Morales v. 94 Corner Cafe Corp.
- Gregory Woods
- 1:23-cv-10935
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Morales v. 94 Corner Cafe Corp., Judge Woods scheduled a conference and warned unrepresented defendants of possible default judgments.
Hipolito Morales, Mohinder Singh, and 94 Corner Cafe Corp. The order particularly affects Singh and the corporation because it requires Singh to attend if he has no lawyer and requires the corporation to obtain licensed counsel to participate.
What happened
In Morales v. 94 Corner Cafe Corp., the court scheduled an in-person conference for June 18, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. The order did not decide the underlying dispute.
The court said Mohinder Singh must attend if no lawyer appears for him, and his failure to attend could lead to a finding that he is in default and a judgment against him. The court also said 94 Corner Cafe Corp. cannot participate without a licensed lawyer and expects to enter a default judgment against the company if no lawyer appears by the conference.
Judge Gregory H. Woods also explained that the conference would be conducted in English, allowed Singh to use an interpreter if he participates without a lawyer, and directed the Clerk of Court to mail the order to Singh and update the docket with his contact information.
The detailed version
- Morales v. 94 Corner Cafe Corp. · No. 1:23-cv-10935
- Gregory Woods
- May 28, 2024
Nature of the Order
This is a scheduling and case-management order. It does not decide the merits of Hipolito Morales's claims or enter a default judgment.
Conference
The court ordered an in-person conference on June 18, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The conference will be conducted in English, and the parties or their lawyers must participate in English.
Mohinder Singh
The court stated that if no lawyer for the defendants files a notice of appearance by June 18, 2024, Mohinder Singh must personally attend the conference to litigate the case without a lawyer. The court warned that failure to follow court orders, including failure to attend a required conference, can result in sanctions. It further stated that Singh's failure to attend could lead to a finding that he is in default and to a judgment against him.
Singh may retain a lawyer admitted in the Southern District of New York. If he participates without a lawyer, he may use an interpreter. The court directed him to contact the court's Interpreter's Office for a list of qualified interpreters and to notify the court by June 11, 2024, if he retains one. Singh would bear the cost of interpretation services.
94 Corner Cafe Corp.
The court explained that the corporate defendant cannot participate in the federal case without a licensed lawyer. If counsel for 94 Corner Cafe Corp. does not file a notice of appearance by June 18, 2024, the court expects to enter a default judgment against the corporation.
Clerk's Directions
The Clerk of Court was directed to mail a copy of the order to Singh, update Singh's address on the docket, and add his phone number and email address to the docket.
Disposition
The court scheduled the conference and issued warnings and related directions. The opinion does not state that the court entered a default judgment or otherwise resolved the case. Judge Gregory H. Woods signed the order.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.