2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 4-17-2009 

# H ec t or Hue r t a s v

. C ity of C amde n P r e c e de n t i al or N on-P r e c e de n t i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 09-1050

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit or y

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2009 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit or y

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C a rl s on@l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion
" H e ct or Hue r t as v

. C ity of C amde n" (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1520. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1520D L D - 143 NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT
N o. 09- 1050
I N RE : H EC TO R L . H U ER TA S, Pet i t i oner O n a Pet i t i on forW r i tof M andamus fr om t he U n i t e d S t a t e s D i s t r i c tC o u r tf o rt h e D i s t r i c to f

N e w J e r s e y ( R el at ed t o D . N . J . C i v. N o. 06- cv- 04676) Sub mi t t e d Pu r s ua ntt o Rul e 21 , Fe d. R. A pp . P.

M ar ch 26, 2009 B efor e: B A R R Y , A M B R O and SM I T H , C i r cui tJ udges

( O pi ni on fi l ed: A pr i l 17, 2009)

OP I NI ON
P E R C UR I AM H ect orH uer t as , pr ocee di ng pr o s e, has fi l ed a pe t i t i on fora w r i tof m andamus
se e k in g to c o m p e l th e U n ited S tate s D istric t C o u rt f o r th e D istric t o f

N e w Je rse yto deci de s ever al m ot i ons i n hi s act i on agai ns tt he C i t yof C amden, t he C i t yof C amden P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t , O f

f i c e rWa r r e n B r o w n , a n d J u a n A n d i n o ( t h e “ D e f e n d a n t s ” )
. We
w i l l denyt he mandam us pet i t i on. H uer t as fi l ed a c om pl ai nti n D i s t r i ctC our tagai ns tt he D efe ndant s al l egi ng t hat2

theyh ad p rev en ted h im fro m v isi ti n g h is m o ther. A n d ino , w h o li v es w ith H u ertas’s
m ot her , al l egedl ycal l ed the pol i ce w hen H uer t as arr i ved att he hous e t o vi s i ther , and O ffi cerB r ow n di r ect ed H uer t as t o l eave . H uer t as s oughta t empora r yr es t r ai ni ng or der
a n d in ju n c tiv e re lie f
. I n J une 2008, H uer t as fi l ed a mot i on and an a m ended mot i on fordefa ul tj udgm ent ag ains t th e m u n ici p al de fe n d an ts ba sed o n their all eg ed fa il u re to a b ide b ya c o u rt
s chedul i ng or derand otheral l eged di s coveryvi ol at i ons . H uer t as al s o fi l ed a mot i on for l eave t o fi l e a s econd a m ended mot i on fordefa ul tj udgm ent . I n N ovember2008, H uer t as
w r ot e the D i s t r i ctC our t , r eques t i ng a rul i ng on hi s m ot i ons . I n J anuary2009, H uer t as fi l ed the pr es entpet i t i on fora w r i tof m andamus, s eeki ng an or dercompel l i ng t he D i s t r i ct C o u rt to d e c id e h is m o tio n s . Shor t l yaft ert he fi l i ng of H uer t as ’ s m andamus pe t i t i on, t he M agi s t r at e J udge d ism iss e d w ith o u t p re

ju d ice H u e rta s’s m o tio n a n d a m e n d e d m o tio n f o r d e f a u lt j u d g m e n t,
a n d g ra n ted H u e rta s’s m o tio n f o r le a v e to f

ile a se c o n d a m e n d e d m o tio n f o r d e f a u lt j udgm entt o t he ext entt hathe s oughtl eave t o fi l e a s econd a m ended mot i on. I n l i ghtof th e M a g istra te J u d g e ’s o rd e r, H u e rta s’s p e tit io n f o r a w rit o f

m a n d a m u s s e e k in g to compel t he D i s t r i ctC our tt o rul e upon thes e mot i ons i s now m oot . H uer t as ’ s addi t i onal
r eques t s t hatw e vac at e a s chedul ed pr e- t r i al confe r ence and s t ayt he tr i al pendi ng t he d is p o s itio n o f

h is m o tio n s a re a ls o m o o t.H uer t as s ubs equent l yfi l ed a s econd a m ended mot i on fordefa ul tj udgm ent , w hi ch the 1 D i s t r i ctC our tdeni ed. Pr e- t r i al pr ocee di ngs ar e cont i nui ng. 3 A ccordi ng l y , w e w i l l den yt he p et i t i on for a w ri tof m and am us. 1