Ysasi-Huerta v. Secretary of the Department of Transportation

Filing 13

ORDER CONDITIONALLY APPOINTING COUNSEL AND STAYING CASE - Signed by Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen. (CCie)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
SOUTHERN DIVISION
RAQUEL YSASI-HUERTA,
Plaintiff,

No. 16-11498

v.

District Judge Robert H. Cleland
Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen

SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION,
Defendant.
/
ORDER CONDITIONALLY APPOINTING COUNSEL AND STAYING CASE
Plaintiff Raquel Ysasi-Huerta initially filed this case in the Northern District of
Ohio. She was represented by Ohio counsel at that time. On April 26, 2016, the Northern
District of Ohio transferred the case to this Court. Ms. Ysasi-Huerta is no longer
represented by counsel. I held a status conference on September 13, 2016, at which time
Ms. Ysasi-Huerta requested the assistance of a pro bono attorney. Believing that request
to be well-taken, I adjourned the scheduling conference, and have sought to obtain
counsel willing to take Ms. Ysasi-Huerta’s case. I have also enlisted the assistance of the
Chief Judge.
While Ms. Ysasi-Huerta does not have a right to appointed counsel in a civil case,
I continue to believe that it would not only be to her benefit, but to the benefit of the
Defendant and the Court if she were represented. On the other hand, this case does need
to move forward. Balancing these competing considerations, I will stay the case for 30
days from the date of this Order in order to make further attempts to obtain pro bono
counsel. A scheduling conference will be set after the stay expires.
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IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the Court conditionally appoints pro bono
counsel for Plaintiff, conditioned on obtaining counsel within 30 days of the date of this
order.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that all proceedings in this case are STAYED until
MAY 11, 2017.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
s/R. Steven Whalen
R. STEVEN WHALEN
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
Dated: April 10, 2017

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify on April 10, 2017, that I electronically filed the foregoing paper
with the Clerk of the Court sending notification of such filing to all counsel registered
electronically. I hereby certify that a copy of this paper was mailed to non-registered ECF
participants.
s/Carolyn Ciesla
Case Manager to
Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen

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