Carbajal v. City of Highland Park, et al.

Filing 41

MEMORANDUM Order: Attorney Sally Comin ("Comin") has filed a "Motion for Leave To Withdraw as Counsel for Rodney Carbajal" (the "Motion," Dkt. No. 40), asserting that it "is based on an irreconcilable conflict betwe en Counsel and [Rodney] Carbajal resulting from Carbajal's refusal to trust counsel and take her legal advice." This Court need not take any position on the merits of the matter, for it consistently views such motions (whether initiated by a lawyer or a dissatisfied client) as the equivalent of no-fault divorce, because in either event it would be inappropriate to compel the two to be linked together. Instead it simply grants the Motion. As for Carbajal, he is directed either to obtain replacement counsel or to choose to proceed pro se, a decision that must be made on or before August 31, 2017. Signed by the Honorable Milton I. Shadur on 8/10/2017:Mailed notice(clw, )

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
EASTERN DIVISION
RODNEY CARBAJAL,
Plaintiff,
v.
CITY OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS
POLICE DEPARTMENT, an Illinois
Municipality, and PAUL SHAFER,
individually, and in his capacity as Police
Chief of the City of Highland Park, Illinois,
Defendants.

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Case No. 16 C 8364

MEMORANDUM ORDER
Attorney Sally Comin ("Comin") has filed a "Motion for Leave To Withdraw as Counsel
for Rodney Carbajal" (the "Motion," Dkt. No. 40), asserting that it "is based on an irreconcilable
conflict between Counsel and [Rodney] Carbajal resulting from Carbajal's refusal to trust
counsel and take her legal advice." This Court need not take any position on the merits of the
matter, for it consistently views such motions (whether initiated by a lawyer or a dissatisfied
client) as the equivalent of no-fault divorce, because in either event it would be inappropriate to
compel the two to be linked together. Instead it simply grants the Motion. As for Carbajal, he is
directed either to obtain replacement counsel or to choose to proceed pro se, a decision that must
be made on or before August 31, 2017.

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Milton I. Shadur
Senior United States District Judge
Date: August 10, 2017