HOLLISTER v. SOETORO et al

Filing 13

Memorandum in opposition to re 9 MOTION to Dismiss MOTION to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden filed by GREGORY S. HOLLISTER. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration)(nmw, )

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : : Plaintiff : vs. : CIVIL ACTION NO. 1:08-cv-02254 JR : BARRY SOETORO, a/k/a Barack : Hussein Obama, in his capacity as : a natural person; in his capacity as : de facto President in posse; and in his : capacity as de jure President in posse : and : JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., in his capacity : as a natural person; in his capacity as : de jure Acting President in posse; in his : capacity as de jure President in posse; : and in his capacity as de jure Vice: President in posse; : and : NATURAL and UN-NATURAL : DOES 1-100 INCLUSIVE, : : Defendants : DECLARATION OF LISA LIBERI GREGORY S. HOLLISTER,

I, Lisa Liberi, being over the age of eighteen (18) and not a party to the within action prepared this Declaration of Lisa Liberi regarding certain events regarding this litigation. If called to do so, I could and would competently testify under oath as follows: 1. I am employed by the Law Offices of Philip J. Berg as Assistant to and Paralegal

for Philip J. Berg, Esquire. Our business address is located at 555 Andorra Glen Court, Suite #12, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444-2531. 2. On December 31, 2008, I caused the Complaint for our Client, Gregory S.

Hollister, to be filed in the within action.

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3.

On or about January 2, 2009 at approximately 10:00 a.m. Eastern time, I received

a call from John Hemenway, Esquire, local counsel and sponsors of Philip J. Berg, Esquire and Lawrence J. Joyce, Esquire to be entered in this Court to practice pro hac vice in the within matter. 4. Mr. Hemenway informed me he had received a call from Maureen Higgins, a

Clerk at the United States District Court, District of Columbia. Mr. Hemenway stated Ms. Higgins refused to file Plaintiff's Complaint without a Motion for Leave to File an Interpleader Action. 5. Mr. Hemenway stated he went down to the Court and asked who the Judge was in

this matter; however, the Clerk refused to tell him. Mr. Hemenway stated he wanted to appear before the Judge regarding the issues with the Court's Clerk. 6. I immediately contacted Maureen Higgins via telephone to discuss the issue

regarding the Motion she was requesting. Ms. Higgins informed me that we had to file a Motion for Leave to file our Interpleader Complaint by noon, as it was year end close, or she would not file Petitioner's Complaint. I explained to Ms. Higgins that this was not normal protocol. Ms. Higgins first stated it was a local rule. Ms. Higgins then retracted this statement claiming it was in her Interpleader Manual that she was required to follow. 7. I explained to Ms. Higgins that it was normal protocol to file a Motion for Leave

to Deposit Funds with the Court in an Interpleader Action, however, not to file a Motion seeking Leave of the Court to file a Complaint for Interpleader. Ms. Higgins again stated she would not file Plaintiff's Complaint without said Motion. 8. I hung up with Ms. Higgins and immediately contacted David Scott, Ms. Higgins

Supervisor. Mr. Scott placed my call on speaker and called Ms. Higgins into his Office. I

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informed Mr. Scott and Ms. Higgins I pulled the law books pertaining to the Interpleader Action as well as the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the local rules for the U.S. District Court, District of Columbia. Nowhere was I able to locate such a requirement as dictated by Ms. Higgins. 9. Ms. Higgins became frustrated and began speaking very loudly. I continued

reading exactly what the law stated pursuant to the Interpleader Actions. Ms. Higgins finally stated if we did not file an original Motion for Leave to File an Interpleader Action, our Client's Complaint would be rejected and she would mail it back to us. This of course was doing nothing more than prejudicing our client. 10. Mr. Scott stated we should file the Motion even though we did not agree and

email it to him. Mr. Scott stated the reason they needed it by noon was due to the fact of year-end close. Mr. Scott stated if Ms. Higgins attempted to reject Plaintiff's Complaint again, he would personally go before the Judge. 11. Although in disagreement, to preserve the rights of our Client, I prepared a

Motion for Leave to file an Interpleader Action. I submitted the Motion to all counsel who reluctantly agreed to have it filed. 12. At the time of the filing of Plaintiff's Complaint a Motion to Shorten time

for Defendants to Answer was filed as well as a Motion to enter Philip J. Berg, Esquire and Lawrence J. Joyce, Esquire to Appear Pro Hac Vice. 13. On or about February 4, 2009, this Honorable Court entered an order deeming the

Motion for Leave to file Plaintiff's Interpleader Action frivolous and therefore denied it. At the same this Honorable Court held Mr. Berg's and Mr. Joyce's Motion to Appear Pro Hac Vice in abeyance until the Court has had the opportunity in open Court to examine their

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credentials, their competence, their good faith, and the factual and legal bases of the Complaint they have signed. 14. I immediately contacted David Scott back regarding this Order. Mr. Scott

remembered the events involving his Clerk, Maureen Higgins and the Motion in question. Mr. Scott apologized and stated he was discussing this issue with his Supervisors. Mr. Scott pulled the Order of this Court and took it to his Supervisors so they would discuss this issue with Ms. Higgins. I told Mr. Scott I hoped he would inform the Court as to the actions that forced the filing of the Motion for Leave to File an Interpleader Action.

I declare under the laws of the United States that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed this 13th day of February, 2009. Respectfully submitted,

s/ Lisa Liberi ______________________________ LISA LIBERI

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

: : Plaintiff, : vs. : CIVIL ACTION NO. 1:08-cv-02254 JR : BARRY SOETORO, et al : : Defendants. :

GREGORY S. HOLLISTER,

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, Lisa Liberi, hereby certify that the Declaration of Lisa Liberi was served via electronic filing this 13th day of February 2009 upon the following: Robert F. Bauer, Esquire PERKINS COIE 607 Fourteenth Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005-2003 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] [e-mail]

s/ Lisa Liberi ______________________________ LISA LIBERI

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