Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-02703/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-02703-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
City of Sacramento
Defendant
David Villegas
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

DAVID VILLEGAS, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

CITY OF SACRAMENTO, 

Defendant. 

No. 2:14-cv-02703-MCE-AC 

ORDER 

 Plaintiff seeks to proceed as a military veteran and be reimbursed his $400 filing fee 

pursuant to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (“USERRA”), 

38 U.S.C. § 4323(h)(1). This motion was referred to the undersigned by Chief District Judge, 

Morrison C. England, Jr. on November 20, 2014. ECF No. 5. The USERRA provides that “[n]o 

fees or court costs may be charged or taxed against any person claiming rights under” the 

USERRA. 38 U.S.C. § 4323(h)(1). Congress enacted the USERRA to end employment 

discrimination on the basis of membership in the armed forces. Townsend v. Univ. of Alaska, 

543 F.3d 478, 482 (9th Cir. 2008). “‘Because USERRA was enacted to protect the rights of 

veterans and members of the uniformed services, it must be broadly construed in favor of its 

military beneficiaries.’” Montoya v. Orange Cnty. Sheriff’s Dep't, 987 F. Supp. 2d 981, 1009 

(C.D. Cal. 2013) (quoting Francis v. Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Inc., 452 F.3d 299, 303 (4th Cir. 

2006)). Accordingly, in order to qualify for the reimbursement of filing fees under the USERRA 

Case 2:14-cv-02703-MCE-DB Document 10 Filed 03/04/15 Page 1 of 2
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a plaintiff pursuing a claim under the act simply must allege that he is a member of the armed 

forces. Davis v. Advocate Health Ctr. Patient Care Exp., 523 F.3d 681, 684 (7th Cir. 2008). 

Plaintiff’s complaint alleges that defendant discriminated against him based on his status 

as a military veteran in violation of the USERRA, 38 U.S.C. § 4312. ECF No. 1 at 4–5. Plaintiff 

also alleges that he is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces. ECF No. 4 at 3. Accordingly, 

plaintiff’s request to proceed as a military veteran under the USERRA will be granted. Because 

plaintiff has already paid his filing fee to proceed in this court, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that 

the clerk of this court shall refund plaintiff’s $400 filing fee. 

DATED: March 3, 2015 

Case 2:14-cv-02703-MCE-DB Document 10 Filed 03/04/15 Page 2 of 2