Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_06-cv-00902/USCOURTS-azd-2_06-cv-00902-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1391 Personal Injury

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Olympic Food Products, Inc., 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

P&J Brands, Inc., 

Defendant. 

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No. CV 06-902-PHX-JAT

ORDER

Plaintiff filed its Complaint on March 27, 2006 (Doc. #1). Defendant answered and

filed a counterclaim on May 2, 2006 (Doc. #12). Defendant P&J Brands, Inc. is a Maryland

corporation with its principal place of business in Phoenix, Arizona. (Compl. ¶4).

Defendant's counsel filed an application to withdraw as counsel on December 7, 2006 (Doc.

#26). The Court granted the application to withdraw on December 14, 2006, and further

ordered, "that, because a corporation cannot appear in Federal Court without counsel, see

Rowland v. Cal. Mens Colony, Unit II Men's Advisory Counsel, 506 U.S. 194, 201-02 (1993)

("It has been the law for the better part fo two centuries . . . that a corporation may appear in

federal courts only through licensed counsel."), if substitute counsel does not file a notice of

appearance for P&J Brands, Inc., within 30 days of this Order, Plaintiff may move to strike

P&J Brands, Inc.'s answer and counterclaim." (Doc. #27).

Plaintiff filed Motion for Leave to File Amended Complaint on December 22, 2006

(Doc. # 30). The Court granted the motion to file an amended complaint on January 18, 2007

Case 2:06-cv-00902-JAT Document 45 Filed 06/06/07 Page 1 of 2
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The Court notes that the answer portion of Defendant's Answer and Counterclaim is

moot in any case because it does not respond to the operative complaint in this case, the First

Amended Complaint.

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(Doc. #35). The Plaintiff filed a Motion to Strike Defendant's Answer and Counterclaim on

January 22, 2007 (Doc. #36) based on the Court's December 14 Order. To date, no substitute

counsel has entered an appearance for Defendant. 

Because no substitute counsel has appeared on behalf of Defendant, pursuant to the

Court's December 14 Order regarding P&J Brands, Inc.'s inability to represent itself in

federal court, see Rowland, 506 U.S. 194, 201-02, the Court grants Plaintiff's Motion to

Strike the Answer and Counterclaim.1

Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED granting Plaintiff's Motion to Strike Defendant's Answer and

Counterclaim (Doc. #36).

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall strike Defendant's

Answer & Counterclaim at Docket #12.

DATED this 6th day of June, 2007.

Case 2:06-cv-00902-JAT Document 45 Filed 06/06/07 Page 2 of 2