Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_12-cv-02712/USCOURTS-azd-2_12-cv-02712-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Rebecca Jean Burt
Plaintiff
Goodwill Industries of Central Arizona
Defendant

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Rebecca Jean Burt,

Plaintiff,

vs.

Goodwill Industries of Central Arizona,

Defendant.

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CV 12-2712-PHX-JAT

ORDER 

Plaintiff has filed a “motion for substitution of judge with affidavit.” Doc. 40.

Although the title says “with affidavit” the document does not actually contain an affidavit.

Further, the document starts at paragraph 3, so it is possible some pages were not included.

28 U.S.C. § 144 applies when a party to a proceeding believes that the district judge

“has a personal bias or prejudice either against him or in favor of any adverse party[.]”

28 U.S.C. § 144. “Section 144 expressly conditions relief upon the filing of a timely and

legally sufficient affidavit.” United States v. Sibla, 624 F.2d 864, 867 (9th Cir. 1980)

(citations omitted). Specifically, the statute provides: 

The affidavit shall state the facts and the reasons for the belief that bias or

prejudice exists, and shall be filed not less than ten days before the beginning

of the term at which the proceeding is to be heard, or good cause shall be

shown for failure to file it within such time. A party may file only one such

affidavit in any case. ...

28 U.S.C. § 144. When a party files a timely and legally sufficient affidavit pursuant to

section 144, the district judge “shall proceed no further therein, but another judge shall be

assigned to hear such proceeding.” Id.; Sibla, 624 F.2d at 867. However, “if the motion and

Case 2:12-cv-02712-JAT Document 42 Filed 06/20/14 Page 1 of 2
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affidavit required by section 144 [are] not presented to the judge, no relief under section 144

is available.” Sibla, 624 F.2d at 868.

As mentioned above, in this case Plaintiff failed to attach an affidavit. Further,

Plaintiff failed to show why this motion was not filed within ten days of the case being

assigned to the undersigned. The Court will give Plaintiff ten days to supplement her motion

to cure these deficiencies. If Plaintiff fails to file the supplement, or files a supplement that

does not cure the deficiencies, the motion will be denied as procedurally defective.

Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff has leave to file a supplement to her motion (Doc. 40)

within 10 days. Defendant’s deadline to respond shall run from the filing of the supplement,

if any.

DATED this 20th day of June, 2014.

Case 2:12-cv-02712-JAT Document 42 Filed 06/20/14 Page 2 of 2