Agha-Khan v. Bank of America et al

Filing 60

ORDER on Pro Se filings signed by District Judge Dale A. Drozd on 4/14/2017. (Lundstrom, T)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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SALMA AGHA-KHAN,

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Plaintiff,

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No. 1:17-cv-00011-DAD

v.

ORDER ON PRO SE FILINGS

BANK OF AMERICA, et al.,

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Defendants.

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Plaintiff Salma Agha-Khan initially brought this action proceeding in propria persona.

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(Doc. No. 1 at 10–61.) However, on April 7, 2017, attorney Joseph Shemaria filed a notice

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indicating that he was appearing as retained counsel of record on behalf of plaintiff Salma Agha-

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Khan in this action. (Doc. Nos. 56 and 57.) Despite now being represented by counsel in this

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civil action, on April 12, 2017, plaintiff Agha-Khan nonetheless lodged with the court a multitude

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of documents on her own behalf.

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A litigant who is represented by counsel is not entitled to file documents with the court on

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their own behalf. See Franklin v. Knowles, 428 Fed. Appx. 777, at *1 (9th Cir. 2011)1 (“Because

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appellant is represented by counsel, only counsel may submit filings.”); Meador v. Hammer, No.

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2:11-cv-3342 KJM AC P, 2015 WL 1238363, at *2 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 16, 2015) (“[P]laintiff has

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Citation to this unpublished Ninth Circuit opinion is appropriate pursuant to Ninth Circuit Rule
36–3(b).
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previously been warned that pro se filings will be disregarded so long as he is represented by

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counsel. . . . For these reasons, the court will disregard plaintiff’s pro se filing.”); Reiffin v.

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Microsoft Corp., No. C 98-0266 WHA, 2011 WL 2359059, at *1 (N.D. Cal. June 10, 2011)

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(“[P]laintiff . . . himself—despite being represented by counsel—made a series of ‘pro se’ filings

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in the district court. These filings, which have since been stricken as improper . . . .”)

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The court therefore declines to accept for filing the documents lodged by plaintiff on her

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own behalf since the appearance of counsel on her behalf in this action. The court recommends

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to plaintiff that she submit any such documents to her counsel for review. All court filings with

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the court made on behalf of plaintiff must be submitted by her counsel of record. Any documents

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submitted by plaintiff on her own behalf will not be filed on the docket and will be disregarded by

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the court.

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IT IS SO ORDERED.

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Dated:

April 14, 2017
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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