Hupp v. San Diego County District Attorney et al
Filing
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ORDER denying Plaintiff's 20 Motion for Preliminary Injunction. Signed by Judge Irma E. Gonzalez on 4/26/2012. (All non-registered users served via U.S. Mail Service) (jah)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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PAUL HUPP,
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CASE NO. 12-CV-492 - IEG (RBB)
Plaintiff,
ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR
PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
vs.
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[Doc. No. 20]
SAN DIEGO COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY; SAN DIEGO COUNTY
OFFICE OF ASSIGNED COUNSEL; SAN
DIEGO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT;
SAN DIEGO COUNTY SHERIFF’S
DEPARTMENT; SAN DIEGO POLICE
DEPARTMENT; JEFFREY HOWARD
FREEDMAN; JOHN SARGENT MEYER;
JAMES PATRICK ROMO; THEODORE
STEPHEN DRCAR; CHARLIE WETZEL;
WILLIAM J. KIERNAN; P. MEYER; and
ROES 1-10, individually, jointly, jointly and
severally,
Defendants.
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Presently before the Court is Plaintiff Paul Hupp (“Plaintiff”)’s motion for a preliminary
injunction. [Doc. No. 20.] For the reasons below, the Court DENIES the motion.
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BACKGROUND
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Plaintiff commenced this action on February 28, 2012 against Defendants San Diego
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County District Attorney (“SD DA”), San Diego County Office of Assigned Counsel (“SD
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OAC”), San Diego County Superior Court (“SD Superior Court”), San Diego County Sheriff’s
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Department (“SD Sheriff’s”), San Diego Police Department (“SDPD”), Jeffrey Howard Freedman
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(“Freedman”), John Sargent Meyer (“Judge Meyer”), James Patrick Romo (“Romo”), Theodore
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Stephen Drcar (“Drcar”), Charlie Wetzel (“Wetzel”), William J. Kiernan (“Kiernan”), and P.
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Meyer (“P. Meyer”) alleging violations of his civil rights and state law tort claims. [Doc. No. 1.]
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On April 2, 2012, Plaintiff filed a first amended complaint (“FAC”) asserting twelve causes of
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action against these Defendants. [Doc. No. 4.]
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The following facts are taken from the FAC. In November 2010, a trial court entered a
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three year restraining order against Plaintiff restraining his contact with Defendant Freedman.
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[FAC ¶ 27.] In July 2011, Freedman applied for contempt of court charges against Plaintiff based
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on accusations that Plaintiff sent him three letters in violation of the restraining order. [Id. ¶ 28.]
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The primary evidence used to support the contempt charges was the letters Freedman received.
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[Id. ¶ 31.] Plaintiff alleges that these letters had no connection to him whatsoever. [Id.]
On November 16, 2011, Judge Meyer found Plaintiff guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of
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violating the restraining order and sentenced Plaintiff to 25 days in custody and a $5,000 fine.
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[FAC ¶ 33.] Judge Meyer’s order stated: “Respondent is not entitled to any custody credits and
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shall serve all 25 days with no early release, per court.” [Id.] On January 3, 2011, Plaintiff
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reported to the SD Sheriff’s to serve his 25 day sentence. [Id. ¶ 38.] Plaintiff told the SD Sheriff’s
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that they had to apply his custodial credits under California Penal Code § 4019, but the SD
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Sheriff’s refused to apply them in accordance with Judge Meyer’s order. [Id.] Plaintiff alleges
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Defendants’ refusal to apply his custodial credits under California Penal Code § 4019 violated his
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Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. [Id. ¶¶ 78-87.] Plaintiff also alleges that a criminal
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action has been filed against him and is currently pending in state court. [Id. ¶ 128.]
By the present motion, Plaintiff moves for an injunction. [Doc. No. 20.] Plaintiff (1) seeks
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to enjoin the SD Sheriff’s, SD Superior Court, and J. Meyer from denying Plaintiff his custodial
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credits under California Penal Code § 4019; and (2) to enjoin his ongoing and future civil or
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criminal prosecutions. [Id. at 2-3.] Defendants County of San Diego and Romo have filed a
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response in opposition to Plaintiff’s motion for an injunction.
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DISCUSSION
I.
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Legal Standard for a Motion for Preliminary Injunction
“A preliminary injunction is an extraordinary remedy never awarded as of right.” Winter
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v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 129 S. Ct. 365, 376 (2008). “[P]laintiffs seeking a
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preliminary injunction must establish that (1) they are likely to succeed on the merits; (2) they are
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likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief; (3) the balance of equities tips
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in their favor; and (4) a preliminary injunction is in the public interest.” Sierra Forest Legacy v.
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Rey, 577 F.3d 1015, 1021 (9th Cir. 2009) (citing Winter, 129 S. Ct. at 374).
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The grant or denial of a preliminary injunction is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Am.
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Trucking Ass’ns, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles, 559 F.3d 1046, 1052 (9th Cir. 2009). “[A] district
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court necessarily abuses its discretion when it bases its decision on an erroneous legal standard or
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on clearly erroneous findings of fact.” Id. “Stated differently, [a]s long as the district court [gets]
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the law right, it will not be reversed simply because the appellate court would have arrived at a
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different result if it had applied the law to the facts of the case.” Id. (internal quotation marks
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omitted).
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II.
Analysis
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A.
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Plaintiffs’ FAC contains twelve causes of action against the Defendants. [FAC ¶¶ 48-131.]
Likelihood of Success on the Merits
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In Plaintiff’s motion for an injunction, he provides no substantive analysis demonstrating why he
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will succeed on these claims. Therefore, Plaintiff has failed to establish that he is likely to succeed
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on the merits of these claims. See, e.g., Sarantapoulas v. Recontrust Co., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
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13467, at *3 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 3, 2012); Shaterian v. Wells Fargo Bank, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
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62165, at *12 (N.D. Cal. Jun. 10, 2011) (“[A] plaintiff may not support a motion for a preliminary
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injunction by merely pointing to his complaint and the facts alleged therein.”). Plaintiff’s motion
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for a preliminary injunction can be denied on this basis alone. See Johnson v. California State Bd.
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of Accountancy, 72 F.3d 1427, 1430 (9th Cir. 1995) (“‘[E]ven if the balance of hardships tips
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decidedly in favor of the moving party, it must be shown as an irreducible minimum that there is a
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fair chance of success on the merits.’”).
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B.
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Plaintiff’s Request to Enjoin Defendants From Denying Him Custodial Credits
under California Penal Code § 4019
In Plaintiff’s first request for injunctive relief, he seeks an injunction against the SD
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Superior Court, Judge Meyer, and SD Sheriff’s enjoining them from denying him his custodial
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credits under California Penal Code § 4019. [Doc. No. 20 at 2-3.] Plaintiff alleges that on
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November 16, 2011, in civil contempt proceedings, Judge Meyer issued a written order sentencing
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Plaintiff to 25 days in state custody and stating that Plaintiff was not entitled to any custody
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credits. [FAC ¶ 33.] Plaintiff further alleges that when he reported to the SD Sheriff’s on January
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3, 2012 to serve his 25 day sentence, the SD Sheriff’s refused to apply his custodial credits in
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accordance with Judge Meyer’s order. [Id. ¶ 38.] Plaintiff is no longer in the custody of the State
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of California.1
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To obtain an injunction, a plaintiff must establish that a “real or immediate threat” exists
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that he will be wronged again. City of Los Angeles v. Lyons, 461 U.S. 95, 111 (1983). The
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alleged threat cannot be “conjectural” or “hypothetical.” Id. at 101-02. Therefore, where the
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activities sought to be enjoined have already occurred, and the Court cannot undo what has already
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been done, and there is no prospective harm to the plaintiff, the action is moot and no injunction
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can be granted. ICR Graduate School v. Honig, 758 F. Supp. 1350, 1354-55 (S.D. Cal. 1991)
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(citing Friends of the Earth v. Bengland, 576 F.2d 1377, 1379 (9th Cir. 1978)).
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Plaintiff alleges that he was wrongfully denied his custodial credits under California Penal
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Code § 4019 and forced to serve his full 25 day sentence. [FAC ¶¶ 33-41, 78-83.] Therefore, the
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alleged harm has already occurred. Plaintiff’s FAC contains no allegations showing that Plaintiff
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will be denied his custodial credits again in the near future. Accordingly, Plaintiff is not entitled to
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an injunction enjoining the SD Superior Court, Judge Meyer, and SD Sheriff’s from denying him
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his custodial credits under California Penal Code § 4019. See ICR Graduate School, 758 F. Supp.
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at 1354-55.
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Both Plaintiff’s FAC and Plaintiff’s motion list Plaintiff’s current address as “965 Hidden
Oaks, Beaumont, CA 92223.”
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C.
Plaintiff’s Request to Enjoin Ongoing and Future State Court Proceedings
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In Plaintiff’s second request for injunction relief, he requests an injunction against the SD
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DA, the SD Superior Court, Romo, and Drcar enjoining all current and future civil or criminal
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prosecutions against Plaintiff. [Doc. No. 20 at 3-7.] With respect to Plaintiff’s request to enjoin
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any future state court proceedings, as explained above, an injunction cannot be obtained when the
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alleged harm is merely conjectural or hypothetical. See Lyons, 461 U.S. 101-02. The threat must
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be real or immediate. Id. at 111. Therefore, Plaintiff is not entitled to an injunction enjoining
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hypothetical future state court proceedings.
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With respect to Plaintiff’s request to enjoin his ongoing state court proceedings, under
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principles of comity and federalism, a federal court should not interfere with ongoing state court
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proceedings by granting injunctive or declaratory relief except under special circumstances.
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Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37, 43-54 (1971). Younger abstention is required when: (1) state
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proceedings, judicial in nature, are pending; (2) the state proceedings involve important state
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interests; and (3) the state proceedings afford adequate opportunity to raise the constitutional issue.
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Middlesex Cnty. Ethics Comm. v. Garden State Bar Ass’n, 457 U.S. 423, 432 (1982); Dubinka v.
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Judges of the Superior Court, 23 F.3d 218, 223 (9th Cir. 1994). Where a district court finds
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Younger abstention appropriate, the court must dismiss claims for injunctive or declaratory relief.
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See Juidice v. Vail, 430 U.S. 327, 337 (1977); Dubinka, 23 F.3d at 226.
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Plaintiff’s action satisfies all three of the Younger requirements. First, Plaintiff alleges that
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he is being subjected to ongoing criminal proceedings. [FAC ¶ 128; Doc. No. 20 at 3.] See
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Dubinka, 23 F.3d at 223. Second, the Supreme Court has held that “a proper respect for state
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functions,” such as ongoing criminal trial proceedings, is an important issue of state interest. See
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Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475, 491-92 (1973) (quoting Younger, 401 U.S. at 44). Third,
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Petitioner can pursue his constitutional claims in state court.
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Plaintiff argues that he is entitled to an injunction because his criminal prosecution is being
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brought in bad faith because there is no reasonable expectation that the state can obtain a valid
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conviction. [Doc. No. 20 at 3.] The Supreme Court has explained that an injunction enjoining
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state court criminal proceedings might be appropriate in cases of “proven harassment or
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prosecutions undertaken by state officials in bad faith without hope of obtaining a valid
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conviction.” Perez v. Ledesma, 401 U.S. 82, 85 (1971). Plaintiff has not provided the Court with
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any evidence showing that there is no reasonable expectation that the state could obtain a valid
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conviction in his state court proceedings. Plaintiff’s claim that the state cannot obtain a valid
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conviction appears to be based on pure speculation, and Plaintiff is not entitled to an injunction
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based on these speculative allegations. See, e.g., Collins v. California, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
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152366, at *6-7 (C.D. Cal. Dec. 8, 2011). Therefore, the Court should abstain from interfering in
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Plaintiff’s ongoing state court proceedings. See Younger, 401 U.S. at 45-46.
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In addition, an injunction enjoining Plaintiff’s criminal proceedings would violate the Anti-
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Injunction Act, which bars federal courts from enjoining state court proceedings. See 28 U.S.C. §
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2283. Accordingly, Plaintiff is not entitled to an injunction enjoining his ongoing state court
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proceedings.
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CONCLUSION
In sum, Plaintiff is not entitled to the requested injunctive relief, and the Court DENIES
Plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
DATED: April 26, 2012
______________________________
IRMA E. GONZALEZ
United States District Judge
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