Morrissette v. Colvin

Filing 16

Order re: 15 MOTION for Walter A. Blakeney to Withdraw as Attorney filed by Kedrick Kawassi Morrissette. The Court directs Plaintiff's counsel to mail copies of this order and his motion to withdraw to Plaintiff's next-of-ki n. After counsel provides written notice to the Court verifying that he has complied with this order, the motion to withdraw will be granted. If no motion for substitution of parties is filed by 2/18/2014, this action will be dismissed without prejudice. Disposition Deadline set to 2/18/2014. Signed by Senior Judge Charles R. Butler, Jr on 11/15/2013. (sdb)

IN
 THE
 UNITED
 STATES
 DISTRICT
 COURT
 FOR
 THE

SOUTHERN
 DISTRICT
 OF
 ALABAMA

SOUTHERN
 DIVISION

KEDRICK
 KAWASSI

MORRISETTE,

Plaintiff,

v.

CAROLYN
 W.
 COLVIN,

Acting
 Commissioner
 of

Social
 Security

Defendan

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CIVIL
 ACTION
 NO.

13-­‐00265-­‐CB-­‐M

ORDER

This
 matter
 is
 before
 the
 Court
 on
 a
 motion
 filed
 by
 attorney
 Walter
 A.

Blakeney
 seeking
 permission
 to
 withdraw
 as
 counsel
 of
 record
 for
 the
 plaintiff,

Kedrick
 Kawassi
 Morrisette.

 (Doc.
 15.)

 Mr.
 Blakeney
 states
 that
 the
 Plaintiff
 has

died,
 that
 counsel
 has
 been
 unsuccessful
 in
 his
 attempt
 to
 obtain
 a
 certificate
 of

death
 or
 to
 secure
 a
 substitute
 party,
 and
 that
 he
 has
 been
 unable
 to
 maintain

regular
 contact
 with
 any
 person
 who
 might
 serve
 as
 a
 substitute
 party.

The
 motion
 to
 withdraw
 is
 governed
 by
 Local
 Rule
 83.5(h),
 which
 states
 in

relevant
 part:

(h)
 Duration
 of
 Representation.
 Unless
 disbarred
 or

suspended,
 attorneys
 shall
 be
 held
 at
 all
 times
 to
 represent
 the

parties
 for
 whom
 they
 appear
 of
 record
 in
 the
 first
 instance
 until,

after
 formal
 motion
 and
 notice
 to
 such
 parties
 and
 to
 opposing

counsel,
 they
 are
 permitted
 to
 withdraw
 from
 such
 representation.

The
 court
 may,
 however,
 permit
 withdrawal
 without
 formal
 motion

and
 notice
 if
 other
 counsel
 has
 entered
 his
 or
 her
 appearance
 for
 the

party.

This
 is
 an
 unusual
 situation.

 Counsel
 is
 normally
 required
 to
 give
 written

notice
 to
 his
 client
 before
 he
 may
 be
 permitted
 to
 withdraw.

 Obviously,
 that
 is
 not

possible
 in
 this
 case.

 Out
 of
 an
 abundance
 of
 caution,
 the
 Court
 hereby
 directs

Plaintiff’s
 counsel
 to
 mail
 copies
 of
 this
 order
 and
 his
 motion
 to
 withdraw
 to

Plaintiff’s
 next-­‐of-­‐kin.

 After
 counsel
 provides
 written
 notice
 to
 the
 Court
 verifying

that
 he
 has
 complied
 with
 this
 order,
 the
 motion
 to
 withdraw
 will
 be
 granted.

If
 no
 motion
 for
 substitution
 of
 parties
 is
 filed
 on
 or
 before
 February
 18,
 2014,
 this

action
 will
 be
 dismissed
 without
 prejudice.

DONE
 and
 ORDERED
 this
 the
 15th
 day
 of
 November
 2013.

s/Charles
 R.
 Butler,
 Jr.

Senior
 United
 States
 District
 Judge