Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_03-cv-02194/USCOURTS-cand-5_03-cv-02194-0/pdf.json

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

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BNFY 577534v1 1 (CV-03-2194 HRL)

PLAINTIFF DIRECTV, INC.’S REQUEST TO VACATE STAY ORDER; [PROPOSED] ORDER

Alan J. Kessel (Cal. Bar No.: 130707)

Suzanne M. Burke (Cal. Bar No.: 188597)

Brandon Q. Tran (Cal. Bar No.: 223435)

BUCHALTER, NEMER, FIELDS & YOUNGER

A Professional Corporation

18400 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 800

Irvine, California 92612-0514

Telephone: (949) 760-1121

Facsimile: (949) 720-0182

E-Mail: btran@buchalter.com

Attorneys for Plaintiff DIRECTV, INC.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

DIRECTV, INC., a California corporation,

Plaintiff,

vs.

MIGUEL CERDA, et al., Defendants. Case No. CV-03-2194 HRL

Hon. Howard R. Lloyd

PLAINTIFF DIRECTV, INC.’S REQUEST 

FOR ORDER LIFTING STAY AND 

REASSIGNING CASE TO THE 

HONORABLE RONALD M. WHYTE; 

[PROPOSED] ORDER LIFTING STAY AND 

REASSIGNING CASE

TO THE COURT AND ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

Plaintiff DIRECTV, Inc. (“DIRECTV”) hereby requests that the Court vacate the

July 12, 2004 order (“July 12, 2004 Order”) entered by the Honorable Magistrate Judge Howard

R. Lloyd staying this action as to defaulted Defendants Miguel Cerda, Duoc Nguyen and Daniel

Tran (collectively, “Defaulted Defendants”) and reassign this action to the Honorable Ronald M. Whyte to allow DIRECTV to move forward with its pending motions for default judgment 

against the Defaulted Defendants. 

This request is made on the grounds that, on March 3, 2004, this action was reassigned in 

part from the Honorable Ronald M. Whyte to the Honorable Magistrate Howard R. Lloyd

because DIRECTV and the only defendant who answered the Complaint in this action, Sang Le, had consented to proceed before a United States Magistrate Judge. The March 3, 2004 Order 

Case 5:03-cv-02194-RMW Document 48 Filed 07/15/05 Page 1 of 3
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BNFY 577534v1 2 (CV-03-2194 HRL)

PLAINTIFF DIRECTV, INC.’S REQUEST TO VACATE STAY ORDER; [PROPOSED] ORDER

reassigning this action stated that “Judge Whyte will retain jurisdiction to hear Motions for

Default Judgment.” (See March 3, 2004 Order (Docket entry # 32)). At the time the 

March 3, 2004 Order was entered, Motions for Default Judgment were pending against each of

the Defaulted Defendants. (See Docket entries # 28-30). 

On July 12, 2004, the Honorable Magistrate Judge Howard R. Lloyd entered an Order

severing the claims against Defendant Sang Le and staying the action with respect to the

Defaulted Defendants. (Docket entry # 35). Shortly thereafter, on July 28, 2004, pursuant to the

limited assignment to the Honorable James Ware of this and other similar DIRECTV cases in the

Northern District, the Honorable James Ware entered an order providing that, in the absence of an 

order to the contrary by the assigned judge, all but the lead-named defendant in all DIRECTV

actions was dismissed without prejudice and DIRECTV could re-file its claims against them in

separate actions. (Docket entry, # 38). On August 3, 2004, the Honorable Ronald M. Whyte

entered an order in this action modifying Judge Ware’s July 28, 2004 Order to the extent that any

non-lead defendants whose default had been entered, or against whom default judgments were

pending, would remain in the action and DIRECTV could pursue default judgments against such

defendants. (Docket entry # 39). 

At the time the August 3, 2004 Order was entered, the Honorable Ronald M. Whyte had

retained jurisdiction over the Defaulted Defendants, and thus his order appeared to apply to them. Some time later, a notation was added to the docket, without DIRECTV’s knowledge, that the

August 3, 2004 order was “Docketed in Error” because the case had been assigned to the

Honorable Magistrate Howard R. Lloyd. In fact, however, pursuant to the Court’s March 3, 2004 

Order assigning the case to Magistrate Lloyd, Judge Whyte retained jurisdiction to hear Motions

for Default Judgment. Judge Whyte’s August 3, 2004 Order, then, was not in fact docketed in

error, in that he had retained jurisdiction over the Defaulted Defendants, each of whom was

affected by his Order.

With respect to non-lead defendant Sang Le, the only defendant who had consented to

proceed before a United States Magistrate Judge, DIRECTV filed a separate Complaint against 

/ / /

Case 5:03-cv-02194-RMW Document 48 Filed 07/15/05 Page 2 of 3
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BNFY 577534v1 3 (CV-03-2194 HRL)

PLAINTIFF DIRECTV, INC.’S REQUEST TO VACATE STAY ORDER; [PROPOSED] ORDER

him pursuant to Judge Ware’s July 28, 2004 Order.1 Thus, it appears that this case should no

longer be assigned to the Honorable Magistrate Judge Howard R. Lloyd. Further, the July 12, 2004 Order severing the claims against the Defaulted Defendants and staying this action as to

those Defendants so that the consenting parties could proceed before the Honorable Magistrate

Howard R. Lloyd, should also be vacated as no longer applicable.

Accordingly, DIRECTV respectfully requests that the Court reassign this matter to the

Honorable Ronald M. Whyte and vacate the July 12, 2004 Order staying this action as to the

Defaulted Defendants so that DIRECTV can proceed with its Motions for Default Judgment

against the Defaulted Defendants. 

 DATED: July 14, 2005 Respectfully Submitted,

BUCHALTER, NEMER, FIELDS & YOUNGER

A Professional Corporation

By: /s/ Brandon Q. Tran

Brandon Q. Tran

Attorneys for Plaintiff DIRECTV, INC.

ORDER

Having read the foregoing Request for Order Lifting Stay and Reassigning Case to the 

Honorable Ronald M. Whyte, and good cause appearing therefor, the Court HEREBY ORDERS 

as follows:

The Order dated July 12, 2004 staying this action against Defendants MIGUEL CERDA, 

DUOC NGUYEN, and DANIEL TRAN is hereby vacated;

This action may be, and hereby is, reassigned to the Honorable Ronald M. Whyte for 

further default judgment proceedings by Plaintiff DIRECTV, Inc. DATED: ______________ _______________________________________ Honorable Magistrate Howard R. Lloyd

United States District Court

Northern District of California

 1 That Complaint was filed on August 26, 2004 (Case No. CV-04-3621 HRL). On or about 

March 14, 2005, the parties settled their claims and that action was dismissed on April 5, 2005. 

Case 5:03-cv-02194-RMW Document 48 Filed 07/15/05 Page 3 of 3