Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-04330/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-04330-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1981 Civil Rights

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DAVID THOMAS,

Plaintiff,

v.

CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN 

FRANCISCO, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 15-cv-04330-JD 

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

Pro se plaintiff David Thomas filed this case on September 22, 2015. At 1:30 p.m. on 

Wednesday, January 13, 2016, the Court held a case management conference. Plaintiff did not 

appear at this conference. Plaintiff had made no prior request to be excused from the hearing or to 

reschedule the hearing date. Accordingly, plaintiff’s failure to appear is unexcused and violates 

the Court’s standing order for civil cases. 

In addition, there is no indication in the ECF docket for this case that plaintiff has served a 

summons on any of the defendants. There is no ECF entry suggesting that plaintiff has even 

requested the Clerk of the Court to issue a summons. Plaintiff still has a small window until 

January 20, 2016 to effect service under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(m)1but appears not to 

be making any effort to do so. 

These failures concern the Court. Mr. Thomas is ordered to show cause, in writing, why 

the Court should not dismiss this case for failure to prosecute. Mr. Thomas’ written response is 

due by January 22, 2016, and should address the following:

 

1 As of December 1, 2015, Rule 4(m) only allows 90 days for service, but this case was filed 

before the Rule changed and plaintiff is pro se, so the Court applies the longer, 120 day period for 

service.

Case 3:15-cv-04330-JD Document 10 Filed 01/14/16 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

(1) Why the Court should not sanction him for his failure to appear at the case 

management conference in this matter; 

(2) Whether the defendants were served with the complaint and other materials required by 

Civil Local Rules 4-2 and 16-2 by the January 20, 2016 deadline, or if they were not, 

whether Mr. Thomas had good cause for his failure to do so.

Mr. Thomas is warned that the Court will dismiss this action without prejudice if he does not serve 

the defendants by January 20, 2016, or demonstrate good cause for his failure to do so by January 

22, 2016, or otherwise fails to comply with this order.

Mr. Thomas is reminded that Civil Local Rule 3-9(a) explicitly states that a party 

representing himself without an attorney is still “bound by the Federal Rules, as well as by all 

applicable local rules. Sanctions (including default or dismissal) may be imposed for failure to 

comply with local rules.” If Mr. Thomas intends to continue pursuing this case, he may wish to 

consult a manual the court has adopted to assist pro se litigants in presenting their case. This 

manual, and other free information, is available online at: http://cand.uscourts.gov/proselitigants.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 14, 2016

JAMES DONATO

United States District Judge

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DAVID THOMAS,

Plaintiff,

v.

CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN 

FRANCISCO, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 15-cv-04330-JD 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. 

District Court, Northern District of California.

That on January 14, 2016, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by 

placing said copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by 

depositing said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery 

receptacle located in the Clerk's office.

David Thomas

380 Bryan Drive

Alamo, CA 94507 

Dated: January 14, 2016

Susan Y. Soong

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

LISA R. CLARK, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable JAMES DONATO

Case 3:15-cv-04330-JD Document 10 Filed 01/14/16 Page 3 of 3