Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-cv-02126/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-cv-02126-23/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 15:1692 Fair Debt Collection Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WESLEY RILEY,

NO. CIV. S-06-2126 LKK/KJM

Plaintiff,

v. O R D E R

MICHELE GIGUIERE, et al,

Defendants.

 /

On September 25, 2006, plaintiff filed a complaint under the

Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (“FDCPA”) against attorneydefendant Michele Giguiere and several other defendants. Plaintiff

settled his claims against all defendants but Ms. Giguiere. On July

7, 2008, this court held its first pretrial conference. Trial began

on March 31, 2009. On April 2, 2009, the court announced a

mistrial, and ordered parties to file cross-motions for summary

judgment. After ruling on these motions, the court set a new

pretrial conference for September 8, 2009, and set trial for

November 3, 2009. The pretrial conference, however, was vacated

after Ms. Giguiere’s counsel filed a motion to withdraw on August

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26, 2009. Plaintiff opposed the motion. Nonetheless, on September

29, 2009, the court granted the motion. The court vacated the trial

date, and set a status conference for November 23, 2009 in order

to provide Ms. Giguiere with time to find new counsel. The status

conference was continued to November 30, 2009. After the

conference, on December 1, 2009, this court issued an order setting

the pretrial conference for March 15, 2010 and the trial to begin

on April 6, 2010. The court also stated, “TRIAL IN THIS CASE WILL

NOT BE FURTHER CONTINUED.”

On March 15, 2010, the court held a pretrial conference. At

this conference, Ms. Giguiere admitted that she had not reviewed

the separate pretrial statement that had been filed by her former

counsel nor the joint pretrial statement or plaintiff’s separate

pretrial statement. Rather than further delay trial, the court

allowed Ms. Giguiere to evaluate these statements during the

pretrial conference. Ultimately, the court issued a tentative

pretrial order. This tentative pretrial order required parties to

submit trial briefs, proposed jury instructions, and proposed

verdict forms fifteen days before trial. Ms. Giguiere failed to

file any of these documents. The court decided, however, that due

to the short amount of time between the pretrial conference and

trial to extend Ms. Giguiere’s deadline until 12:00 p.m. on April

5, 2010. Ms. Giguiere nonetheless failed to comply with this

extended deadline.

At 3:03 p.m. on April 5, 2010, the eve of trial, Ms. Giguiere

filed a notice of filing bankruptcy petition. The petition was

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filed at 12:19 p.m. on the same day. Ms Giguiere’s notice indicated

that the case is stayed due to the bankruptcy filing. Later that

day, plaintiff filed a request for a continuance of the trial date

rather than taking the case off calendar. Plaintiff argued that

because Ms. Giguiere only filed a skeletal bankruptcy petition, she

must take further action or her petition will be dismissed. As

such, plaintiff seeks to avoid further delay, and requests that

this court set trial after May 1, 2010, when the court can

determine if Ms. Giguiere’s bankruptcy petition has been dismissed.

While the court is sympathetic to plaintiff’s concerns, it does not

set a further trial date. Rather, the bankruptcy filing stays this

case. Upon notice that the bankruptcy petition has been dismissed,

however, the court will promptly set a new trial date.

For the foregoing reasons, the court orders as follows:

(1) This case is stayed.

(2) The trial date, April 6, 2010, is vacated.

(2) The clerk is instructed to administratively close this

case.

(3) Plaintiff shall notify the court when the case may

properly proceed. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: April 6, 2010.

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