Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-mc-80154/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-mc-80154-0/pdf.json

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

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United States District Court 

Northern District of Californi

a

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

JAMES CHRISTOPHER CASTLE,

Plaintiff, 

v. 

BARACK OBAMA, et al., 

Defendants. 

Case No. 15-mc-80154-EDL 

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE 

On June 5, 2015, pro se plaintiff James Castle filed a document entitled “Petition to Seal 

Petition for Declaratory Relief, Enforcement of Trusts, Protection and Full Accounting.” See Dkt. 

#1. The Petition to Seal requests that the matter be treated as “’private’ and ‘sealed, ex parte, in 

Chambers, without the public, without publication of the press, excluding spectators and ‘enemies’ 

of the Court.’” Id. Attached to the Petition to Seal is a “Bill in Equity Petition for Declaratory 

Relief, Enforcement of Trusts, Protection and Full Accounting.” Dkt. #1-2. In an abundance of 

caution, the Clerk’s Office concealed the entire filing from public view on the Court’s electronic 

case filing system. However, the Petition to Seal does not reference any law or other federal or 

local rule that would allow any of the documents submitted to the Court to be filed under seal, and 

Petitioner has not provided any justification for sealing them. Plaintiff is hereby Ordered to Show 

Cause by no later than June 23, 2015 why the entire filing should not be made public. 

Further, the “Bill in Equity Petition for Declaratory Relief, Enforcement of Trusts, 

Protection and Full Accounting” states that Petitioner is a citizen of Iowa while Defendants reside 

in Washington D.C. and there are no factual allegations relating to this district, or even California 

generally. It therefore appears that this Court lacks personal jurisdiction, and that venue is 

Case 3:15-mc-80154-VC Document 2 Filed 06/11/15 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court 

Northern District of Californi

a

improper in this district. Plaintiff is hereby Ordered to Show Cause by no later than June 23, 2015 

why the Petition should not be dismissed sua sponte for lack of jurisdiction and improper venue. 

Additionally, the Court cannot discern from the largely unintelligible “Bill in Equity 

Petition for Declaratory Relief, Enforcement of Trusts, Protection and Full Accounting” exactly 

what it is that Petitioner seeks, from whom, and what the legal basis is for any claim. Federal 

Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a) requires: 

A pleading that states a claim for relief must contain: 

 (1) a short and plain statement of the grounds for the court's jurisdiction, unless the court 

 already has jurisdiction and the claim needs no new jurisdictional support; 

 (2) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief; 

 and 

 (3) a demand for the relief sought, which may include relief in the alternative or different 

 types of relief. 

Petitioner’s pleading does not satisfy this standard, and Petitioner is hereby Ordered to Show 

Cause by no later than June 23, 2015 why the Petition should not be dismissed for failure to 

comply with Rule 8. 

Finally, Petitioner requests that the Court “make process upon Defendants in person to 

appear and answer by oath for their breaches of trust set forth in this Bill.” However, Petitioner is 

responsible for properly serving Defendants the President of the United States and the Secretary of 

the Treasury in compliance with all applicable rules governing service on members of the 

Executive Branch. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: June 11, 2015 

______________________________________ 

ELIZABETH D. LAPORTE 

United States Magistrate Judge 

 

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United States District Court 

Northern District of Californi

a

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

JAMES CHRISTOPHER CASTLE,

Plaintiff, 

v. 

BARACK OBAMA, et al., 

Defendants. 

Case No. 15-mc-80154-EDL 

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 June 11, 2015, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached order, 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. 

James Christopher Castle 

106 Iowa Avenue 

Fairfield, IA 52556 

Dated: June 11, 2015 

Richard W. Wieking 

Clerk, United States District Court 

By:________________________ 

Stephen Ybarra, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable ELIZABETH D. LAPORTE 

Case 3:15-mc-80154-VC Document 2 Filed 06/11/15 Page 3 of 3