Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00102/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00102-3/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
All Star Driving School
Counter Claimant
Allstars School of Driving
Plaintiff
Gary Embree
Counter Claimant
Kimberly Embree
Counter Claimant
Marivel Galicia
Defendant
PDL, Inc.
Counter Defendant

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

----oo0oo----

PDL, Inc., d/b/a ALLSTARS SCHOOL

OF DRIVING,

NO. CIV. S-07-0102 WBS GGH

Plaintiff,

ORDER RE: MOTION FOR 

v. RECONSIDERATION AND 

CLARIFICATION

ALL STAR DRIVING SCHOOL, GARY

EMBREE, KIMBERLY EMBREE, AND 

MARIVEL GALICIA, 

Defendants.

----oo0oo----

Because defendants’ amended counterclaims were filed in

contravention of this court’s Status (Pretrial Scheduling) Order

of April 9, 2007, the court on July 24, 2007 ordered the amended

counterclaims stricken. (Order (Docket No. 45).) Plaintiff now

asks this court to reconsider and clarify its minute order

pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(a) and 60(b),

inexplicably arguing that because the amended counterclaims

superseded defendants’ original counterclaims, defendants now

Case 2:07-cv-00102-WBS-GGH Document 53 Filed 08/24/07 Page 1 of 2
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Plaintiff’s reading also does not comport with the 1

plain language of the court’s minute order. Specifically, if the

effect of the minute order was to clarify that defendants no

longer had any valid counterclaims, it would be nonsensical for

defendants to “later seek[] . . . leave to file amended

counterclaims.” (July 24, 2007 Order (Docket No. 45), emphasis

added.) 

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have no valid counterclaims on file. 

It is well settled that an amended pleading supersedes

the original pleading. Hal Roach Studios v. Richard Feiner &

Co., 896 F.2d 1542, 1546 (9th Cir. 1990). However, when leave of

court is required to amend a pleading, and such leave is not

obtained, any amendment is legal nullity. U.S. ex rel. Mathews

v. HealthSouth Corp., 332 F.3d 293, 297 (5th Cir. 2003). It is

for this reason that the amended counterclaims were stricken,

thereby mooting any effect they might have had on the original

counterclaims. Thus defendants’ original counterclaims, filed on

March 22, 2007, are not superseded. It would be an illogical and 1

unjust result if defendants’ failed attempt at amending their

counterclaims should completely eviscerate their valid, existing

counterclaims.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that plaintiff’s motion for

reconsideration and clarification be, and the same hereby is,

DENIED. Defendants’ original counterclaims filed on March 22,

2007, are still valid and before this court.

DATED: August 23, 2007

Case 2:07-cv-00102-WBS-GGH Document 53 Filed 08/24/07 Page 2 of 2