and would secure his telephone

number and call her. Mr. Ayala later told her he couldn't locate the paperwork with

Mullin's address.

5. I subsequently met with Mr. and Mrs. Ayala at their residence. When I

confronted Mr. Ayala with the information that Mr. Mullin received a citation while

driving a vehicle registered to Mr. Ayala, he explained that he parked his 1991 Mazda (in

the general area of the Poppy Avenue address) with a for sale sign. A person wrote him a

bad check. The vehicle was later found totaled and he left it with the police.

6. Record searches have included a Social Security Search, Traffic, Small

Claims, Superior and Criminal court records which did not result in any information on

this subject.

7. In addition, I visited the Fresno Rescue Mission, 310 G St., Fresno, and a

rehabilitation facility known as Poverello House, 412 F St., Fresno. Mr. Mullin was not

known and neither location maintained a record of those who passed through their doors.

 8. I have now exhausted all avenues that can be reasonably taken to locate

Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr. in my opinion.

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California

that the forgoing is true and correct.

Executed this 11 day of September, 2006, at Los Angeles California. th

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

 /s/ Harold B. Thomas

Howard B. Thomas

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF

MOTION FOR SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

1. SERVICE BY PUBLICATION IS AUTHORIZED WHERE

THE DEFENDANT CANNOT BE SERVED WITH

REASONABLE DILIGENCE BY ANY OTHER METHOD

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 4(e) provides that unless otherwise provided

by federal law, service upon an individual from whom a waiver has not been obtained

and filed, other than an infant or an incompetent person, may be effected in any judicial

district of the United States pursuant to the law of the state in which the district court is

located, or in which service is effected. 

Pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure §415.50, if a defendant may not be

served with reasonable diligence by any other method, Plaintiff may apply to the court

for an order authorizing service by publication. For the court to order service by

publication it must appear to the court’s satisfaction that the party to be served cannot be

served with reasonable diligence in another manner, that a cause of action exists and that

the party upon whom service is to be made is a necessary or proper party to the action.

[California Code of Civil Procedure §415.50(a).] 

2. THE COURT SHOULD AUTHORIZE SERVICE OF THE

SUMMONS ON THE DEFENDANT BY PUBLICATION AS

THE DEFENDANT CANNOT BE SERVED IN ANY OTHER MANNER

A plaintiff has exercised reasonable diligence when, in good faith, a thorough,

systematic investigation and inquiry to determine a defendant’s whereabouts has been

conducted and plaintiff has been unable to locate the defendant. Vorburg vs. Vorburg

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

(1941) 18 Cal.2d 794.

Plaintiff herein hired Harold B. Thomas, an investigator with the firm of Oliver,

Thomas & Caeton Investigations in Fresno, California to locate the Defendant so that

Plaintiff could personally serve Defendant Mullin with the summons and complaint. The

Court is directed to the Declarations of both Plaintiff’s counsel Thomas F. Borcher and

the investigator, Harold B. Thomas which set forth the efforts made to locate Mr. Mullin.

Plaintiff has made every effort possible to locate Defendant in order to personally

serve him with the summons and complaint. However, Plaintiff’s efforts at locating

Defendant have been unsuccessful. Not only has Plaintiff’s investigator conducted

record searches, but he has also visited all addresses that could be obtained for

Defendant, spoken with management as well as others at these locations, contacted the

registered owner of a car driven by Defendant, and visited a rescue mission and

rehabilitation facility. Thus, Plaintiff’s actions more than meet the requirements

established by California Code of Civil Procedure §415.50 for service by publication

where a defendant can not be served with reasonable diligence by any other authorized

method of service. 

3. DEFENDANT MULLIN IS A NECESSARY AND

PROPER PARTY TO THIS ACTION

This is an action for wrongful death. The decedent, Deondrae Marcquise Mullin,

died without surviving issue as he had no children. Pursuant to California Code of Civil

Procedure §377.60, the mother and father of the decedent would, by reason of intestate

succession, jointly have a right to bring this wrongful death action. [(Per California

Probate Code Section 6402(b)] If the mother, Plaintiff Georgina Shantell Thomas,

proceeds with the action without joining the father, Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr., and obtains a

recovery by either verdict or settlement, Mr. Mullin, Jr. would have the right to proceed

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

against the Plaintiff for the damages that he was entitled to recover as the decedent’s

father. [Ruttenberg v. Ruttenberg (1997) 53 Cal.App.4th 801, 809.]

California Code of Civil Procedure §382 provides:

If the consent of any one who should have been joined as

plaintiff cannot be obtained, he may be made a defendant, the

reason thereof being stated in the complaint; . . .

Plaintiff did exactly that: She named Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr. as a Defendant in

order to protect both his and her interests. However, neither the Plaintiff nor Plaintiff’s

counsel have been able to locate Defendant Mullin’s whereabouts and thus, unable to

serve him with the summons and complaint to date.

The court may order service by publication if it appears to the court that the

defendant is a necessary or proper party to the action. [California Code of Civil

Procedure §415.50(a)(1).]

4. CONCLUSION

Based on the foregoing, Plaintiff meets the criteria under California Code of Civil

Procedure §415.50 for an order for service of summons by publication. Therefore,

Plaintiff requests this Honorable Court issue an Order directing the service of summons

upon defendant Clardy Lee Mullin Jr., by publication in the Fresno Bee, a newspaper of

general circulation in the county of Fresno in the State of California.

 Dated: September 26, 2006 JACOBS, JACOBS & EISFELDER, LLP

By: /s/ Thomas F. Borcher 

THOMAS F. BORCHER

Attorneys for Plaintiff

Georgina Shantell Thomas

ORDER

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EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS

This Court has read and considered the application of plaintiff Georgina Shantell

Thomas for an order directing service of the summons on defendant Clardy Lee Mullin,

Jr., by publication, and the evidence presented in support of the application, and it

appears to the satisfaction of the court that defendant Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr., cannot be

served with reasonable diligence in any other manner set forth in Code of Civil

Procedure §§ 415.10 through 415.30. The Court also finds that Plaintiff has stated facts

sufficient to show that defendant Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr., is a necessary or proper party to

this action.

THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that:

Service of the summons in this action on the defendant Clardy Lee Mullin, Jr.,

shall be accomplished by publication in the Fresno Bee, a newspaper published in the

State of California, and determined by this Court as the newspaper most likely to give

actual notice to the defendant.

The publication shall be made once a week for four weeks.

If defendant’s address is ascertained prior to the expiration of the time prescribed

for publication of the summons, a copy of the summons and complaint and of the order

for publication shall immediately be mailed to defendant.

This order does not preclude service upon defendant Clardy Lee Mullins, Jr., in

any other manner specified in Code of Civil Procedure §§ 415.10 through 415.30, which

service supersedes the service by publication.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: September 26, 2006 /s/ Oliver W. Wanger 

emm0d6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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