Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_19-cv-01089/USCOURTS-cand-4_19-cv-01089-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MICHAEL BOWEN,

Plaintiff,

v.

THE CITY OF OAKLAND, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 19-cv-01089-PJH 

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

Re: Dkt. No. 2

Plaintiff Michael Bowen filed this action on February 27, 2019. Dkt. 1. The 

complaint alleges that plaintiff has the right to possess land located at 2199 East 12th 

Street in Oakland, California and that the City of Oakland planned to wrongfully evict him 

and others from that land. Id. Plaintiff’s complaint and motion for temporary restraining

order allege that the City of Oakland notified plaintiff on February 22, 2019 that it would 

evict him at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. Dkt. 1 at 4; see also Dkt. 2 at 

ECF pp. 8 (Ex. F, “Notice to Vacate Illegal Encampment”), 11 (Ex. G). Plaintiff seeks an 

injunction preventing defendants from evicting him and other occupants. Dkt. 1 at 5. 

Plaintiff moved the court for a temporary restraining order on February 27, 2019. Dkt. 2. 

This action was reassigned to the undersigned on February 28, 2019. Dkt. 8.

First, plaintiff is ORDERED TO SHOW CAUSE why his motion for a temporary 

restraining order is not moot. If plaintiff has already been evicted, the court cannot grant 

the relief plaintiff’s temporary restraining order seeks, which is to prevent the eviction 

before it occurs. Because plaintiff alleges that the eviction was scheduled to occur on 

February 27, and because the City of Oakland’s website also reports that the land at 

Case 4:19-cv-01089-PJH Document 12 Filed 02/28/19 Page 1 of 2
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

issue was scheduled to be “cleaned up” on February 27, 2019,1 plaintiff must show that 

his motion for a temporary restraining order is not moot. Plaintiff may file a response with 

the court showing that the relief he seeks is not moot by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 1, 2019.

Second, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65 provides that a temporary restraining 

order may be issued without notice to the adverse party only if, among other things, 

plaintiff explains to the court in writing the efforts he made to give notice of the motion to 

defendants and the reasons why successful notice to defendants should not be required. 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b)(1)(B). Plaintiff has not met that requirement, so the court may not 

issue a temporary restraining order without notice to defendants.

As such, if the motion for a temporary restraining order is not moot, plaintiff is 

ORDERED TO SERVE DEFENDANTS with copies of the complaint and motion for 

temporary restraining order by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 1, 2019. Defendants may file a 

response to plaintiff’s motion by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 4, 2019. If the motion for a 

temporary restraining order is not moot, the court shall hold a hearing on the motion at 

9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 in Courtroom 3, 3rd Floor, 1301 Clay Street, 

Oakland, California.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 28, 2019

__________________________________

PHYLLIS J. HAMILTON

United States District Judge

 

1 See https://www.oaklandca.gov/documents/homeless-encampment-clean-up-schedule; 

https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/02-25-19-to-03-08-19-WebsiteHomeless-Encampment-Clean-Up-Schedule.pdf.

Case 4:19-cv-01089-PJH Document 12 Filed 02/28/19 Page 2 of 2