Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_19-cv-07708/USCOURTS-cand-3_19-cv-07708-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Steven Wayne Bonilla
Petitioner
Clarance Don Clay
Respondent

Document Text:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

STEVEN WAYNE BONILLA,

Petitioner,

v.

CLARANCE DON CLAY, et al.,

Respondents.

Case No. 19-cv-07708-VC (PR) 

ORDER OF DISMISSAL WITH 

PREJUDICE

Plaintiff Steven Wayne Bonilla, a state inmate, has filed a document entitled, “statutory 

default judgment” seeking default judgments against a list of hundreds of government 

employees, private individuals and businesses. The clerk of the court has incorrectly labelled 

this document a petition for a writ of mandamus.

Under Rule 55 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, judgment by default may be 

entered “[w]hen a party against whom affirmative relief is sought has failed to plead or otherwise 

defend as provided by these rules.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(a). Rule 55(b)(2) provides that the court

may grant a default judgment after default has been entered by the Clerk of the Court. Fed. R. 

Civ. P. 55(b)(2). Default judgments are generally disfavored, and “[c]ases should be decided 

upon their merits whenever reasonably possible.” Eitel v. McCool, 782 F.2d 1470, 1472 (9th 

Cir. 1986).

Bonilla seeks default judgments because the named individuals and businesses “failed to 

perform their statutory duty” in his criminal case many years ago. Because these individuals and 

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businesses have not been served with a complaint, affirmative relief against them has not been 

sought; therefore, default judgments are unavailable.

Furthermore, any claim having to do with Bonilla’s criminal proceedings should be filed 

in his pending habeas petition where he is represented by counsel.

This is not a case in which the undersigned judge’s impartiality might be reasonably 

questioned. See United States v. Holland, 519 F.3d 909, 912 (9th Cir. 2008) (absent legitimate 

reason to recuse himself or herself, judge has a duty to sit in judgment in all cases assigned to 

that judge).

The Clerk shall close the case. The Clerk shall return, without filing, any further 

documents Bonilla submits after this case is closed.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 19, 2019

______________________________________

VINCE CHHABRIA

United States District Judge

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