Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_08-cv-01847/USCOURTS-casd-3_08-cv-01847-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 05:702 Administrative Procedure Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LA JOLLA FRIENDS OF THE SEALS, a

nonprofit organization; and JAMES H.N.

HUDNALL, JR., an individual,

Plaintiffs,

CASE NO. 08cv1847 WQH (POR)

ORDER

vs.

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND

ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES

SERVICE (“NMFS”), an agency of the U.S.

Dept. of Commerce; CARLOS M.

GUTIERREZ, Secretary of Commerce;

JAMES W. BALSIGER, Acting Director of

NMFS; RODNEY MCINNIS, Acting

Regional Administrator of NMFS; JAMES

LECKY, Director of Office of Protected

Resources at NMFS; City of San Diego; and

Does 1 to 100,

Defendants.

HAYES, Judge:

The matter before the Court is Plaintiff’s motion for a temporary restraining order

requiring the Defendant City of San Diego to maintain the status quo regarding the colony of

harbor seals at Children’s Pool until the date set for the hearing on Plaintiff’s motion for a

preliminary injunction. (Doc # 3). 

On October 22, 2008, this Court held a hearing with all parties present in order to set

a briefing schedule and further hearing date on Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction.

The Court set a hearing date of November 25, 2008 on Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary

Case 3:08-cv-01847-WQH-POR Document 11 Filed 10/22/08 Page 1 of 3
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injunction. Defendant City of San Diego represented to this Court at the hearing that Plaintiffs

were likely to succeed on the merits at this stage of the proceedings and that the City of San

Diego was likely to be required to immediately remove the seals constituting irreparable injury.

Defendant City of San Diego stated that it did not oppose an order requiring it to maintain the

status quo regarding the colony of harbor seals at Children’s Pool until the date set for the

hearing on Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction. (Doc # 3).

The underlying purpose of a temporary restraining order is to preserve the status quo

and prevent irreparable harm before a preliminary injunction hearing may be held. Granny

Goose Foods, Inc. v. Bhd. of Teamsters & Auto Truck Drivers, 415 U.S. 423, 439 (1974); see

also Reno Air Racing Ass’n v. McCord, 452 F.3d 1126, 1130-31 (9th Cir. 2006). The standard

for issuing a temporary restraining order requires that the party seeking relief show either “(1)

a combination of likelihood of success on the merits and the possibility of irreparable harm,

or (2) that serious questions going to the merits are raised and the balance of hardships tips

sharply in favor of the moving party.” Immigrant Assistance Project of the L.A. County of

Fed’n of Labor v. INS, 306 F.3d 842, 873 (9th Cir. 2002). “[T]hese two formulations represent

two points on a sliding scale in which the required degree of irreparable harm increases as the

probability of success decreases.” Dep’t Parks & Rec. of Calif. v. Bazaar Del Mundo, Inc.,

448 F.3d 1118, 1123 (9th Cir. 2006) (citations omitted).

 The Court finds that serious questions going to the merits are raised and the balance

of hardships tips sharply in favor of the moving party. This Court will enter an order to

preserve the status quo and prevent irreparable harm before a preliminary injunction hearing

may be held.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Defendant City of San Diego, its agents, servants,

employees, and representatives, and all persons acting in concert or participating with them,

are hereby enjoined and restrained through the hearing date of November 25, 2008 from

engaging in, committing, or performing, directly or indirectly, any and all of the following

acts: harassing or dispersing the colony of harbor seals at Children’s Pool Beach in La Jolla,

California. 

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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendants, and each of them, shall appear in

Courtroom 4 of this Court, located at 940 Front Street, San Diego, California, on November

25, 2008 at 9:30 a.m., to show cause, if any, why this order should not maintain in effect

during the pendency of this action. Defendants shall file and serve opposition papers no later

than November 4, 2008, and Plaintiffs may file and serve reply papers no later than November

11, 2008.

DATED: October 22, 2008

WILLIAM Q. HAYES

United States District Judge

Case 3:08-cv-01847-WQH-POR Document 11 Filed 10/22/08 Page 3 of 3