Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_08-cv-01398/USCOURTS-caed-2_08-cv-01398-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Federal Question: Other Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WARM WINDS dba

ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE, No. 2:08-cv-01398-MCE-GGH

a California Non-Profit

Corporation,

Plaintiff,

v. ORDER

THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT

OF THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO,

VERNE L. SPEIRS, CHIEF;

SHAWN AYALA, ASSISTANT

PROBATION CHIEF; SUSAN

VANQUILL, RETIRED

ANNUITANT/PROBATION OFFICER;

SHELLY FISHER, PROBATION

OFFICER; MORGAN WARD,

SUPERVISOR, DOMESTIC

VIOLENCE UNIT, DOES 1 

THROUGH 10, INCLUSIVE,

Defendants.

----oo0oo----

By Memorandum and Order dated November 12, 2009, this Court

granted Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment. Judgment was

subsequently entered in favor of Defendants in accordance with

that Order.

Case 2:08-cv-01398-MCE -GGH Document 60 Filed 01/27/10 Page 1 of 3
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On December 10, 2009, after the case had been closed, Lyle

Solomon, counsel of record for Plaintiff Warm Winds dba

Alternatives to Violence, a California Non-Profit Corporation

(“Warm Winds”), filed a proposed Substitution of Attorneys

requesting that Judith Bracamonte, as Warm Winds’ Executive

Director, be substituted as counsel in this matter. That request

was denied, by Minute Order dated December 14, 2009, on grounds

that the Local Rules of this District clearly provide that “a

corporation or other entity may appear only by an attorney.” 

E.D. Local Rule 183(a). As Warm Winds’ Executive Director,

Bracamonte’s substitution request runs counter to both Local Rule

183(a) and to applicable case law. See CLD Construction, Inc. v.

City of San Ramon, 120 Cal. App. 4th 1141, 1145 (2004) ([A]

corporation, unlike a natural person, cannot represent itself

before courts of record in propria persona, not can it represent

itself through a corporate officer, director, or other employee

who is not an attorney. It must be represented by a licensed

counsel in proceedings before courts of record”).

Despite the Court’s December 14, 2009 Minute Order, on

December 28, 2009, Judith Bracamonte, as “Director [of] Warm

Winds Inc. Without Counsel” filed two post-judgment Motions

seeking extensions for filing Motions for Reconsideration and for

Relief from Judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(c).

Because Bracamonte cannot represent Warm Winds, Inc. for the

reasons stated above, she has no standing to bring either motion.

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Case 2:08-cv-01398-MCE -GGH Document 60 Filed 01/27/10 Page 2 of 3
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Consequently both Motions (Docket Nos. 56 and 57) are stricken

and the January 28, 2010 hearing date for the Motions is vacated.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 27, 2010

_____________________________

MORRISON C. ENGLAND, JR.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 2:08-cv-01398-MCE -GGH Document 60 Filed 01/27/10 Page 3 of 3