By Jack Clark
Co-publisher and General Counsel
UPDATE 11:28 a.m. Wednesday, June 19:
The U.S. Attorney's public information office responded to the Town Crier that it plans to file the papers Judge Wright ordered either today or tomorrow. It did not provide a response as to why it did not file the papers before the June 10 deadline.
ORIGINAL STORY 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, June 19:
In a somewhat tersely written order, Judge Otis D. Wright II, United States District judge for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, chastised the parties for failing to submit a joint status report as ordered, and threatened to dismiss the case of United States v. Tarek M. Al-Shawaf, et al., in which the federal government sought damages due to the July 2013 Mountain Fire that swept around Idyllwild and caused its evacuation.
Wright’s most recent order was issued Wednesday, June 19, in the judge’s chambers with his clerk present. The order reads, in its entirety, as follows, with upper-case, bold face, italics and underlining just as in the court’s actual order:
Proceedings:
Following numerous continuances and status reports, the Court, on May 28, 2019, continued the stay and ordered the parties to submit a joint status report regarding final resolution by June 10, 2019. To date, the parties have not submitted a response to the Court’s May 28, 2019 Order.
Accordingly, the Court ORDERS the parties TO SHOW CAUSE, in writing, by June 24, 2019, why the Court should not lift the stay and dismiss the case for failure to prosecute. Failure to comply with this Order may result in the dismissal of Plaintiff’s case. See C.D. Cal. Local Rules 41-1, 41-5.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
The Town Crier contacted the U.S. Attorney’s Office for comment at 10:30 on the morning of Wednesday, June 19, but as yet has received no response. The Town Crier will continue to follow this matter.
Jack Clark can be reached at [email protected].
