Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_04-cv-02571/USCOURTS-caed-2_04-cv-02571-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:12101 Americans with Disabilities Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

----oo0oo----

SCOTT N. JOHNSON,

NO. CIV. S-04-2571 WBS PAN

Plaintiff, 

v. ORDER

MARK D. EARL, individually and

d/b/a THE BOARDWALK; JANICE

GARNETT; and DOES 1 through

10, inclusive,

Defendants.

----oo0oo----

The parties were scheduled for a further status

conference on July 5, 2005. (June 3, 2005 Order). Plaintiff

appeared pro se. Defendants’ counsel, Joseph Clayton Fraulob of

Farrell, Fraulob, & Brown did not appear and did not notify the

court of any reason for his failure to appear. Further,

defendants’ counsel did not file a status report and did not

respond to telephone inquiries by the court and by plaintiff. On

July 6, 2005, this court ordered defendants’ counsel to appear on

July 11, 2005 to show cause why he should not be sanctioned for

his failure to appear. Defendants’ counsel failed to appear on

Case 2:04-cv-02571-WBS-PAN Document 22 Filed 07/13/05 Page 1 of 2
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that date as well.

Plaintiff, a licensed California attorney, represents

himself. He represented to the court that he spent six hours

preparing for and attending the July 5, 2005 status conference. 

The court finds that time to have been reasonable The rate he

charges other clients is $200 per hour. The court also finds

that rate to be reasonable. 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(f) specifically

permits a court to award attorney’s fees against an attorney who

fails to appear at a scheduling or pretrial conference. Justice

demands that plaintiff be compensated here. Although the court

recognizes that pro se litigants are generally not entitled to

attorney’s fees as a sanction against the other party, this pro

se litigant is an attorney who charges other clients $200 per

hour. Six hours of his otherwise billable time were lost because

defendants’ counsel did not bother to file a status report,

appear at the scheduling conference, or respond to telephone

inquiries. Therefore, the court will award plaintiff $1200. 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that, pursuant to Federal Rule of

Civil Procedure 16(f), Mr. Fraulob pay plaintiff the sum of

$1200.

DATED: July 12, 2005

Case 2:04-cv-02571-WBS-PAN Document 22 Filed 07/13/05 Page 2 of 2