Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_17-cv-00034/USCOURTS-caed-1_17-cv-00034-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 895
Nature of Suit: Freedom of Information Act of 1974
Cause of Action: 05:552 Freedom of Information Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MELBA FORD,

Plaintiff,

v.

CAROLINE CIRAOLO-KLEPPER, et al.

Defendants.

Case No. 1:17-cv-00034-DAD-EPG

ORDER RE: ISSUANCE OF NEW CASE

DOCUMENTS

On January 10, 2017, Plaintiff Melba Ford filed a complaint against Caroline CiraoloKlepper, Dennis Stiffler, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Office of Procedure and 

Administration, and the United States Attorney General. (ECF No. 1.) Plaintiff paid the $400 

filing fee on the same date. Because Plaintiff is not proceeding in forma pauperis, it is Plaintiff’s 

responsibility to effect service of summons and the Complaint on Defendants. The Clerk of the 

Court will be directed to issue summonses to Plaintiff for the purpose of service of process. Fed. 

R. Civ. P. 4. 

Plaintiff shall complete service of process in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil 

Procedure 4 within 120 days from the date of service of this Order. Plaintiff shall serve a copy of 

this Order on Defendants, in addition to copies of the summonses and Complaint. The following 

two sections contain instructions on how to serve Defendants. 

///

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I. WAIVER OF SERVICE

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d), Plaintiff may (but is not required to) notify 

Defendants of the commencement of this action and request that they waive service of the 

summons. If Plaintiff wishes to do this, she must mail Defendants: (1) the form entitled “Notice 

of Lawsuit and Request for Waiver of Service for Summons”; (2) the form entitled “Waiver of 

Service of Summons”; and (3) a copy of the Complaint. The documents must be addressed 

directly to each Defendant and must be sent via first class United States Mail. The Waiver of 

Service of Summons form must set forth the date on which the request is sent and must allow 

Defendants at least thirty (30) days in which to return the waiver to Plaintiff. If Defendants sign 

and return the waiver forms to Plaintiff, Plaintiff must then file the forms with the Court. After 

filing the forms with the Court, Plaintiff need not take any further steps to serve Defendants. Fed. 

R. Civ. P. 4(d)(4).

II. PERSONAL SERVICE

If either: (1) Plaintiff does not wish to request that Defendants waive service; or (2) 

Defendants fail to return the Waiver of Service of Summons form to Plaintiff, Plaintiff must have 

personal service effected on Defendants. Each Defendant must be personally served with a 

summons and copy of the Complaint, along with a copy of this Order. Plaintiff may not effect 

personal service herself. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(c). Service may be effected by any person who is not 

a party to this action and who is at least eighteen years old. Id. The Court will provide Plaintiff 

with a copy of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4. Plaintiff should review Rule 4(e)(2), which 

addresses how personal service may be effected. 

III. ORDER

In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 

1. The Clerk of the Court is DIRECTED to issue new case documents and send Plaintiff 

a summons for each named Defendant in this case;

2. The Clerk is further DIRECTED to send Plaintiff the following:

a) A copy of the Complaint filed January 10, 2017 (ECF No. 1);

b) A copy of the form entitled “Notice of Lawsuit and Request for Waiver of Service 

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of Summons” for each named Defendant in this case;

c) A copy of the form entitled “Waiver of Service” for each named Defendant in this 

case;

d) A copy of the form entitled “Consent to Proceed Before United States Magistrate 

Judge” with instructions; and, 

e) A copy of Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

3. Plaintiff shall complete service of process on Defendants within one hundred twenty 

(120) days from the date of service of this order. Plaintiff shall serve a copy of this 

order and a copy of the form “Consent to Proceed Before United States Magistrate 

Judge” on Defendants at the time of service of the summons and complaint; and,

4. Plaintiff’s failure to timely complete service of the complaint on Defendants may 

result in dismissal of this action. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 11, 2017 /s/

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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