Love v. Woods

Filing 10

ORDER Directing Counsel for Petitioner to Inform the Court Whether She Still Represents Petitioner. Signed by District Judge Matthew F. Leitman. (HMon)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
SOUTHERN DIVISION
MENDO LOVE,
Petitioner,

Case No. 15-14497
Hon. Matthew F. Leitman

v.
PAUL KLEE,
Respondent.
_____________________________/
ORDER DIRECTING COUNSEL FOR PETITIONER TO INFORM
THE COURT WHETHER SHE STILL REPRESENTS PETITIONER
On December 30, 2015, attorney Suzanna Kostovski filed a petition for a writ
of habeas corpus on behalf of Petitioner Mendo Love. (See ECF #1.) The Petition
challenged Love’s 2012 state-court convictions for first-degree murder, armed
robbery, and felony-firearm on the basis that Love was denied the effective
assistance of trial counsel. (See id.) Ms. Kostovski also filed a reply brief on Love’s
behalf. (See ECF #8.)
On August 22, 2017, Love filed a pro se motion in which he asks the Court to
hold the Petition in abeyance while he returns to state court and exhausts a new and
unexhausted claim that he is actually innocent of the crimes for which he was
convicted. (See ECF #9.) In that motion, Love further states that he “no longer has
counsel due to [a] significant Attorney-Client relationship breakdown.” (Id. at Pg.

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ID 961.) To date, Ms. Kostovski has not filed a motion to withdraw as counsel for
Love nor has she otherwise informed the Court that she no longer represents Love.
Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT within fourteen (14) days
of this Order, Ms. Kostovski shall either (1) file a motion to withdraw as Love’s
counsel or (2) inform the Court in writing that she remains Love’s counsel.

s/Matthew F. Leitman
MATTHEW F. LEITMAN
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
Dated: November 13, 2017

I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing document was served upon the
parties and/or counsel of record on November 13, 2017, by electronic means and/or
ordinary mail.
s/Holly A. Monda
Case Manager
[phone]

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