Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-01086/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-01086-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
India Merchandise Group Inc.
Defendant
Scott Johnson
Plaintiff
Parminder Kaur Saini
Defendant

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SCOTT JOHNSON,

Plaintiff,

v.

PARMINDER KAUR SAINI, et al.,

Defendants.

No. 2:14-cv-1086-LKK-KJN

ORDER

On June 2, 2014, defendant Parminder Kaur Saini (“Saini”), proceeding pro se, filed an 

answer to the complaint. (ECF No. 7.) Therein, Saini stated that she has been “sued incorrectly 

herein as India Merchandise Group, Inc.,” the other defendant named in this action. (Id. at 1.) 

On June 6, 2014, Saini consented to the jurisdiction of a magistrate judge. (ECF No. 8.) On July 

14, 2014, plaintiff filed a proposed joint status report; the signature line for defendant was 

prepared solely for Saini who did not sign the status report or otherwise responded to the May 2, 

2014 Order Setting Status Conference. (ECF No. 9 at 7.)

Based on the above filings and statements, the presiding District Judge determined that 

“the only defendant who has appeared in this action is proceeding in propria persona.” (ECF No. 

10 at 2.) Accordingly, on July 23, 2014, the District Judge ordered that further pre-trial 

proceedings in this action be assigned to the undersigned pursuant to Local Rule 302(c)(21). (Id.) 

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The District Judge also ordered the following: “If it subsequently appears that the corporate 

defendant has been properly sued in this action and appears through counsel, see Local Rule 

183(a), this action shall be referred back to the district court.” (Id.) On August 6, 2014, the 

undersigned issued an order setting a status conference in the matter for September 18, 2014, and 

requiring the parties to file a status report addressing, inter alia, the issue of whether the India 

Merchandise Group, Inc. has been properly sued in this action. (ECF No. 11.)

On August 12, 2014, both defendants, Saini and India Merchandise Group Inc., filed an 

answer to the complaint. (ECF No. 12.) Therein, defendants state that they are responding to the 

complaint “by and through their attorneys, Michael Welch & Associates.” (Id. at 1.) The answer 

is also signed by attorney Michael D. Welch of Michael Welch & Associates. (Id. at 6-7.)

Local Rule 302(c)(21) provides that magistrate judges shall conduct all appropriate pretrial proceedings in “actions in which all the plaintiffs or defendants are proceeding in propria 

persona, including dispositive and non-dispositive motions and matters. Actions initially 

assigned to a Magistrate Judge under this paragraph shall be referred back to the assigned Judge if 

a party appearing in propria persona is later represented by an attorney in accordance with L.R. 

180.” E.D. Cal. L.R. 302(c)(21).

In light of the appearance of counsel on the behalf of both named defendants, and with 

plaintiff also represented by counsel, neither all the plaintiffs nor all the defendants in this action 

are proceeding in propria persona. Therefore, further proceedings in this action, other than 

discovery motions and other matters appropriately referred to the undersigned under the court’s 

Local Rules, should now be noticed before the United States District Judge assigned to this 

action. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. This matter is referred to the United States District Judge assigned to this action. See

E.D. Cal. L.R. 302(c)(21).

2. All dates pending before the undersigned are VACATED.

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IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: August 13, 2014

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